Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-20
,,Y.lLrr BRANCH N THE
sESATs.
Record, May 10.

erissloTp Tp,a.ideu, pro tempors-Ihere is
Ine oyniuo business on the desk OF
sarfhei s;rg officer. Concurrent and
DE p's1intious- are " in order. and
esser ,avs before the Senat the res
fs nasred by the Senator from Ne
sIeflop W. Van Wvck Yesterday. II
vii ps '1r.;ou wss Rad. As follows:
iheI 5 That the Secretary Of the
-, 49, :, directed 20 withhold grant
ihs.s,e,ts 10 Of cognizing ens eihltn
ne p.s 80 North, rn Pacific Railroad
nsos ~ md on accom-. of what Is
SlmnD .he Pavallup Branch. bailt
Iso Iss,saoo. uutii tuis Congress shall
pssy :",;an on the QUE stion OF the for
a.e - I,nds granted TO said road.
en- u vro,oer-I move tnat the rssoiu-
M; oo asa,rsa To the Committee Oh
~ President pro teotPore- Ihe qaes-
,on d on agreeing 10 the naotioh Oh tue
casstor - fr 10 Michigan.
~, Vas Wvek-Mr. President, the
;,vo,ved IN the resolution would
p~.se, - main that there is no necessity
!, sbonld be referred TO any com
w. -. and iast at this stage OF bnsI
4 he referred to so lm ortant a
49,; .';,,se as that on the Judiciary, 1t
s,d Re almost impossible probably
,,at !, should receive action Sy .hat
sommittes and then ection oy Tue sen
- Al this session.
" a. rfnuest in TIE resolution Is sim
a +, ;nvades no rights aud imperlls
We an ,he part Of this railroad com
80 vbi,e IL may in An important mat.
- a,o,ee, the interests of tue GoVeTn-
-. The resolution relate5 tn some
i.,ss which were buiit 10y what " known
.s,hs puyallnp Branch of the Northern
u..,6c Railroad for coal road. lhe
rad was built ak or seven years ago.
,,d never until this time have they COME
20 tie Department asking for the ap-
,antmspt of commIssit ners win Tue
rsx ~ obtaining patents for the laDu.
I,vas "a, bnilt at the nme with the
.a.s that il yss TO be a portion either Oh
rs rain liDs or Of the branch OF the
Sor,bern Pacific Railroad. Ii WAS built
ION, an interior point to An interior
mint, IL il we're a portion OF tue Chs-
sa6e branch, which we claim It cannot
b. then il would be allowing railroad
nnpany to 90 from any point OF It's
ntd where lands we're extremely Viiaa-
bls and build few miles ana obtain
,utents for lands along that iine, ana
nigh. possibly never connect or oniid at
ne other end of the branch.
Ibese laHds are valuable. They are
coal lands. worth at least $40 per aore,
and far more than that. Any portions
hat may not he coal lands are among
he finest timber lands in WasbingtoE
Territory, and in that event they are
suth go per acre and more. "her" -
the injury or harm TO this railroad com
pany in asking the Department to with
bad the sanction or the rec ecpgnition Uf
the railroad company as having any
.isle 10 the lands until Congress shall
ksve acted upon the question which ~
nov before both branoues regarding the
forfeiture Of the land grantI
do not know what the action OF the
Department might be. should nothing
be done here; but we do know that
this company never contemplated until
within a few weeks that they had any
title 10 these lands. Ii has not been
fecopnized by them as being portion
Of their main line or their branch, aud
sm net built as such. IL was built tor
tbs purpose of reaching certain coal
hslds and az a local road. and the best
evidence of that fact is that the rail
fuad company suffered these lands to
remain Tor six or seven years after tae
road was built without any application
ior Them.
ls Il 70 bs supposed that the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, coming mp
Mtimes for inspection, IL they had title
" eonld secure title 10 the lands given
them upon thirty miles of this railroad,
would have suffered that matter to rest
year aftei year until six or seven years
lad elapsed, and until the time that
Ihefe became danger that the American
Pople through Congress would declare
aiorteiture Of the lands they had not
pfoperly earnedl At that iuncture, and
Dol slll then, we find this company im
poftuninR the President of the United
siAies 10 appoint commissioners. aud
sne commissioners were appointed.
therefore IL is proper for the 5 nate
ms time 10 ask that the issuing of
pasents or certificates shall he suspend
81 until there shall he at ieast some ac-
Won OF this Congress on the question of
tee forfeiture OF the lands.
Lnese are the simple facts in regard
" We matter. There is no ner ssity
nA | should 90 further into details
ass road IL not portion ut either the
hah Hoe or branch. The company
never Tor SIX years claimed that they
va any title 10 these lands. Even if
1sY 90 nov eome with preteuse Of
@a'n' when the VII Ie matter IL being
m'ss'lgaied and Is te be settled by the
aes'on OF this Congress, il becomes ne.
sess'ry and proper that we should at
'ssa AK suspension, they having lain
sa' ior SIX years seeking no recogui-
a'a oi title 10 these lands. Now. Ii
injustice 10 them TO ask that they
saAl Walt a few weeks until Congress
a.seeonsidered this mN tier aud declared
saH Tue policy Of the Government is t.
-. ~ regard to the lands which ar,
s'alaltd 70 be forfeited by this railroad
=, ~. y. Ooneer- Accepting the 1t atemeu'
ne senator who has Just iasea hi.
surely this is a matssr which ons
n ~ OF Congress should not act upoT
sl..a sofupt and ireot way, affecting
-. 70 lands without the inye,tisa
, " q committee. The best argz
~ ! coaid advance is what the Sena
~ nSs said himself. assume ,ha
ns,y word the senator has said in re
"a 70 tne facts of this ease In true
,,na -s ! 10 not know but that 10 Ia al
~ ahd that the Senator understand
IN. ' seems to me something likl
a. ase OF western lawyer who tolG
~. .!t, when he was addressing them
,,,., .nat Case there we're three dis
-. 'ae.s' two of which were true.
os one OF that class of cases.
H. resident, doubt myself whethe
csoase Of the United States by
@uoa has any right to direct tn
!, ~ OF this Government. In sbsrt
sasfe ls any question AZ all aboat tn
Ssnsd Sed action of the Depart meats.
ksss solely and entirely upon III
m,,.. .lgn's OF the parties. and the Goa
rsAs 90 ihe Judiciary IN y proper ON.
a, y shy necessity far anx iuquir
~ subject, to report to the Sensl
Tnion upon the question.
ta,A uot by any statement in regar
H. 'acts delay the Senate longer. Il
~. !. no DOUBT that the proper dispos
~. =. 1nis resolniioa is TO have the n
~ proper committee.
via .siater-ItTu that this resoluiio
rss..s ~ passed by the Senate without
ssaoS sssss 10 A committee. A unde
ssiaa zoe facts, II is not an unusu
Aoasx 70 re9nest a Department to wit
lsss.,s seaoa Ia viev Of contemplate
Tistion on s,nae s,arfirnlar ss1tasrr