Year: 1874

gentleman from Washington Territory,
who will be able further to explain why
it is necessary this bill should pass at
once.


Mr.. MoFApDEN. I wish to say to my
friend from Iowa on my left Mr.. kas-
son] this is not singular legislation at
all. An act has been heretofore passed
authorizing the people of Walla Wal
Ia County to do this same thing on a
certain vote by majority of the peo-
pie.


Mr.. HosKrNs. I hope the House will
be brought to order, as it is impossible
to hear the Delegate from Washington
Territory.


The SPEAKER. The House is now in
order, and the gentleman from Wash
ington Territory will resume his re-
marks.


Mr.. MCFADDEN. I was remarking,
Mr.. Speaker, that this legislation was
not singular at all; that Congress by an
act had authorized Walla Walla county
to resort to the same to tho same pro-
cess for raising funds to aid in the con-
struction of what was known as the
Columbia and Walla Walla Railroad
Company. The proposition was sub
mitted to the voters of Walla Walla
county, but not being acceptable to
them it was voted down


BY the sixth section of the organic
law of Washington Territory we are
prohibited from incurring any respon-
sibility, such as is contemplated by this
bill, and the only remedy We have is to
come here to secure the privilege of do
ing this thing under authority of an
act of Congress.


This is a matter which has been thor
oughly passed upon by our people,
There are gentlemen upon the floor of
this House who are familiar with the
necessity for railroad connection be-
tween the extreme southern terminus of
Budd's Inlet, which is the southern
point of Puget Sound, and the line Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad at Tenino
We do not come here and ask Congress
to grant us subsidy of land; we do
not come here and ask Congress to ap-
propriate money to aid in the construc-
ton of this road; we only ask that our
hands may be unfettered from the re-
strictions imposed upon us by the or
ganlc act so we may be permitted to
use the means provided by our own
labor for constructing with our own
means this necessary railroad connec-
ton.


l know that difficulties have arisen in
some of the States from the principle of
legislation authorizing the giving of
aid to railroads by the issue of bonds
of the different counties. Bat 1 take
it, Mr.. Speaker, that no bill with that
put in was ever more carefully guarded
than this. The county commissioners
are requested, when they shall agree on
the terms of the contract with individ-
uals or a corporation for the constluc-
ton of this road, to submit the terms
OF the contract to the legal voters of
the county. The proposition shall be
embraced in printed notices, which are
to be placed for twenty days in each
election precinct; and to carry the prop
osition it will be necessary that two
thirds of the votes cast at the polls
shall be in It's favor; which two-thirds
of the votes shall in the aggregate equal
the majority of the votes cast at the
next preceding election for member of
Congress. Unless this is secured the
measure is defeated.


l will say to the House that this
proposition was submitted to the voters
last fall in my county of Thurston, and
the pressing necessity for the enterprise
and the urgent reasons weighing with
the people in its favor were such as to
lead to three-fourths vote being cast in
favor of the proposition.


There is another provision to which I
wish to call the attention of the House.
1t is that no dollar of money can be ap-
propriated, and that no bond can be is
sued by the county commissioners to
pay for this enterprise, either directly
or indirectly. until the road has been
built, thoroughly equipped, andis inrun-
ming order. Now, I ask, is it possible
that the people can be wronged by a
measure of this kind? You have given
to railroad companies lands and large
sums OF money to construct railroads.
we feeble community, remote from
the center of population and the center
OF capital. ask simply that you shall
not fetter our hands, but enable us to
use our own means in the construction
OF this road, SO necessary for the devel-
opment OF the resources of our coun
try.


Who can be injured by it? What
improper principle of legislation will
be recognized 3? For certainly no gen
tleman will rise to-day and undertake
to say, however Objectionable the prin-
ciple might be in the abstract, that any
constitutional objection can apply to a
proposition OF this kind. The question
is, take it, res adjudicata. There are
but two adverse decisions, one of which
has been repudiated by the Supreme
Court of the United States; and the
rulings of that court as late as the pre-
sent term recognize the right to issue
those bonds, and recognize the validity