Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-04-30

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1th 8 fnvusIDs osrnmens u ~
oppunenn - - Uu1S~cr1Gtc pn1s<y
of . fsrsrifnfe u ueeofned lad
Rr1nes. fhn1 49, frsm eny queer1o8
8 10 ~ rniinzn6 co4r6nF. och : /
f<rfeilsre uouf6 wDyk : Grcee md
1intoex ifrspnsshle miseht~E to she
esfize ues< = snsHttIaae lad vsiues.
Tbe Truth = lhes ~ postcte ca1dl-
fiua II nG1trA - ~ = lsSd liSies
afx c0ne<rIed. euusd b. werps Or
WORK mure serjnus hardship ihsn
shv.< u pFxsert exisfSsg. and The
fnetsg ~e3xhsy ergumeut 10 favor 81
frfestnxe u th< lard grant which
can BE advanced. b that & vii. once
for sIi. seaffc ibese msGf<n - tbey
cnn u settled 10 "a other gay.
The rrcent decisioe Of the Supreme
Court uf The United States 10 the Ds
kot4 tax eases hss done stiii more 10
uupeffje The matter. THIS decisiou
siIsmxd toe principle thai Tie grant
10 The Hortbern P<cide uss = ssnnt
on condisl IDS psecssient. snj that no
tile vested ii the company until ell
epDditinps VI The grant had been
con piled The logical sequence Of
this decision, Oh the settled rules of
Interpretation. 10 thss no tstle has
Issued 70 the Northern Pacific for
foot OF their grant, saj. probably.
that no title can iuure 10 them
Without further ne,joo Of Congress
The always impeoding proerect
lot Congressional .cti0o. the decis
inns u The Supreme Court Of the
Unised Stafss. and the fact that the
Nurtb<rn Pacific has not complied
with The conditions of ils grant
leaves The conditions thus: M man
purchasing land. either In the io-
ssemnity OF lieu land limits from the
railroad company, can feel any sost
u security 10 bis title. because the
courts may ~ any time hold that the
rsilroad hsd 20 title TO pass. or Con-
errss may declare forfeiture He
can neither obtain any title from the
0overnment, for uztil the status u
The grant l. passed sn either BY the
courts or CongreSs, the land ONCE
will not admit fihngs thereon and
few inen dare 10 yisk going on The
land and investing their all IN iis i'm
pfOrsmeat with The ever pfxsent fear
that the title Of the railroad CON
pany may Be confirmed and bis i'm
pruvements oil lost To take or i'm
prove 10 any msuber any odd mum.
bered section OF land within the rail-
road limits, whether title ID sought
from the railroad company or the
people, IL at present to buy into .
Law suit, with no prospects, Of getting
title Till some time 10 the indefiaife
| future.
This ID the condition OF Affairs at
prescott over = large portion Of Wash.
Iington Territory. and We are certain
there can - no doubt that II Ii today
the greatest drawback TO the settle
ment and development Of the coun.
Try.
There are only three possible rene
dies Tor this recognized evil condi.
Ition Of affairs The 6rst is . de
Icision Of the Supreme Court of the
| United States. directly and specific
ally settling the status of the North
Tern Pacific land grant. This canno,
be looked forward TO as an available
lremedy. fnr there h no one settles
financially able TO 60 to the enorm
Gus expense Of carrying 9 CAS-
Through To the courts of last resort,
and II appears u be impracticable
or impossible 10 secure any co-opera
Ition among settlers for the purpos<
Iof raising funds for the purpose o.
| presenting . test case. Again. !
would take six or seven years befors
| sinai adjudication Of the matter. ant
pending that, there would be no relic
for The present intolcrable condition
, LOT slfaifs The second remedy
would De an act Of Congress contirm
ing the land grant to the Northern
Pacific and definitely fixing the staiu
LOT lieu lands This, in the presen
temper Of Congress and Of the peu
pie. il equally impossible 1t xoult
seem to be. and would be. new
lgrant Of lands. TO q company which
has signally failed to comply with
Tor attempt 10 comply with, the term
lof It's old grant. Tue only svailabl,
remedy Is a declaration OF Congress
that The land grant is forfeited. will
provisions confirming title TO all 10
nocent purchasers in good faith whs
are actual settlers. All must admi
THAT some action in the premises 4
imperaisvely demanded. absolute for
FIXTURE Is The only available remedy
and this remedy should be applied
The only sufferer under such a meas
lure would be the RAILROAD company
and as 1t never pretended TO do tqui
Ity in its dealings with the Govern
ment or the people 1t cannot set vi
any equities to preveat a forfeitur
of ! grant which II cannot preten,
| IL has earned On the one eide ar
the interests of thousands Of settlers
who have acted Ia good faith, an,
) have invested their al. In developing
the country. On the other the 10
terrsts VI company which has neve
Ipretended 10 gvod faith 10 any Of IL
trsnsssssons. Bet~een the two
J. -. r.