Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-19
A LAND GIANT THAT SHOULD NOT BE
FORFEITED.
rs, F. Merchant of February l5th.l

ftn u.s., we gave CONDENSED account OF the
debate, pro and con, on communication
from w. H. Mills, Land Agent of the Cali.
fornia and Oregon Railroad, giving some res.
sons why the merchants of this city, in their
own interest, should use their influence to
prevent the passage of the bill for the forfeit
ure of the land grant of the California and
Oregon Railroad, now under consideration by
Congress. 1t was unfortunate thst this mat
ter came up at the close of long session,
after many other important questions had
been disposed of, and members were anxious
to get back to their offices. The essential
differences in the equities of this and most
other railroad grants had hardly been consid.
cred by the members before the reading of Mr..
Mills letter. The attempt to cut off debate
and the refusal to allow so important a mat
ter to take the usual course of reference to a
committee showed that the populsr preiu-
dice against land grants and subsidies
prevailed over more mercantile consid-
erstions. A little reflection will, we
believe, show the opposing members
that there is no projected railroad on this
coast whose early completion would be half
go beneficial to this city as this Oregon rail.
road. President Taber had Just before spoken
of the reaction taking place among Oregon
merchants, and their tendency to continue or
renew their business relations with San Fran.
cisco, in preference to Eastern cities, becau e
of the more liberal customs of our COST.
This incontrovertible statement, coupled with
the argument Of Mr.. Mills regarding The fa-
cilities this road would give for reaching not
only eastern Oregon and Idaho and Montana,
but even Portlsnd and Washington Territory
by a short and direct railroad, ought 80 have
made our friends pause A subject which
may have such an important bearing on the
commerce of this city and the business
Of the members of the Board should not
have been disposed of in an finland man.
ner. As a rule, it may be in the interest of
the public to forfeit all unearped or par
TALLY uneErred land grants, and yet there
may be valid reasons why this particular
land grant should be allowed to stand
While the completion of every competing
transcontirental railroad has given us some
new advantages, each so far has restricted the
domain of supremacy of this city. On the
other hand, this road weuld tsnd to restore
some Of what We have lost, and would open
to US new fields. San Francisco to-day is
suffering from a cause which might be de-
fined as railroad paradox: We have more
roads into the State than roads out-thst is,
the facilities for our Eastern rivals to reach
our customers are greater than the facilities
of our San Francisco merchants for retain
ing their trade. This California and Oregon
railroad would do much to place San Fran
cisco on an equal, or superior, footing in re-
gssd to Oregon trade with New York. There
is another consideration All California. a
broad, rich, timbered country, north Of Red
ding, except Immediately along the coast, is
comparatively barred from development for
want of railroads. Hence we see the south
ern end of the State growing faster than the
north, though many immigrants would pre-
fer to settle in climate and follow ayoca.
tions more nearly like those they have been
accustomed to.
Below we give the text of AIr. Mills COM
muuication to the Board Of Trade, in the ex-
pectstion that, after they have read it and
considered the subject in all its bearings, the
adverse majority will reconsider their action
This is the more probable, as the majority
against favorable action was only two, in a
meeting that represented at least one-half of
the mercantile capital controlled by the
Board, and as all the argument on that occa-
zion was in favor Of indorsing the communi
cation. while on the other eide there was only
popular prejudice.
W. H. MILLS COMMUNICATION.
SAN Francisco, February 4, 1884
Hon. Jacob S. Tsbar, President of the
Board of Trade of the city of San Francisco,
Calmly Dear Sir l have been informed
that at a meeting Of the Board of Trade to be
held to-day the subject of the forfeiture of the
land grant made to the California and Ore
gen road will be before your honorable body
for consideration.
Should my information concerning this
matter be correct, beg leave to present to
you and through you to the honorable body
over which you preside, some considerations
bearing upon the subject.
In 1866 Congress granted the alternate Sec
tons of land, within certain defined limits,
in aid of the construction of line of railroad
from Roseville, on the Central Pacific, to
Portland, Oregon. The grant was made in
two parts to the California and Oregon
Railroad Company and to the Oregon Gem
trail Railroad Company of Oregon. The
California company entered at once upon the
construction Of its line, and has completed it
to point twenty miles north of Redding, a
distance OF III miles north of Rockville.
AS is perhaps well known to you, Redding
has been the northern terminus of the road
until within the past few months a section of
twenty miles of road having been completed
during the summer o! 1888.
The Acts granting lands in aid Of the con-
struction of this road contained a provision
terminating the grant on the LIST day of Juue,
1880. The road was not completed within
the time specified through no culpable want
Of diligence on the part of the California
company, but by reason Of the suspension Of
the construction of the Oregon division eouth-
ward. 1t was apparent to the California and
Oregon Railroad Company that the compile
ton of the road to the State line would not
afford through connection, aud as the work
for over 100 miles of the route IS heavier than
any encountered in the construction Of the
Central Pacific across the Sierra Nevada
mountains, and as the road could not find
ELol 4ha
sion of work on that line was proceeding
enforced by every dictate of financial pru.
dence.
The California and Oregon Railroad Com
pany may therefore plead in extenuation Of
its default in che construction Of the road the
duress of circumstances beyond its control,
and has not therefore been guilty of criminal
or reprehensible neglect in point of time.
The forfeiture of the grant by the passage
Of the bills now before Congress TO that pur-
port will so far impair the value of the Sc
curties which must be disposed Of in order
to obtain means for its completion, as TO ar
rest the construction Of the Oregon division
southwark, ana leave the California and
Oregon Company without either the means
or inducements to complete its road to the
State line. The forfeiture of the grant will
therefore compass an inevitable suspension OF
the work upon that line for an indefinite
period, and will delay for many years its
ultimate completion.
Addressing those familiar with the COM
mercial necessities and interests Of San Fran
cisco. feel sbsolved from the Gu'y of pre-
senting in any extended form, the reasons
which might be urged for the early completion
of this road. Briefly, however, the leading
considerations which arise relate to the value
of this road as connecting link between the
terminus of the Northern Pacific and the
termini Of the Central Pacific, Southern Pa
cific, and the Atlantic and Pacific Railroads.
Its completion is practically an extension of
the Northern Pacific Railroad to San Fran
cisco and will place this city in railroad com
munication with Oregon, Washington Terri.
tory, Montana and other commercial terri.
tory for which heretofore this city has been
the distributing center. 1t will also promote
the settlement and the development of the
agricultural and other resources Of the north
ern portion of the State, q section which has
heretofore and will continue to make tbs city
of San Francisco the basis Of its commerce.
l also take the liberty OF presenting the
very obvious consideration that the lands
granted lie in a very broken and mountain
Gus portion of the State; that the lands
retained by the Government within the
granted limits will receive such increment OF
value by reason of the construction Of the
road rs TO secure the Government completely
as against any loss arising out of the conces-
sion of lands to encourage and promote its
construction In q true SENSE therefore, the