New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-19
THE OREGON CENTRAL LAND CRANE

WASHINGTON Jan 1S.-EX-SenatOr Mitchell
continued his argument to-day before the House Commit
tee on Public Lands against the forfeiture OF the Oregon
Central land grant. Mr.. Charles H. Tweed and MI o. r.
Huntington next appeared before the committee in be-
half Of the rights the California and Oregon Railroad
Company under the land grant act of 1866, and the
amendatory acts Of 1868 aud 1869 In aid OF the con-
srctlon OF the railroad from the Central Pacific line
porthward to Portland, Oregon.
Mr. Tweed said the Governments purpose in the legis
Iaton referred to connect by rail the Important
cities of California with those OF Oregon and that the in
strumentaes by which the Government and people were
desired advantages the California aud Ore
Con Company California and the Oregon and California
Company in Oregon. They To meet al the boundary
line The Oregon Company had reached RoSebuly com
ing south when It failed dn 1879 and was utterly I'M
able to proceed want OF funds with no reasonable
hone that further construction would be continued The
California Company had reached Reading going north
when the road which absolutely necessary 10
make the line valuable. Of any utility to the
public broke down. The California Company accord
ingly closed Its operations until 1850, when the
embarrassment Of Oregon Company were releVod
whereupon the California Company Immediately re-
.umed work. since pushed it vigorously by en-
poyng thousands Of and expects 10 make through
ran connection TO Portland during the present year
Mr. Huntington In his address to the committee said
he should endeavor to touch upon the legal question:
but had something almost personal to say to them
ave have always built the law required
us TO build and this Is the first consideration
we have asked In the way OF extension OF time. We
think we are entitled 10 from the Government than
people, for there has been conseVator
OF public peace aud prosperity III the largest sense OF
the word Like the railroads We ourselves were the nst
people that commenced the Central Pacific When that
ti passed considered great thing to do aud we
did H. Notwithstanding the fact that people SAID would
break us. When commenced 10 Oulld rhIS
before we were through buying. But asked NO
from the Government that account Before the war
So 81 - SO about the minimum rate lor snip
tonnage around Cape Horn. We paid S34 Instead OF
oct passed we paid high II per cent We did not
ask the Government for additional aid. We PAD
500 800 for locomotives In war times thaI conld
have been bought previously for for $1,000; Wa
and advice of all our friends because stood 10y the
work honestly and many and cared for the interests We
had In our charge. We Endorsed the paper or Central
Pacific when Il had credit and we personally had We
finished this work In the time required Dy law; mention
these things to show that we have worked bard and
honestly, asking favOrs but accomplishing
what depended ourselves and in the present case We
stopped from carrying out our purposes trouh no
railroad from the Central Pacific line northwsrd al ire
mendous and effort. We were on our way through
the boundary and proposed 10 20 right up there but
when the other hnk failed OF completion we knew there
We no local interest compensate
and a road to the state line terminus
could yield no return. We stopped al
waited. When the sister company was able to go u WORK
again we got every could raise ana put L'n on
our line The 100 miles have built from Reading to
Mount shasta is the most difficult work we have ever
done, embracing heavy cuts and nls and Turner'S we
have done the could, aud there Is no ground
equitable. moral financial on which this land can ne
but So they that have no interest IN or In
6uence over"