Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-27
-. ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC LAND
fuh GIANT.

p
sns ~ publie Lands, called up from
nau - calendar the ball 70 forfeit
We ,.s5s Granted TO the Atlantic and
ss railroad Com pany to aid IN the
rse'.stion rse'ss Of a railroad and telegraph
ss.r- ths States of Missouri aad
1890 70 tbs PseIiic Coast sno 70
Isa,s the sane 20 settiemeus, sno Tor
-, onrpsses. With amendments.
y, Cobb said: Mr.. spsaker, this u
al shst passed the last Congress, and l
=, ,.ss desire TO take up the time OF she
-. in dlscussing il unless gentlemen
-. - nave that done. The majority
-. Comuittee on Public Lands re
. hill forfeitiRg all the lands that
at eotsrminous with the compieted
- There 10 a minority repert 40
rs~,.nyino the majority report which
sssrr, = bill providing for the forfeiiere
fbss road vas chartered in 1866 by al
~. ~ Congress, and q grant 0f lands
.s,mads 10 1t. Tue rosd begins, or did
-. A. Soringfeld, No, and ran upon
~ iasitude Of IS . north TO the Pacific
s.s.n- The road vas not completed
-,,h,n the time. There really we're but
"a rniIss OF road completed within the
90 and nnoe that time there have
-. abeot 60 miles Of the road con
.l.tsA and the company have porehssed
snosssr line Of road which they claim
:. a oart of this line. Bot II 10 not
,..iI, mon the line Of the road. as indi
49, by the ac. OF Congress making
tbe Grant. The company, therefore, has
,atalIy failed to comply With Its oon
,rnc with the 6overnmebt. and the
Committes on the Public Lands is Of
IA o, inion that q forfeiture ought to
b. had.
The snly reason Why the entire grant
n not forfeitable IN tbs opinion OF the
nsiorisy Of the committee is founded
on the sot Of Congress OF 1871. That
ses gave the comp ny the power TO
mortgage Its road. Perhaps II had that
before, bus the act gave the company
.hss right, and Rave-ss the majority OF
he committee believe tbs trus sonstruc-
Non 70 bs-a lien upsh the iands that
vers eoterminous with the compieted
road at tbs time of forfeiture. There
h some controversy, however, about the
sssstruotion Of that act. The minority
Of the committee are of the opinion
that the entire grant 10 subject to for
feitufe; the majority of the COMMITTEES
think otherwise. The only controversy
d q to whether We will forfeit the lands
esterminoua With the non completed
road, or whether We will forfeit the en-
ire grant. We're IL not for this act that
I have referred to, there would be no
Quession about the forfeiture of the en-
IRE grant.
This company, In my Judgment, from
IL very best Information that l can
nsheg, has really never completed but
a miles OF its road. said a uoment
$40 that about 90 miles bad been com.
plesed in addition to that: bat that was
dsns BY the St. Louis and San Francisco
uupany. And believe that today the
ksnntic and Pacific Railway Company
hsnere she'll. a mere formaiity, and
ihat there is no substance in 1t as Is set
ous In the report that the Atohison, To
pshs and santa Fe and the St. Louis
and San Francisco companies own and
control its capital stock. In my iudg
msrt, from the best information | can
obtain, they own and control no. only
the road bed that In completed bat the
rolling stock that Ia upeu 1t, together
with iss entire machinery: and whstever
benefit may result from this grant will
rot 20 to the original corporation for
which II was intended. but will go to
foreign corporations which had TO con-
nsetien or relation whatever with the
contract. The report 10 pretty long,
and, a. IL sets out all the facts, shall
not take up the time Of the House in
discussing the matter further, unless
sons member desires additional in
formation. IL anybody desires that,
! shall take great pleasure In an
sverinR any questions that may be put;
Otherwise | shall now give way.
Mr.. McRse offered substitute for the
bill, In connection with which be spoke
~ follows:
Mr.. Speaker, the majority Of the oom-
nittse report In favor Of forfeiting all
The lsnds not contiguous to the oon-
mrusted part of the road. The facts as
reported by the majority are, believe,
correctly stated, and from that report
ve learn that, within the time hxed by
he granting act for the completion Of
this road. only 81 miles OF 10 were cem-
pastsd. Up TO this time less than 100
milss have bees built, yet this company
slain grant extending over 1000 miles.
! believe that the whole of this land
grant oaaht TO be forfeited. The rea-
sseins Of the majority Of the committee
power 10 forfeit the grant. and 10 appears
% ne shat there is no equity at all on
Ne part Of this company. The only
jassihssiion the majority offer fer in
sistinG that all of this grant shall not
Be- forfeited 10 the act OF April 20, 1871.
The act sutherising the company to
mortgage iss road.
Nov, Mr.. Speaker, it appears 20 me
that . proper construction OF The Ian
mage Of that act will mos extend the
ptavileees Of this company beyond she
t1me axed by the granting act. The act
vM pasnsd hsfore the expiration OF the
time for the buildine of the road. and
ih oniy purpose vas to give the com
pany power 10 mortgage the road. There
vas no intention and no attempt 10 ex-
tsnd the time for the completion Of Is,
nor 10 grant any other privilege except
~ power 20 execute . mortgage.
10 is insisted nov that all the lands
spvsrsd by this grant wiii be covered By
NJ mortgage up TO the time OF fore
slosnse; bot as the power to foreclose
iests in The hands Of the people vbo hold
HE mortgage, Il may be postponed for
~ time, and in that case the rights OF
Ne Governmens can never be protected.
Nsw, we Insist that under that act the
ben of the mortgage has attached 10
The 81 miles of road completed within
the prescribed time. fhe act did not
sensemplate extending the time. and u
Va the duty OF the mortgages 70 fore
elcss the mortgage at that time u they
we're going 70 insist upon holding the
lands Of the Government which were
araHted upon the conditions Get forth
N The granting act. So Ne insist that
his Substitute should be adopted. which
VII In effect restore TO the public do
main all the lands granted 10 this CON-
pany except the - miles Of road which
vsa completed within she time. while
e>t fer this act we would have the
pessf 10 forfeit that also, ve conecde
tAAi the act dxes lien In favor OF the
nsst9aeecs upon that portion OF tss
rad Witch was completed within the
nns. bat that the lien extends no far
her.
hope. Mr.. Speaker. that the House
VII vcte 10 adopt the Substitute and
toss sestose this Immense body OF land
10 the settlers in the country through
veisA 10 ruas. by O system Of inseui-
ces tfadiae, this company has booghl
cehef roads, and claims that 70 has earn
- shis immense grant OF land, amount
fna Ia 81 fln lsA aerAs---aaFnAd n nv thu