Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-23

34@4 " 80 a ~ 0J1E1fltFr % r 4Sttf
Lands. oa tbs bill to forfsfs ths Caiisor.
mia and 0rsesn Ksilsosd csnpany'.
land grant:
Against Toe sofssifnre sf this isnTi the
railroad computes have made tue fol
iowinz petnts fE their srRum<nt. Thsss
oon.sntion u that ne grant Of land xas
made ~ Congress 20 these csmpsnise
and 20 thsir assigpx for the psrpose u
saording . urest pabite hizhway tb4i
would Be ssasiabie 10 The United States
0csernment IN time Of var and fsr she
transportation of frsighs aud psssea-
gers. and thas d~vsisp and opsn up .
section thai nos stands 10 grszf need Of
thss ehsfsrtsr Of sommunseskisn, ansi
thsy have laid great Stress upon t5e title
sf The sct, which u An act granting
land 20 aid 10 tie constracrfsa Of q rail
road and telegraph line from Tbs CensraI
Paste ksiifoad. 10 California. 20 Port
land. W Oregon Aesinst ths pesicy Of
feffeifufs these eompseses hare eon-
tentisd that Aeetion s OF The art prescrib-
ina The aenditioas Of the grant Is dsfia-
tive Of the ints1tson of ths 0exsrumsns
TO hsstou the eraal upon thoss compa
asts 81 sOmpeussts>u for the ooestrnS-
stttM " 49, tAs<tts IVY A48E ~ - @4ANE
that was sue parposs % Congress in
ar4nt.n9 thsee ispds. usthipa has oc-
ensr1d ainoe tksn which o0nId sessona-
biy. ~ should gesson4bIy. indace tie
aossrnuens 10 withdraw lie grant, even
thsuQk Il wsrs Ansherixed 10 do 60 hs
tbs tsaunscai feFass and prDr5ssens Of
Tho aef. Tnsfs does not ssen 10 b. any
serious prft<nse GA t1s pzrs Of t1s Cali
fsrniA and Oregon CsnpaDy thst Usn-
efess has NOT the legal riest. n is thinks
proper 20 sxexnzse ~, N deeiars for.
fsifurc Of eli the lands inciudsd In tais
grant exeept thft possioa Of The road
thss was eompiessd within She period Of
tune prescribed By The act. 30 that ths
question becomes one u great. VERY
great ssnspiieity. and hxs bssa presented
10 your committee naksdiy as an appeal
10 the sense Of justice or shr Indulgence
Of Congress- Ia viss Of all the circan-
stances Of the case. IL stands as N Con.
errss were not asked 10 sake res an J.
original grant.
In answer TO the paints most insisted
upon by ths company. 10 wit, that II
should not IN reason hare been called
upon 10 csntinae the construetsou OF its
portion Of the road while financial ob-
isctions existed Ia reference 20 tne other
end wkich seemed likely to defeat tie
construction OF that portion Of 10. your
Committee have stmply this 10 say: In
the fret section Ut the act OF Jaly 6,
irsi5 90 Bnsi the following language em-
plsfe3. " Provided that the company
bsildinR It, respective part Of the said
rsllrosd and telegraph from either ter
mini herein named 10 the line between
California aud Oregon before the other
Q mp sny shall likewise arrive al the
sane line, shall have the right, aud the
said company u hereby authorized 10
eonfinus la constracsipg the same be-
yond the line aforesaid With the consent
OF the State. When this land grant
Was made. In isGS. and indeed for ten
years thereafter, IL may be assumed that
no company would have constructed
railway without Government aid, aud
henos the California Company built the
road as far M RedcinR. ~ heretofore
has been stated, for which they received
patents 90 lands amounting to over
i,su0,o 900 aoros, much theFesf being land
OF great value. Ths remaining portion
Of tho fesd 10 be constructed 10 threugh
mountainous eoantry. presenting. a.
has been stated to ypar COMMITTEES by
the raiIrosd company's attorneys, tre-
meudous natural barriers and obstrus B.
tons, and its continuance will uadoaht.
eciy involve great expense. bnt the eora-
pany nov is In such condition that to
render rsmunerative and available the
other psrtions Of the road already ooti-
struetsd they must build the road so the
Oregon south line. Therefore. 10 view
itia this matter, Il will be seen thai the
California Company is simply and only
in position, ~ above stated, 10 appeal
t0 the liberaiit. or bounty of this Gov
eminent. aud tn the consideration Of
this appeal IL has been impossible for
your committee 10 disembsrrass itself
frsm the acknewiedgmont OF the ante
now owns and controls the California
and Oregon Railroad, viz, the Central
Pacific Railway Company.
Une Of the greatest oveFshadowing
evils Of this country. nuquestisnsbly. 10
the aggregation OF coaossai fortunes in
the hands OF few meu. We ail know
from the eontemporsne eoss history Of
this oonatry that the Central Pacific has
been the recipient OF the lavish and even
pfodigai bounty Of this Government.
According 30 canent representation, IL
is q copos whose power. aadaoity
and strength have ieft unsisited by its
naeFetftcions influence no department
Of the Government whose power has
stood ofnnipotent In Congressional and
legislative fobbies: has waved the baton
of authority in political conventions,
dietatsa nominations. framed platforms
and voted its army Of employees ~ cleo
tioas 90 defeat the party or man who
bad anhappily fnoarred its 9isfsvor.
With lie enormous wealth, welding and
commanding its myriad INSTRUMENTAL
ties. 10 has assumed potency in public
affairs that renders any further bsstov-
al OF public bounty upoa ID. 30 say the
least. insxpedisnt.
However thess things may be, IL Ia
certain that whenever a corpor stton be-
comes 20 powerful ss 10 challenge 1ui-
versal recognition II the fact that II 10
potential factor In politics. the point
IL then resehed when the pab, 10 Interest
will be best conserved BY she dePlettou
Of is resources rather than by tbs ean-
cession % an additional gratuity. No
doubs uaany of these represen ations
have been exaggerated. bst enough Is
absolutely known 10 warrant your eem-
tnistee In saying. xith entire confidence.
that ss = matter OF bounty or OF grace
from this Government. the Central Pa
eifse has received enough. Had /. been
trade 10 appear 10 shs committee that The
further completion of the line wss alb
soisteiy dependent upcn The fofbesr-
anee Of the Goscrnment, 10 might pro
sent question for enr serious ccnsid-
GRAFTON, whether as q matter % policy u
would nos be best 10 extend tie time
for tne camplesion Of this road and not
forfeit the land grant. Bnt the werh
has reached. ss above stated. an ad-
vsneed starr, and ts IN ths hands Of
contractors and wili ineyitaaly b com
Flssca. because TO finish wkas remains
nnilrished nsilixss the capital already
Invested. and 10 discontinue !, iavolyrs
q corresponding sacrifice.
II Was fuFsh~s elaiulca thst Il would
Re grossly unfair aud uniast 10 cut OF
the opportunity b receive these lands,
nou thai the whole work ts ON the eve
Of completion ard the eronnd Ia eov
erred w,ts vofknseu. Ne faster progress
in she situafsoa being grsctieahis. they
urge that oc~s aud diiasassy are the -
sence % the grant. and nea tire. In
thtz coaneosion they have sts tst 10 year
cosrnittee, ana ts is unde0Atrals true,
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