Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-05-15


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mnass o. Rakii. Tnnas q uhon rs
rssesrsa snnsRy bina fof he fprfuiinEs
q lks Nnstkatn Raes inna grant ~
eommsndaa he rnsaas q Ho1as BiiI
No. f&7. soonrsnging 4 wilh tas saats-
ment foIloWinR
Youx sonnaiffse kefebF ador4 - tksir
rNpnxe eha KenoEl af the RHalia Lands
Counittaa ma6a % She H0aae ~ Rep
FeeantaitreE u tha EgKif eiVhlh Goa
Qrew Ina Legal s1atas .Fsnains Tia
sane. and Voux oommitta9 therefore
hngs euneiuded 20 present that repgEf.
q Il sland4 e. tAeiE report % tan
House. Report No. lbs. Rerty eighth
Coagfes4 1rst sessioa.
ne Cammfttes On he Pahlio Lands,
20 who's we're referred eundRy bills for
lha fnffsituEe q the land grant 10 the
Nor1hern Paelia Railroad Company.
submil he following report.
Yong eommitfee have given tie sab
lest matter of this grant pafieRf, careful
and thnroueh consideration. They are
satiz6ed thai he grant Was ems u prIs-
senfs upon condition Subsequent; shat
/ b hreaeh Of such eoudition tins grent,
along me entife line 90 far e. il was IN
oomplsisd On the 4Eh day % July, 1873
/ il and has been since aaid date snb1saf
20 forfeiture, and that iustiee 10 the
/ United states and her citizens nor re-
/ quiEs thai Q forfeiture and restoration
/ 0f the landR 10 the public domain Should
Be declared bf aot Of Congress. 70 Sc
compIish thai rusalt and e tha same
| time protest. purchasers Of the compa-
1 aye tisia prior 70 Jan. /. 1884. and actual
settlers and owneFsof valuable Improve
msnfs On the odd sealions adiacaRt %
/ the unc0mpleted psFiions Of said road
whs settled OF made said Improvements
with bona ride intent % secure title
tkrough the company, your committee
hare prepared Q substitute for said bills.
and herewith report the same 10 the
| House and recommend its passage.
II VisN Of he fset that the eanclusI0n
10 which your oommittee have arrived
vas earnestly o0mbated by learned
ooazael IN elaborate argument and
bEsefs, We dean Il proper 70 refer some-
What miputely aud il detail 10 what we
consider the most maeeFiai points Of the
cass. especially &c it Was urged that the
erant 70 this company vas u certain
features an exception from the otherwise
unbEoken line fpFfeitable grants. an
/ isolated example of unparalleled geueg-
osiky on the part Of the United States
/ IN giving away millions Of acres OF the
public oomain With0nt any provision
4 for reeuminR lie title even apon absolute
failure Of the company 10 fulhil It's part
Of the contract. That au0h . esnstEna-
tion in elect Of the granting act vas
not only seriously bat earnestly and for
chilly urged By learned and distinguished
counsel for the company 10 the apology
Of your COMMITTEES for what might 9TH
eFWiss be deemed al unnecessary elab-
Grafton Of the suh5ee1 under consider
alton.
The Get Of Congress containing the
grant - this oompAny vas approved
July 2, 1854, as Statutes, 1861 and the
grant itself was IN extent the most mn-
niheent of al the pFlnsely donations
made IN the era OF hbeeal.ty TO aid il
the construction of railroads, bsing fer
20 miles along the entire line in ali the
States and 40 milea 10 all the 1eFritoT-
ries throuRh which she line niaht be
located, with the right Of indemnity &C.
iecei0R within 10 additional miles, after
ward By subsequent act (l6 Stat, 27o)
enlarged 20 20 miles, for all landa lost in
the giant in place.
TIE land affected by the grant and
subject TO it's operation was 10 fact ell
odd -numbeFed sections IN q belt OF she
public domain extending over 1000 miles
from Lake Superior 70 Puget Sound, 4c
miles IN width IN all the states and 80
miles in width in all the TeFFit0ris
through which the line ahOala be To-
Gated.
ghs consideration Of this muni6canl
grant, as specifically declared by the act
Itself, was 8 10 secure fhe safe and speedy
transportation Of the mails, troops, mn-
nitiona Of war and public stores cvel
said railway, (section 81 " 30 promote
the public interest and welfare ~ the
reconstruction Of said railroad and tele.
araph line to keep " the same in work
ing ORDER" and 20 seonre the Govern
meat &c all times, but particularly IN
time Of war. the use and benefts Of the
same for postal. military and othez pur-
poaee.' fSec. 20.l
Section Of the act, embracing the
grant Of lands, was in the following
words:
aEao. 8. .And b q farsAer enacted,
That there be and IL hereby granted to
the Northern Pacific Railrsad Compa-
my, iss successors and assigns, for the
purpose Of aiding 10 the construction
OF said railroad and telegraph line 20
the Pacific coast, aud 20 secnFe the safe
and speedy transportation OF che mails,
troops, Munitions Of var and public
stores over the route Of said line Of rail-
way, every alternate section Of public
land, not mineral, designated BY odd
Numbers, 10 the amount Of twenty alter
nate sections per mile, on each side Of
said Eailrsad line, &c said company may
ADOPT, through the Territories OF the
unifad States and ten alternate sections
OF land per mile on each side Of said
raiiroad, Whenever Il passes through
any State, and whenever ON the line
there8f the United States have full title,
not reserved, sold. granted CT otherwise
appropriated, and free from pre- emption
OF other claims or rights at the time she
line Of asid road Is definitely hxod and
The plat thereof fled IN the ofiica Of the
Commissioners Of the General Land OF.
foe; and whenever prior 10 said term
any Of said sections o. parts OF sections
shall have been granted. sold, reserved.
socupied By homestead settlers o. pre-
empted, OF otherwise disposed 81, other
lands shall be selected By said company
in lieu thereof, under the diFeetion ef
the Secretary Of The Interior, Ia alter
nate sections and designated by odd
numbers NOS more than ten miles be-
yond the limits q said altsfnate So
| tionss
Section Of the act vas IN The follow
inR WoFds:
Sec. s. That the said Northern Pa
oife Railroad shall be constructed in
substantial and woFkmanllke nannes,
With all The nsooasary draws. oniVeEta,
bEid0eas viAduela, crossings. tuFnoais,
stations and Watering places and ali
other appnftenaneea including furniture
and rolling stock, equal IN all respects
90 railroads Of the Ara class, when pre-
pared for bnslaess. With rails Of the best
quality, manufactured from American
iron. And & Uniform gage shall be e.
tAbliahad throughout The entire length
af the road. And there shall be eon
straeaed . Telegraph line Of the most
substantial and approved desuFiptlon, 70
be operated along the entire line: Pro-
pffed. That said company shall not
aharea fha G4oraFnusent hsglhaF rafas