Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-04
vssasNGToN ~ CONGRESS.

. correspondent Of the Or,goHian.
-,,,,ns from Washington City October
s.h. gives the account following of
....surss IN Congress Of interest 10 our
ssisexs
IN. BeIlingham Bay Railway and
x.,,s.tiou Company want the right TO
ss~s,ruct bridges over the Sostsack
.,~.y in Whatcom county; SkaQi1
.,sr' in skaQit county. and the StIlla-
...pnish and snohomIsh rivers, In Sno-
soo,ish county. They also want su-
..o,ity 10 cross either Lake Union or
s.Iosn bay, sr the waters between
.ssua. This measure has official sup
pofi. :,
luothes subject is TO provide for and
"A Ia ths construction of ship canal
hSsyeen Lakes Union and Washington
nd Puget Sound. The Washington
Irprovement Company IL the CORPORA
san concerned.
The House Committee on Railways
sd Canals, in censidering this proposi
t,oo. said: The works provided for are
a considerable public importance. and
upquessiopably when finished would be
a permanent psblic benefit. The i'm
voyement Of tue Sansmish river gives
be settlers along its banks highway
. the Sound, and also the means Of
rsrketinR the timber and coal around
I'D near to the banks of Lake Sama-
ash. By the construction of these can
ais isrge tracts Of timber land would be
spsned to commerce and settlement.
Large deposits of coal lie Immediately
~ OF these lakes, which wosld be de
peloped and made accessible to com
usfee. Steam colIiers would be en-
sbied to land within one and a half
miles of the celebrated Newcastle coal
mines. General Alexander, who made
sRryey Of the several routes. warmly
tAvocatea the advantages that would
soerue to the public by the construction
al these canals. The lands that would
b reclaimed are swamp aud overt owed
Isuds. unfit for cultiS atien, and are at
uresent absolutely valueless, and unless
reclaimed by the construction of these
esnals will always be worthless. The
public are greatly interested in this
york and its early consummation."
The object Of the company in build
ipa the canals is 10 secure tine reclaimed
lands. -
It Ia intended TO secure, il possibil
The passage OF measure providing that
the Legislatures of the several Terrific
mss shall consist Of l3 members of the
Council and % members Of the House
Of Representatives; and also 10 increase
the pay OF the members to 81 day,
and thas OF the officers TO the same sum.
The Speaker Of the House aHd Presi-
dent Of the Council are 60 receive - a
day. II 10 considered that the present
pay Ia not Commensurate with the ser
viee performed, and that the present
allowance IL not large enough to obtain
the service Of the best citizens. Coed
men and responsible citizens, Ii IL ar
gued, cannot be Induced to leave their
engagements at home, neglect their
business, and in great degree defrsy
their own expenses, to attend to the
business Of the Territories.
An important measure is that pre-
pared by Senator DoIph To amend ths
lav relative to the sale OF timber lands.
The act of 1878 was intended to au-
thorize the sale of lands chis fy vsluabie
for timber for commercial purposes.
In the first section the words, land not
u for agriculture" occur. They were
evidently put in the law for the purpose
Of excluding from the operations of the
aot lands which, although timbered
lands, are of such character a. TO be
suitable for homesteads, and which may
be profitably cleared and cultivated.
The Secretary of the Interior has CON
sirued the law to mean that IL the lands,
vhen cleared OF the standing timber
and stumps, would be fit for cultivation,
they cannot be purchased under the
set, and has suspended all entries of
suoh lands. The result is that the
law, under this construction, is use
less and fails to accomplish the
parpose for which IL was intended. All
the land in Western Oregon aud in
Western Washington upon which valu-
able timber grows isgood land, and will.
when cleared, II IL ever is, of the tim
Der and stumps, be suitable for agricul-
tare. The natural wealth of this sec
ton Is largely in timber. and the timber
will never be extensively cut down and
burned to clear the land for agricultural
purposes. Under she present ruling Of
the Department, the most valuable tim
Der cannot be purchased under the Act
Of 1873. The amendment proposed 10
70 strike out of the existing Law the
cords and not fit for agriculture >" and
unit for cultivation" so that the land
mentioned can be sold for its timber.