Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-04-07

wAsurxsros, March g. MI. yan
Eaton. frpn The House COMMITTEES o.
Public Lands. win TOMORROW submit
70 the House . minority report from
the COMMITTEES on The bill TO fcffe1t
the entire tand grant Of the Northern
Pacific Railroad west Of Bismarck
The report 10 signed BY Aessrs. Van
Eaton, Strait and Stevenson, and In
It ~ set forth the history Of the formsr
tion Of the Pacific railroad compl
nies Il goes on 10 review the coase-
Queuce of the enormous grants Of
land, asd while eondemning The pol
icy Of TIE Government during the
period IN which 50 many millions Of
,cres Of the public domain were
sQuaodered. Il crifieises the course of
certain desnsg0gues who do nothing
bat howl for the forfeiture Of land
grants in this language: Who knows
what the public mind is. These great
corporations are here by their agents
and attorneys. using their influence
against the whole policy Of torfeitnres
90 the one hand. while upon the other
are numerous shysters, speculstors
and lobbyists In the guiss OF patriots
and representatives OF the people,
urging Congress 70 forfeit the lands
where there il the slightest pretext
for it," Altar reviewing the difficult
ties with which the company has had
70 contend. the report concludes IS
follzws:
Substantially the object and pur-
pose Congress had In view 10 making
the grant 20 the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company have been OBJ
tanned in the construc ton of said
railroad and telegraph line to the
Pacific coast, and safe and speedy
transportation of mails. etc The
road Is now complete from Lake Su-
perior to Tacoma on the Pacific, all
Of which has been built and equipped
BY the company. save that portion
from Walluls TO Portland. through
the Columbia river valley, q distance
of 214 miles, where there Is road
owned by the Oregon Railway and
Navigation Company, bat used by
the Northern Pacific Company under
contract with the former company,
The main line, therefore. Is contin-
uous road from the northern lakes to
the Pacific ocean. On the Cascade
branch, 80 miles eastward from Ia
coma, and 81 miles west from Pasco
on the main line have been complet-
ed. examined by the Government
Commissioners and accepted by the
President, and 40 miles are now I'M
der construction in the Yakima val
ley, which will sooa be finished and
ready for examination, and when
this is done there will be left but ISL
miles, including the tunnel of 9-l0
miles. 10 finish the Cascade branch.
The contract for the construction OF
the tunnel has been made, and work
10 progressing. In consonsnce, there
fore, with the facts of the law and
the equities of the case, we report
the accompanying bill and expect
that il will be printed, as We will offer
IL as substitute for the bill OF the
committee"
The substitute bill provides THAT
Ia consequence of the failure of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
to construct It's road from WalIula
Junction TO Portland in the State of
Oregon. q distance OF 214 miles. over
which line the said company have
running connections with the Oregon
Railway and Navigation Company
ann have abandoned the building
of their swn road between the said
points, the United States reserves
the title TO the lands granted to said
company as are co-tsrmirus with said
unfinished part of said road, and SO
much of the act making the grant OF
lands to said Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company as applies between
Waliuls and Portland, Is hereby re-
pealed, and said land is resumed as q
part OF the public domain"