Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-04-13

peatedly placed himself on the side of
the great corporations in their battle
with the people, recently expressed him
self as follows to Pioneer Press cor
respondent on the subject of the North
err Pacific grant:
The idea of granting lands to aid in
| the construction of railroads. was car
ried to AN unreasonable extent by Con
gress. 1t became almost "A craze until
they gave away over 2UO.OO0,OO acres.
and like everv other extreme that men
run into it turned back upon itself. and
now there Is a craze for the forfeiture.
and to repOssess the government, as
near AS possible: of all these lands.
do not participate In either extreme.
| Wherever II grant was made that was
an unwise thing or a bad contract on
the part of the Government. think 1t
Is the part Of sound philosophy, If not
wise craftsmanship, to make the most
| of the bargain, stand by the engage
mtn of the Government and main
tam its honor and integrity for fair
dealing with the people. and | propose
to settle these matters according to the
plainest principles of law and equity.
| i
wonld any other honest granter. l nei
ther lean to the government nor to the
company. but want to do exact justice
| to both"
| "How do Won account for the delay
on the part of the majority of the COM
nIttee in reporting the Northern Pacific
| bill?'
IL attribute it to the fact that all
! bn no To
are not fully satisfied with 1t, and want
to feel the temper of the House upon
other grants befure they make it. do
not know how else to account for the
da.ays. The bill now pending in the
| House to forfeit the grant of the Oregon
| Central Company is one involving the
same principles as that to forfeit the
! Northern Pacific. and it remains to be
seen what the House will do with it.
II goes further, however, than the
| Northern Pacific. aud proposes to for
felt the entire grant. | have the floor
when the bill comes up on Tuesday,
aud will favor my amendment to
the bill. The report on the Oregon Cen
trail was a unanimous one, for the reas-
on that 1t WAS one of the first made by
the committee, and WAS not carefully in
| V. stl2ated, and the statements of every
person who seemed familiar with the
facts were taken by the committee and
acted on. la the case of the Northern
Pacific, only maj orIfy report, AS I'M
derstand 1t, in favor of forfeiting the
lanes vest of the Missouri river"
''On what do Y N base the minority
report against the Northern Pacific
blil?'
The Act of COngrt rs of July ,. 1864,
| regard rs the charter or contract be
| tween the Northern Pacific Railroad
| Company and the United States, and
the law of the Case in this act down to
and including the eighth section makes
the grant and estate upon condition,
AID without that it would be subject
to forfeiture for breach of condition.
But take the position that the ninth
section, which, providing different
| remedy for the breach, changes the
character Of the estate t. that extent.
and instead of a forfeiture for breach
of condIti u. the grantOr. the United
States, is necessarily RENTED to its re
servations. contained III the ninth and
tenth sections of the granting act. That
is my first position. The second one
is that The joint resolution of
Congress Approved May 3lst, 1870,
gave the company "A right To- issue bonds
and TO secure the same 10y a mortgage.
Under that resolution mortgages have
been given. The same joirt resolution
also provides in case of foreclosure of
any OF the mortgages how the lands
shall be sold. etc. That, in my judg
ment, even If 1t were a for feltable gr ant
WAS a waving of tho right of tie gov
eminent to declare q forfeiture. There
are also, in my opinion. some mitigat-
ing circumstance in favor of the CON
psny on account OF the failure of the
government to extinguish the Indian
title and TO keep clear the way. 81 10
speak. of hostile Indians, which retard
ed the construction of the road. Fol
these reasons | take the ground thai
J the company is entitled to the amount
} of lands granted for every mile OF
road it has constructed Accompanying
the minority report | shall offer bill
: a. a su 5stitute for that of a majority o.
. the committee, with view of urging
! an adjustment of these land matters be
tween the company and the Govern
ment. | do not think the company il
/ entitled TO the lands of the grant be
tween Wallula junction and Portland
; where they have not constructed An.
IO4u. out nave huotuSE Iodu uuuS
lease. | think that that particula
grant. and pr b Ably the Cascade gran
, lands, ought to be resumed by the Gov
D ernmeut and declared open to settle
nent. Though there may be son
!, difficulty in the way of the latter.
think II can be adjusted.
: SAGE ApvIcE.-The isforian give
;. the following advice: A man can &c
' rich in Oregon and Washi agton Terri
. torv If he practices precisely the sam
roles he wonld practice in any otke
p@rt of the Union: be industri ous. prr
dent, on the square. and be blesse
= With the power of continuing. Goo
intentions don't amount II anything
: spurts count for nothing; pitching in
9 one week and loating the other THE
won't make any impression. and IN ID
shortest way We can pat il the Who
= thing amounts to Just this-a ma
= brings himself with him wherever
u goes: what he Is in Ohio. Illinois, {
Kansas, he will be in this country. {
Il course there are more opportuniti,
l. here; there is better chance; there {,
a ist more OPENINGS TO be independeI