The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-02
THE EM1wEEKLY MINER, BUTTE, MONTANA, JULY 2 1884:

lea are assured no intelligent citizen
be Montana will vote against the PR
n posed constitution.
be It is perhaps unknown to man
ts people Of the Territory of Montan
e that a very great proportion Of PROF
ne erty now in Montana is not taxabl
De while we are in q Territorial cond
ton, but will be taxable at its jus
lie and fair rate the day that MOntan
+. shall become a State. Section 2 q
a the charter of the Northern Pacifi
IF Railroad Company is as follows
d THAT the right of way through tn
b public lands be and the same is here
t. by granted to said Northern Paclfi,
l. Railroad Company, its successors
b and assigns for the construction OF
t. railroad and telegraph, as proposed
= and the right, cover and authority is
hereby given to said corporation to
3 take from the public lands, adjacent
to the line of said road, material OF
earth, stone. timber and so forth; for
= the construction thereof. Said way
is granted to said railroad, to the ex-
tent of two hundred feet in width on
each side of said railroad, where it
/, may pass through the public domain,
including all necessary ground for
station buildings, work shops, depots.
machine shops, switches, side tracks,
turntables aud water stations, and
the riqht of svay shall be exempt from
taxation withln the Territories Of the
United States.
The construction given to the fore
going provision of the act of Con-
gress granting such charter to the
Railroad Company by the best laws
ysrs in the country is, that the right
Of way of two hundred feet on each
side, with necessary depot grounds,
ETC., was q grant, aud that all build
lngs, and fixtures of every Kind
thereon, attached to the realty, amt
is exempt from taxation. This ques-
| ton arose within = few months after
| the railroad entered the limits OF
! Montana, in the case ofthe Northern
Pacific Railroad Company against
Willis w. Garland, Treasurer OF Gus
ter County, which was de-
cided by the Supreme Court Of the
Territory, at the January term, 1884
In that decision the Supreme
Court, In effect, decided that none OF
the property of the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, its right OF way,
or anything attached thereto, is tax
able, or In other words, SO long as We
maintain our Territorial condition.,
the only property of the railroad COM
pany which is, un1er the charter,
taxable within Montana Is the hand
full of personal property which may
come to the knowledge of the asses
sor; that the right of way, including
lands for necessary depots, machine
shops, etc., also station buildings,
workshops, switches, sidetracks, turn
tables, and water stations are exempt
from taxation within the Territory OF
Montana, l..
Durlng tile fiscal year 1928 the
increase of taxable property in this
Territory was nearly eleven and n
half million dollars over the preced-
ing year. That the increase during
the present year will be greater than
the last we can safely assume for rea- {
which are apparent TO every in {
telligent voter. Ii Montana shall be
admitted into the Union as a State at
The next session OF Congress, by the {
time we can be fully organized as a /
state we will have of taxable proper ,
~, at a just and fair valuation, at ,
least the sum of eighty million dol :
lars. I
The increase of costs in maintain /
ing a State Government, over and I
above the Territorial sI stem will not 6
or years exceed the sum of 49, =
700. The Northern Pacific Railroad d
company receives the protection of @
he laws, and equitahly and fairly il
bear its Just and equal bur r
len of taxation with the taxpayers of +
Montana. 1t is the opinion OF SHINE Z
# the ablest la wyers of this Territory 4
hat when Montana becomes a State n
he property of the Northern Pacific :,
Railroad Company can and will lie -
aced as the property of an individ- T
lal. There are within Montana eight t
and twenty-five miles of n
hat road. If rated at S.. 900 per =
nile, q moderate value for taxation, :
nd taxed at the rate of q mill on II
he dollar for state purposes, the in 81
rease of revenue from that source II
lone will pay into u treasury a -
efficient sum to pay the difference "
'etween State and Territorial govern n
nenC. C,
We point with pride to the fact that n
10 shadow of reputation found its :,
Vay into our Constitution. That i'm a.
'0rtaut point is well and securely tc
uarded. Experience has taught the b
OF the United States that cap o,
tal and emigration GEEK a stable and
afe government. If Montana we've "
ofofo fn.dou tho Ra nifo1 fkof v,0,lI hi
eek Investment, and the immigrants as
Tho would seek homes in this our a,
avored land of Montana, would be -.
1creased in an immense ratio. These +"
Onsiderations admOnish us to hasten tn
ne glad day when the full fruition of az
IL our hopes shall be realized. At =
resent we sustain the same relation
the Federal Government that a
ard does to his guardian; We are
to the complete control of
Ongress; We have nc voice in the se>
'ctiOn of the officers who are sent to fol
lie over US; we are not wen per- no
lifted to have them appointed from 49,
nongst our people; We have no as W.
france that the laws passed by our WI
legislature will not be annulled, as de
as once done in this Territory. Such en-
utter dependence as this by agreat ~
I'D populous Territory has been sui pr
lissively borne for years. Our ma les
lrity and Importance have the first un
'%portunity to assert themselves, and ~
re people of Montana are permitted =.
take the first step toward enlarg- els
6 their liberties and securing the B,
essings of Statehood. tn;
JOSEPH K. TooLE, m
JAMES E. CALLAWAY,
WILLIAM Y. PEMBERToN, ! tol
WILLIAM III. HUNT, in
WALTER COOPER, as
Committee on Address. 6,
sla
General Logan took occasion to Nv