The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-12

cut that - doubtf1l sach selection. wousd
1Seess4rssy have been made IL to~n-
sh.ps then sszrveyes, and one act familiar
VIE TIE snh5ecs viii b. surprised. on con-
s-.sanE map o. tie public surveys Of the
gate of Ls5i. 10 ind hos snail "a area was
embraced therein. There not beng wha.
Ners considered gooi farming lands sastl-
ssens 70 select from, mach would have
oeen timber iands. and during tie past
thirty Years forest fires and timber thisves
soasd nave dsnu1ed most cf.ach lands og
saear GOOD timber. To hare selected good
farming lands, even If possible. and
nAye them withheld from settlement
anu cultivation souI6 hare been Of doubt
.oi po.icy Adlsesnt settlers would have
Sesn subjected 70 great Inconvenience. BE-
sides the ioss TO ssae territory IN taxation
zna improvements on these lands.
As reported else snere there are sol f0
Asfes r naming 10 select, which certainly
s1o1aa De done as early possible
IL remains 20 bs seen II lands OF
great value can be found 10 make up
even this small area How much greater
would be the difHcalty were sne Whole
NO tosnships remaining 20 be selected
! doubt Il lands worth 81 average Of SO
Der acre could be found. aad at that rate
they would not Re worth as much as the
assets referred 10 above
During my !ncuinbency as president of
TIE board o. university commissioner.
tnore ~ere prepared under my direction
certain lists Of selections aud sales Of
university lands, which TO be dlstin-
guishsd from the lists prepared saa sent
oat from the general land Office. will be
caiied university commissioners land
lists. Each OF these Was prepared in
qnadruplicase--one for the general land
oniee, one for the proper local land Office,
one Tor the university records and one for
al -. 4
10 vas destroyed BY FIRE whea
that Office Was burned. 0lym-
pa land Office list No. 2 after
having been missing from that office
Tor nearly or quite ten years was found by
Register j. r Brown among lot of old
papers long IN disuse. During this period
hltngs were allowed upon university re-
serve ssisction by John ScbSei;zer and
Others. which have been contested IN the
land Offices and in the courts for ten years
or more. aud recently q decision Of the SUI
prene court of this state was handed down,
sustaining tue validity Of the selection aud
safe Dy the university commissioners. (See
appendix.l Daring part Of the time the
Olympia and office list above mentioned
Was missing. my list Was loaned to the
register thereof until said Office was sup
Piled with a copy from the general Land
ONCE at ashlngton City. The land list
Tor the Vancouver Office appears never to
the copy that should have been OF record
IN the Vancouver Office Was not To be
found when called for by the denars-
ment at Washington City in Iss2 Upon
application 10 me by Register Spariing.
prepared copy of my list had 1t COM
pared and certified by the Olympia land
office December a. iss2, and when IL
reached the general land Office al Wash
ington City IL was accepted as official and
so acted upon bv that Office. After
making and including herewith carefully
prepared copies of the university
comissioners' lists in my possession, I
intrust the originals TO the regents of the
state university as original records. il be-
ing mutually agreed that / shall have
access to and use of the same from time 10
time for legal and other necessary p1r-
poses.
"All university selections and sales can
now be completed under state law only,
and all interested parties who have paid
for or hold university lands whereof the
Titles have not been confirmed by the sec
rotary OF the interior or by the state
courts. should promptly take the necessary
steps in the state courts to obtain such
confirmation. or they may lose such lands,
as will undoubtedly be the result should
the state legislature repeal the existing
laws.
Titles to "A, or. or acres have been COM
picted or confirmed by the secretary of
the interior az PER lists to IL. inclusive.
and the state courts have confirmed the
titles to about 10000 acres, thus leaving
the large number of 1900 acres still an
confirmed to the holders.
The state law has made provision that
where from any cause parties who have
paid for university lands, and without
neglect on their own part, have failed to
secure titles TO the same, they shall have
recourse against the state for the purchase
Aafss H. Inf. Il
from date Of payment 70 date of recovery.
beginning on page IS of the journal of
the house OF representatives of the terri
tory of Washington, session of 1868 will
be found q long report made TO SAID iegis-
latiye body by the regents OF tho university
then in Office. which has incorporated in
IL much of the history OF matters con-
nected with the sales of university lands.
the erection OF the university buildings,
the adjustment of the accounts of
the university commissioners, aud in
fact the financial affairs of the institution
from the spring of ISL down 10 the date of
said report. The criticisms, charges and
errors appearing in said report were the
basis of vast deal Of controversy and
calunny from that time down 10 a
com parstiseiy recent period. The report
vas made the subject OF q searching inquiry
by legislative committee, consisting
OF John w. Brace, PARK Winans and Ira
w
ington and Oregon as gentlemen OF intel
ligsnce wide business experience, in egrlty
and great popularity among both political
parties.
Their report sustained the cor
rectneSS of the accounts of the
university commissioners and bore wit
ness 10 the honesty Of the financial
transactions in university matters. The
other two OF these commissioners are
dead, and have long since passed the
limit OF three-score years and ten. and
may reasonably be expected TO Join them
ere long rs matter Of justice
20 their memories as weli a. 20
myself | have thought IL eminently
proper to incorporate said legislative re-
port herewith that II may become part Of
the permanent records of the state uei-
yersity may also add that the balance
found due me in said report from the uni-
versity fund Was aftersaFd paid 10 me by
the regents OF that institution.
"Reginning on mage i9S of the same
house sournal will lie found my own an
swer 10 the report of the regents above
named
.,In 1891 s report Of special committee
on university lands. appointed by the re- /
gents of Washington university vas pre- |
pared by Hon. T. q. Johnson. submitted |
10 the state Legislature and printed as a
state document
.Tn This report nearly or quite four |
pares are devoted 20 = discussion Of a. i
legged conhsc Of statement regarding the /
amount Of lands sold hy the uai- /
versify commissioners after the /
massage OF the congregational /
act Of March IA. 1854, from which the TO- /
lowing paragraph is taken;
.Tas.e mssy eoaHlets q statements about /
80. - har,A a. rccsacfl@ without gauch pa /
Z q 4