Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-06-10

o. Gha 19th III. Hon. , p. Ri1hara-
aon, q Tenn-, fererted fav0Eahiy % the
H0aaso q Representatives Ne III rsqair-
/ n shs Northazn Racils RAtlrsaa Com-
pany 70 pay ~ enals q survsginE,
sulssfinR End eunveying TIE landa
granted 70 il b ConRzsss. assampany-
ina mis- report With TIE spesdh foliow-
ina, in which Is % Be found mneh
mafisg illustrative a. the villainous
msshods Of this company IN ~ deal-
/ fnrs With 3 to generous and long
snasrina GoEsrnmsnl and people. Mr..
Richardssn said;
II surprising that O1nRraas has nos
| lang ago taken hold Of this question,
and farced this Foad and the D9hsF Pa
eifo roads % make thass paymentA
Thsy are all guilty slike h this paTticn-
lar. Bat &c Feprehensible g. iheif con
duet has been. and as littis deserving e.
they are % favor a. he hands q Cen
REe9s, the committee. IN dealing aith
them in shia case. have not proposed 70
put npon them any penalty for their
past misdesis. As via shoW. the only
object Il 10 require them 70 comply With
he letter Of soc Law. The abisct e 20
require them 70 pay The mere pittanee.
comparatively speaking. Of cost Of
Surveying and conveying 20 thems o.
20 their asEiRneas, lands given them 40
. subsidy By the Government Of the
United States.
To get direetIy 70 The question IN
viewed In this bill, let me say that b.
~ act approved on the q oay Of July,
1854, Congress ehariered the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, b. which
said company gas authorized 70 con-
struct q road from Lake Superior 70
Puget Sound on the Pacific coast, By the
northern route, and made Duniheent
grant Of land 20 aid In this construction.
rhe terms Of this grant and its eondi-
tions we're much the same as the original
Grant Of 1862 to the Union Pacific Com
pany and fis branches.
say, Mr.. Speaker, that @ uuni6cent
grant Of land was voted ahia road 20 aid
N ita construction. And 90 tt vas Q
muni6oent grant, amounting 30 about
46, 81, 200 acres much OF Il as tne. fer
tie and productive a. any land on the
habitable globe. This grant Of land
vas almoss equal IN area 80 the States
II 81 X0UM.M.UH &NA RNUhELAW G0E.1 AtMEls
In this connection quote section
20 Of the act Of Congress Of July I'd,
1854, chaEteFing said road, in thees
words:
. And be IL further enacted, That the
better to sceomplish the object Of this
aot. namely. 10 pEomote the public inter
est and welfare By the construction Of
said railroad and telegraph lice, and
4
20 secure 60 the GoveFnmanfa t all times,
bat particularly in time Of war, the use
and benefits Of TIE same for postal,
military and oeher purposes, Congress
may at any time, having due regard for
tbs rights Of said Nogthern Pacific Rail-
road Company. add 70, alter, amend, OF
. repeal this eel"
In 1870 Il became necessary that the
lands or some portions Of them within
the limits Of tke grant 10 the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company should b,
surveyed. Congress, with she unstinkei
liberality characteristics Of that body ID
those days Of pFodiGaliiy, and With {
kindness for which that corporation haI
utterly failed 30 manifest the sliQhtes
appreciation, voted an appropriation &
. make the surveys Of the Gift or subsidy
Z 4 10 Ia ANNt 0EAA4k UHAAHAEW WIFI t49 ga
l ormous grants these reads received frou
!. the Government, Is became nsoeesar.
Z for she Government ia bestcuinR thi
I Gift 70 pay the expenses Of the surve!
of the lands given. Like the poor pan
per perishing for bread, when q kline
benefactor gave him corn be declined d
accept IL unless the donor would pay 70
its ahellinQ and milling. Congress
4 rnUfaA ek4u eunrar,.as f.r1t 49, a-f... =.
on the 18th day Of July, 1870, added thi
pr0viso:
y "That before any land granted 70 sal
company by the United States shall b
= conveyed 20 any party entitled theret
a under any Of the acts Incorporating Q
i relating 70 said company, there shall ilrs
& be paid into the Treasury Of the Unite.
States the cost Of surveying, seIeotin
= and conveying the same By theUompan
: or party 10 interest"
Here, Mr.. Speaker, l beg 10 call asteu
ton 70 the difference In the lanQuaQ
: used in this pFoviso or amendment &
the charter Of tbs Northern Pacific Com
pany and the amendment Of like char
) aoter and for similar objects to %
Union Pacific Company and others o
the Pacific system OF roads. The pro
/ viso under consideration, as You see
stops with She words costs Of snr
veyinR, selecting, and conveying ID
same By the company or party in In
|. tereat.r
In the amendment TO the charter o
= the Union Pacific and the other eompa
mics these additional words are f0and
|. AZ the titles shall be required By thl
company" tt may not be 0uf Of plaei
for me 70 say that those roads havinl
the advantage as they deem IL, OF thus
words in the amendments, insist sha
!, thereby they cannot be called apon Z,
J take patents 10 their lands under III
grants 20 them until 1.-THE titles are re
4 quired By the company" and they AZ,
{ taking good care not 70 "FequiFe thl
titles" In fee simple 10 such lands
I Their defense IL that until they take on
; the patents 10 their lands they will no
, be forced 70 pay the million Of dollar
I advanced By the Governments for then,
: They say they are not bound to take %,
. patents until they require she titles
They decline 10 require the titles, ant
: thus they SAY they will pay the Govern
ment not a dollar Of this large sun
most Of which has hean due for twolv,
or fifteen years. having been paid out b,
the United States long since for then
and their benefit.
some Of these companies. with whal
seemed 10 me an efF0ntery unparalleled
admitted 10 the committee through theil
attorneys, while Investigating this ques
ten, that IN all probability the oompa.
MES wuuld not require their titles q
thsir lauds In hundred years, and per
haps longer.
But, sir. while the Union Pacific ana
the ether roads Of the system have The
60 called benefit Of the words 10 theil
! amendments tbat they shall pay thess
costs as the titles % their lands shaI
Be required By the oOmpanies.s / wish
10 emphasixs the fact that these World
do not appear anywhere IN the ehartel
; Of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
!. pany. THIS road has no gueh technical
and himsy defense. even as against thi,
most reasonable demand Of tue Govern
: ment against it. Its charter reads sim
ply that before any land granted 70 Il
shah Be esnvsyed 10 Il, OF any party
entitled thereto. tie costs OF Surveying
; selecting and conveying the aasne shal
BE- paid 10 the United States. This, sir
20 al ordinary mind would seem 10 B,
s1ihcient prCseetion 10 tbs Government
and 20 II would Be IL this ooEporatlon