Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-30
..r0x SLATER AND The LAND
GRANT.

.aemhle and resolutions pass-d by the
Eopmon CnnDcIl OF the city of Portland
~ sn4ci 4 meeting thereof. held on The
..sriny of February llth, 1854. IN r.
..ct of the forfeiture of the Northern
pac,fc Railroad land grant, has b b,n
recsived.
The deiiber tely Expressed views and
o,inions Of the Common 'o1nc OF the
obisf commercial city Of Oregon ought
and always will have great weight with
mo in rsspect to matters of general in-
,arest to the State, or IL respect OF CUES
lions IN wnicn tie city OF Portland may
n. chiefly concerned: and 1 small AT All
,,mes be both ready and willing, and "a
veI esteem il dutv, TO render AL t'ie
a;d in INV power toward the procuring
of any proper and n-edtut lebisl%t, ~
Concerning the general interest of the
state or the prosperity oi Portltnd, con
latent with wiss and Just public
nollcy. and that fidelity every legislator
pues 70 the interests of the great body
~ the people whom he represents.
In the present instance, however, !
a., nuAtl. To concur with some Of tiie
nro,o.itions contained III the resolu-
,i,ns of the Common Council of the city
o Portland.
do not assent to the proposition,
ANY act Oh the part of Congress, inter
f.r,np with the right Of the Northern
p.eific Railroad Company 10 Its land
grant. or any portion tuer-''f, would bs
a great injustice IT, the Northern Pa
cic Railroad Company" On the con-
trary, hold that a just public policy
r.aulres that ali the laud, xhich has
not teen earned by said company un-
der the terUS OF the grant, 10y the coi-
nructiun of its road-that j., Ali lands
embraced in the grant adjacent 10, and
cotermiD1s with the uncoInpleted por-
tion OF said road, should be promptly
declared TO be forfeited by act o: Con
prsss. and the same be restored TO
settlement: and for these reasons:
FIrst-rhe original grant was inprov-
ident in the last degree.
Second-Ihe original grant WAS upon
conditions, to be performed by the
company within Selve y-ars, or In 1876.
Two years extension was owen by Con
gressionsl enactment, and since tue
expiration of these two years, the com
p,uy has had nearly SIX years more
extension Of time by on-actl0n of Con-
gress.
TLird-The great object of the origi
nal grant WIS An Hll-rdll communities
ton to the Pacific coast hv northern
route, which has been accomplished, 80
the principal reason for the grant no
longer exists, and the reasons no longer
operating, the remainder of the grant
ought to be restored To the public do
main.
Fourth-The company has rlready
earned. under the terms of the grant.
3J.OOO.OOO acres of land. u very large
- g M, t,tpilu val A
tural lands, for which said company is
now demanding of tie settlers who have
vune upon them III advance, too, Of the
title accruipg to the company, the ex
t,rtioriate prices If from $3.50 to $l5
per acre. The remainder of the earned
lands are either covered with valuable
timber or are valuable for pasturaee.
The vast extent Of this body OF
earned lands may be better conceived
If looked at ard consider d rs COZ
solidated territory. Thrown into one
compact body, they aggregate 54.6oI
square miles-a territory considerably
greater than the entire territorial lin
its of cit her of the States of Indiana,
OHIO or Mississippi, and equal in OK
teut to the area OF either of the States
Of Illinois or Iowa.
To continue conditions under which
future acquisitions of pubic lands may
be- secured IN tho hands and under the
control of this gigantic monopoly, can
neither be u " i've or just public policy.
For these and other equally oo9ent
considerations, II Is impossible for me
To comply with the request contained
III the third resolution of tn" Honor
able the Common Council, which Is "a
follows
D.
resentatives lu Congress be and they
are hereby requested to do all III their
power tn secure to he Northern Pacific
Railroad Company all the land granted
by act of Congress approved July ,,
1864, and acts supplementary thereto
and amendatory thereof. thus To enable
the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
pany to push to completion this great
national enterprise, as explained In the
granting act.
To do SO, as | view these questions.
would be-. on my part, to prove myself
rtcreant to u most important public
duty.
| am, sir, with great respect, your
obt dient servant, JAMES II. SLATER.
HIS RhPLY TO THE DALLEs BOARD OF
TRADE
U.SS, WASHINGTON, ID. G.,
March 3, 1884.
Colonel +. S. Lang. Secretary Dalles
City Board of Trade.
SIR Your letter of February sd,
Transmitting the preamble and resolu-
tions of the Dalles City Board Of Trade,
respecting the proposed forfeiture OF
the Northern Pacific Railroad land
"A txrn
1t evidently having been detained by
the western blockade.
1t is hardly necessary for me tn say
that am in full and hearty accord
with the spirit and purpose of these re-
solutions, since, as Ii we'll known
throughout the country. and particular
ly throughout Oregon, on the second
day Of the present session of Congress,
and at the earliest possible moment.
introduced IN the Senate a bill having
fer its object aud purpose the accom-
pllshmeut of the vary end these resolu-
tons are intended TO voice and recon-
mend. In fact, as | understand the
situation, the action OF the Dslles City
Board of Trade was called forth by the
adverse action of the Portland Board OF
Trade on the same subject. and Was IN
tended To oountervaii its effect and IN
nuence by giving both substantial and
moral aid to the movement looking to
the forfeiture of the unearned lands
granted TO aid in the construction OF
The Northern Pacific Railroad.
am much gratified at the action OF
the Board, and am satisfied that II but
voices the sentiment and wishes of a
very large majority of the people of
oregon, and beg to assure the Board,
through you, that shall spare no effort
upon my part 80 accomplish the desired
end, to wit; the forfeiture of the IN
earned lands west of the Wallula juno
ton, and more particularly that part
alone the main line of said road down
the Columbia river.
Very respectfully yours,
JAS. II. SLATER.
SENATOR IoLpH HAS NOTHING To SAY
In marked distinction to the bold
open. upright position on this momes'
tons question, so fraaght with Interest
To Oregon and WASHINGTON, are the ut