The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-17
GIVEN A PROMISE
MUCH TALK AND LITTLE AcT,on.
95gAs-sf-Wsg Over s~ssh street so
nssIsssA Av~ss west -
shs C~spssy-

The COMMON COUNCIL m9< ns&ot tufcS
SOP 70 the Sorthsrn Pacific, By promising
Il . psopeg Franchise" over South stress
from tbe southern hoantssr Of the city 10
lfs intersection With Railroad svense. over
Railroad svenus west re entire length snd
over the ~" by which h h proposed 70
connect Railroad svsnue and south street.
By . short cut This wss Ill the council
did ~ the session. which va prolonged
through an hour and . hall, except 70 lis
ten TO the ordinations Of the Northern Pa
elsc. - voiced by KS eounseis John H.
Mitchell. IT.. aud 10 ausver in recrfmins-
ton. The proper franchise" promised the
Northern Pacific by the council yet remains
70 be drawn by The Judiciary COMMITTEES,
which has had the task In hand for several
days, and thu matter IL. therefore, upon
exactly the same footing Is would have
been hsd tbs mayor. eight councilman and
Attorney John II. Mitchell. IT,. remained
az their respective homes last evening in
stead OF facing q dissgFeeabie rain storm.
snd . stiii more dsssgseeabze storm OF YER
biaee.
The council inst Pursuant TO I'd journ-
ueut Of Tuesday afternoons session.. when
The franchise ordinance prepared and sub
niifted by the Northern Pacific was refer
red 10 the Judiciary committee. with the
understanding that IL might possibly. in
the expressive vsrnacniar Of n OF the
committee. lick IL into shape" for on-
sideras1on-s When the council fnet
the judiciary COMMITTEES reported that
IL hsi nothing TO report Chsirman
Meas said he had failed to ecu the AZ
t<ndancs OF the other members of the CON-
mittse. the city attorney was either sick or
absent from the city. and that be did not
feel like ~afrogating to himself the powers
and Judgment Of the whole committee and
the city attorney combined Therefore
nothing had been done. Then.
he said. the Northern Pacifc's
franchise over south street and Railroad
avenue west was wholly dependent upon
the widening Of both and the r~e-esfahiixh-
ment ot the latter. He then proceeded to
disssct the ordinances submitted by the
railroad company. which he pronounced
faulty In nearly every particular and
which he said furnished the city no pro-
lection whatever.
N Councilman Niesr had subsidized, and
commenced disputing the propositions
stated by the chairman of the judiciary
committee. He said that the ordinance
Vas In no wise more faulty than the one
submitted BY the Union Pacific. which tho
council hsd taken the pains TO amend and
pass st IN open session. II the council
could do that for the Union Pacific he
could see no reason why il should
not do IL for the Northern Pacific.
lie then spoke OF the relative
positions Of the Union Pacific and North
ern Pacific. the one favored by the council
with speedy action and the other put OF
with vexatious delays and not ever given
. promise OF future favors. He iterated
tho statement made at q former meeting
that the Union Pacific had given no assur-
ances that IL intended to set In good faith
with the city Of Seattle and said that when
the Boston officials Of that company exam
insd the franchise granted Wednesday, it
might not wish 10 accept the conditions.
particularly that one requiring il to
commence the construction Of it, road
from seattle toward Portland and prose-
cute the work diligently. He said
the council might by It's policy concerning
franchises drive away some OF the com
panies seeking admission to the city. He
then spoke OF the Northern Paci6c's inter
ests here. He said II owned the Alaska
and Puget Sound Steamship Company and
that It's trade was worth more than that OF
ANY -four or six-track railroad still several
hundred miles away" and that the coun-
ell should make every effort to retain
its headquarters here. Speaking of pub
lie sentiment on the matter. he said
that the people were undoubtedly OF the
opinion that the Northern Pacific should
he given the franchise 10 asked. He then
said that IL the ouncii could not grant the
South street franchise AZ once-and he
thought II could II IL would-he would be
satisfied with an expression that the fran
chisc wouid be granted - soon as condi-
tons were favorable.
At the conclusion of Attorney MitehelI's
retsarks. Councilman Hall, who had evil
IDENTITY been greatly annoyed by some of
his remarks. jumped TO his feet I'VE
have been called together here dsy after
day and night after night for the past six
weeks, said he. TO hear the attorney of
VI railroad company tell what we ought
10 do for his company and what We should
nos do for the other roads. So long
as these railroad companies persist
IN pushing in franchises prepared by
their attorneys aud insist upon their inn
mediate passage. just so long | am in favor
81 refusing to grant them. We ought 10
prepare these franchises ourselves aad see
that the city : interests have some protec-
,icr. | sm tired of being told by railroad
attorneys, and particularly by The astor-
neyS Of the Northern faoinc-becausc We
know that road hetter-what the duty of
the council is when the railroad conn
rsn'es tell Us what they want. and leave ia
to give what NC can they viii receive fair
treatment"
h1srte seconded Halls remarks with
great warmth he said tho Northern Pa
cIne hal pursued altogether too vigorous a
policy In the matter and hsi almost To-
sorted 10 balldoEsag. Mr.. Mitchell and
Mr.. Mcknight have been coming before
this council" said he. with threats Of
what the Northern Pacific Will and viii not
do. II we do not accede 90 their demands
and think il comes. with very poor grace
from them. Then Mr.. Mitchell lectures Us Ia
oeey the eehes,s of the people a. Interpreted
by him. We must no, look to railroad
companies for the interpretations Of the
peoples wishes. Ne will he held resrop.
sshSe BY TIE people tar any mistake we nav
make in this matter. and we should inter-
pref their wisaes ourselves. No other raj.
road company has come 10 It's in this man
hef. With threats n g-ssuifous advice.
snd ~ long Is the company comes TO ns in
TINS manner. 1, for enc, shsll not feel hike
listening 10 their demands Then. does
'hts company make any osfer of
~'NafFoxay Shall we give them
we Or sares nailes al rteh:
"..as ard not ask them 10 give sp the