Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-23
GOVERNMENT WILL BE GAMER BY
THE GRANT REMAINING.
THE Delta, February 7th.l


Congress is one of those ponderous, I'M
wieliy bodies that requires long time to
act upon or get in motion. For years an
cutlery has gone up against the railroads,
particularly in this State. The complaints
against them may be embodied In the gen.
eral charge that they are disposed to take
everything they can reach from individ-
uals, communities and the General Gov.
eminent, without corresponding benefits,
or indeed any in return. We do not pro-
pose here to discuss this question at length,
but merely to note fact over which our
contemporaries in the northern part of the
State are considerably exercised, as they
consider that it has direct bearing on the
commercial and industrial interests of their
section. On the 3lst ult. the lower house
of Congress declared the Texas Pacific land
grant forfeited, and their Committee on
Public Lands have reported in favor also
of forfeiture of the grant of the California
and Oregon road. While public sentiment
universally sustains the action of Congress
in the former measure, and the press is al
most unanimous in its favor, believing that
the grant could not legally have been
transferred to the Southern Pacific, and
that it was designed to encourage a COM
peting transcontinental line, there has
gone up public protest against the meas
ure contemplated by the committee above
referred to. The considerations urged by
these journals are in substance as follows :
The California and Oregon is a road ex-
tending northward through the Sacramento
valley to the Oregon line, there to meet a
roal, projected to meet it, extending
southwark from Portland and connect it
with the Oregon system of roads. The
Oregon and California, some years ago, was
built to Rsdding and then stopped, be-
cause work was suspended on the Oregon
road and there was no prospect of its early
resumption and indeed the sole cause of
delay has been want of energy on the part
of the Oregon builders. The grant lapsed
in 1850, but has not as yet been declared
forfeited, and will stand good until Con-
gress so declares it. A few months ago,
the Oregon builders showing DISPOSE.
tion to push ahead, work was resumed
and twenty-mile section north of Red
ding has been completed and accepted
by the Government Commissioners, and
work in the shape Of grading, bridge
building and tunneling has progressed
many miles in advance of the present
terminus. The route from Redding to
the State line Is over q country rough
and mountainous in the highest degree,
involving enormous expense in construc.
tion, and the country is of no value with
out the outlet railroad affords The pa
pers in the northern part of the State say
that it is rapidly filling with settlers as the
road progresses, and both the State and
General Government are being benefited
by the general Improvement and industrial
movement The Government loses moth.
ing, it is urged, from the grant, either di.
rectly or indirectly. With the railroad,
the land that remains to it are doubled in
value with ready sale, and it is much the
gamer from whatever adds to the prospe'
Ivy of any portion of its territory. 1t is
Justly feared, if the grant in question is
forfeited, that this road, from the extraordi.
nary outlay the building calls for, cannot
be completed, and, important as it is To-
cally considered, it sinks into insigniiicanee
compared with the benefit it will prove TO
San Francisco and indirectly to the whole
State. 1t will attract southwark vast
trade that will, without it, be attracted to
Portland or cities on the sound. 1t is easy
20 see that connection with the Oregon
system Of roads, and through that with its
Eastern connections, is benefit CONNER.
cially and otherwise of the highest import
ance-one that will be felt more and more,
year by year, from one end of the State to
the other