Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-23

seattle - Asiesa = the unteress. Of
the Territory.
A.the urgent request Of many prom
inen: ciiizsns Of Seattle and King coun-
ty. Mayor Strive issued call for mass
meeting Of citizens to discuss the ques-
ton Of terminating the unearnsd land
0raat of the Northern Pacifs Railroad
Company. nov pending before Con-
grs.s. to be held at Yesler's Hall on Sat
arday evening, March q, At the hour Ct
5 o'clock.
This call VAS responded 10 by very
large number of our best citizens, the
large hall being packed uncomfortably
full. many persons being compelled to
stand in the aisies.
Toe meeting Was called to order by
Judge Jacobs. Who nominated Mayor
Struvs for Oh .irman. On being unani-
nously elested,
ME-. sTRUvE
| Thanked the meeting for the honor con
| feyred, and stated the object Of the
meeting to he the Discussion of the
grea, question nov pending before Con
| yress, whether tue great land grant
| made 70 he Northern Pacific Railroad
| Company twsnty years ago by our Gov
erDm6nt, shall s,ili be cJntin led, or
| whether that great land giant, snail 81
| thrown open 10 honest scttiemeDt. he
hoped that the matter would receive
| Cal n, aud careful considers alton, 30 that
the action taken by the meeting would
| ~ the means OF accomplishing SOME
thing.
Me,srs. NJ. r. Blake, j. c. b. Hebbard
and y. l.. Crawford were chosen score
taries of the meeting.
X. Osborn. Esq, moved that com
mittee Of i've be appointed by the Chair
to draft suitable set of resolutions, T."
he sent to the Congress of tbs United
States. This committee WAS appointed.
and consisted Of Mossrs. X. Osborn, ID.
L. Denny. II. l.. Yesler, Col. q. q. Lyon
and George Kinnear. The committee
retired, aud
| JUDGE JACOBS
Was called for The Judge stated that,
~ he had Just returned f.om court down
the Sound. he was not prepared to give
consecutive pressn tation of his views.
but would briefly state the connection
he had had with the land grant of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company.
Each session that he was in Congress
the company came IN With bill asking
for furtuer time. drafted n BILL said
the Judge. containing provisions for an
extension OF time, provided the cum
pany went to work aud built so much
road each year ON both ends of their
l hat la al
contained in the grant be thrown open
to settlement under the laws of the
, United states, 30 that any citizen could
90 on this land and, by complying with
; the law. get a title 20 it from the gov
eminent at ~ 10 per mere, the govern
ment to retain the proceeds, which were
a, to be turned over To tue company. bn,
when SIR Roberts, then Chief EngI-
neer of the Northern Pacific Railroad
went before the committees OF both
branches of Congress, and made the
statement that he had examined every
pass in the Case ,de Mountains, ano
hat white 1t was not impossible t.
( build road through these mountains
Il WAS IL financial ,mpractlc.biii y.
,skcd why then should the company re-
tain tins gran, After TINS remarkaol.
/ | statement ! introduced resolution
providing for the forfeiture # TIA II
grant. This grant ~ AN enormous
tract, taking frotn the pubic domain pi
e this Territory land equal 10 the VIII IL
State of OaIo, and much more land
, than the government should place Il,
the hands of AN individual or q corpo
! ration. The future conflict of THU
3 | country will be between tn railroad cor
porations and the pa ople, and the grea
Question that threatens the porpetuitN
of our government at anything oar
: | threaiea ~. ia the conflict between COR
| porate power and the people. Much O
this lnnd has never been earned. and /,
liabe and should b. restored To tn.
3 | public domain. This grant WAS made
a by a legislative enactment. and while
| the land has not been On ned the title
~ in the company. and IT will require 4
Congress onai enact tnent in order to re-
[ | store il to the public dt main. am d
member of dignified body IN thu,
town known as the Chamber of Com
tneroe, with which some iault has beei
. found 70 passing non-f forfeiture reso
a iutions, but there IL another side Il
that affair. At the first meeting hello
there WAS a unanimous vote IN favor OF
forfeiture, but after agents ~ the raj.
, | road visited the town, making cert an
, representations, a change came over ia,
spirit OF the dreams of soue members
and n whole hsg" resolution was pass
cd by small majority. Now thar the
> members have looked more fully into
this matter do not doubt they See Their
mistake"
! BY this time the committee returned
and their chairman submitted the fol
lowing
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS.
Which were unanimously adopted by
the meeting:
WHEREAS, On July I'd. 1864. Congress,
granted to the Northern Pacific Rail
road Company lands To aid such com
pany in the construction OF u railro I'd
from Lake Superior To Puget Sound
and
Whereas, The original grant was larg.
and valuable enough 90 h ave construct
cd the entire line of road within tat
! time specified III the granting act, with
out othcr help, had the grant aud fran
CHS been administered 10y Responsible
honest and prudent men of even drill
nary business capacity and
Whereas, Nearly twenty years have
elapsed since said grant was made. and
not one mile of road has been built
west of the Cascade range that was. or
Is, honestly intended to be a part of said
line of road As originally chartered. or.
in fact. has any roau 1T all been built
by said company IN the Territory %
Washington, west OF Wallula, except
small loo Il roa Is II no practical bene-
tit to the Government or tue people OF
this TERRITORY aud
Whereas, Said company has az no
time, during said leriod OF twenty
years. IN ,de any fort in good faith to
construct Its chartered lines Of road in
this Territory according to the intent
Of Congress-. but on the contrary has
pursued \ policy that has been. and is.
u constant menace to any other compa-
nv desiring to build roads in said Ter
ritory and said grant has been con-
tinuou-ly Used by said company, by the
favor of the Interim Dep ,rtment. AS An
instrument to retard the settlement.
growth and development Of the Terri.
tory, 10y floating Its grant over about
three-faurths of the Territory by tue
filing of maps ut general Route"
trial lines" prop d lines and
amended lines complainant De-
partmen'ixithoutw arIa tot law IN skins
| withdr A ais of Ia ads for forty miles on