The record-union., 1896-03-20

liOIlS IS OI the CLASS 10 eHlllle patent TO
issue as provided in the Act of Con-
gress creating the grant of land to said
company.
The hearing was had on the day set
and the company presented the required
proof through the evidence of several
witnesses who were familiar with the
character of the land. No person or
persons appeared or offered proof to
show that the land or any fraction of
1t, was such as to be exempted because
Of its mineral character There was no
other course for the officers of the Land
Office to pursue, as their duties are fixed
by law and are mandatory. Then the
statement that a Michigan gentleman,
or any other man, had claim to 1O.743
acres of placer land which was included
in the patented lists is ridiculous.
The odd sections only are included in
the grant to the railroad company, the
even sections being raised in value from
ST % to So so an acre and disposed of
by the Secretary of the Interior as pro-
vided by law. AS a placer claim can
only be obtained in small quantities of
the public domain, and as a section of
land contains only $40 acres, we fail to
AAASACAoS1 ilOW dily i1ldu ScllA OOlciAii
10,743 acres in any way, except by pur-
chase from others who already had title
To it. The story is purely fiction, and of
class that has no more basis than that
found in the average dime novel.
STOCKTON'S FEDERAL BUILDING.
Stockton independent: Congressman
Johnson has shown what can be done
for his constituents by Representative
who takes a real and active interest in
them. The appropriation for a Federal
building in Stockton was notoriously in
adequate, but all the efforts that were
made to have it increased were futile
until Mr. Johnson took his seat. He had
studied Stockton as carefully as other
parts of his district and was quick to
see that it needed and deserved more
money for the erection of a Federal
building. Thoroughly convinced Of the
truth he set to work to convince the
Congressional committee, and success
rewarded his efforts so far as to have
that committee recommend an increase.
THEY BET AND WON.
Colusa Sun: To make some point
against the ability of Huntington, Hop
kins Crocker and Stanford to build the
Central Pacific road, the San Francisco
Examiner" of last Tuesday publishes
the assessment of each in Sacramento
County just before the enterprise was
undertaken. By this it appears that
the combined assessment of Huntington
and Hopkins was only $73, 100. Now
Mr.. Hearst will not sell the property as
sessed to him in the city of San Fran
cisco for ten times the amount of the as
sessment of 1895. If we presume that
the Assessor of Sacramento was as
easily satisfied as the Assessor of San
Francisco, we may add cipher to this
amount and have before us nearly a
million. And 1T may well be asked what
right the EXAMINER has to presume
that the Assessors of those times were
governed by any different rules from
the present? There are according to
report, goodly number of millionaires
in San Francisco, but how many can
the Examiner find by searching the
assessment roll? But suppose this $73,-
100 was all these two men had? They
certainly risked all they had. They
tried hard to get other men to put
money into it on the same terms, but
failed to do So They bet their pile and
won.
THE DIFFERENCE.
Oroville Mercury: The Italians in
America are ready to call for the inter
ference of their Government when they
experience any difficulty with America
but it is not noticed that any of them
have volunteered to go to Abyssinia to
help Italy try to remove the disgrace
of the crushing defeat administered to
her army by the half-armed natives of
that country.
IRRIGATION ASSESSMENTS.
Stockton Independent: Colusa County
property have appealed to the
Federal Courts to prevent the sale of
their lands for delinquent irrigation as
sessments, under circumstances like
those that exist in Stanislaus County.
These people do not resist attempts to
irrigate because they oppose progress,
but because the Wright law is said to
be so employed as to work injustice.
They alleged that the plan in Colusa is
impracticable, and instead of costing
only what the projectors estimated
will require a sum equal to half the
assessed value of the property in the
district. That seems to be a general
difficulty in carrying out the Wright
law. The main principle is right, but
the efforts of those who organize dis
tricts under it seem to be to override
equity, and there is danger that the
cause of irrigation may be set back
many years by the spirit of over-reach-
ing.
BUSINESS NOT PATRIOTISM.
Stockton Independent: The debt of
the Northern Pacific railroad to the ex-
tent of 5000, 900 is to be refunded
at 3 and per cent. interest by the pri-
vate creditors of that company, who do
not seem to think it is either robbery or
injustice What is good policy for pri-
vate capitalists in the readjustment of
a debt would seem to be good policy
for Government to adopt as a creditor
under similar conditions, but the clamor
in California against any readjustment
of the debts of the Government aided
roads will be as loud as ever. The debt
of the Northern Pacific is much greater
than that of the Central Pacific, and
the prospect of the road ultimately
paying it is no better, yet the creditors,
not being hampered or influenced by
popular clamor, proceed in a business
like way to give the debtor chance to
recover. This is just what the Govern
ment should do with the Pacific rail-
roads without regard to the noisy out
cries of of politicians who seek party
capital rather than the good of the
country. The making of a partisan
political question out of one that should
be decided on purely business princi-
pies is pernicious and productive of
mischief. 1t has been industriously