New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-17
GEN. FREMONT'S RAILROAD-A C4RD FROM
SENATOR HOPARD

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR In reading your article headed "Gen.
Fremonts Railroad your issue of the 9Th inst relating
to the action of Congress the BILL Granting the Right
Of Way to the Memphis, FL Paso, and Pacific Railroad
Company from FL Paso to the Pacific Ocean, could not
help noticing the following paragraph:
Nor it true Congress refused Gen FremOuts company the
right Of way granted that right promptly heartily and by
an overwhelming majority The bill thus passed went to the Senate
where it would have been passed but the Chairman Of the Pa
cae Railroad got referred to bis committee and there held
IL in spe Of all eutreaes in defiance Of justice and
fairness denying the Senate opportunity to pass on the BILL
can imagine for this that would be ereda 10 Us
author"
You have been greatly msnfOrmed as to the truth OF
the matter as brief statement will show. As Chairman
of the Senate Committee the Pacific Railroad had
nothing 10 do with the bill 1t passed the House of Rep
resentatves the 22d of March, in the shape OF JOINT
resolution and presented to the Senate on the 23d
On that day, Mr.. Morton Of Indiana moved that 1t
lie on the table which motion was agreed TO- notwith'
standing Mr.. brakes motion to refer it to the Com
mtee on Pacific Railroads 1t not referred to that
Committee at all Between March 23d and April 9th, Mr.
Morton vain eudeavored TO get up the bill foT consider
alton on the 9th Of April he made his last attempt IL
led discussion, in which three members favored the
ON motion Of MI Sherman the Senate went into
executive session The two Houses adjourned the next
day You Will thus see that injustice done by the
above imputatOn and doubt not you Will cheerfmiy
hasten to correct your error may thnk, mere aHa
committee acquainted with the merits OF his projected
road called special meeting and requested hiin to be
present il. He complied and they had the Oenen OF
his explanations was also toward the close OF the last
waited upon By nus Ges as P K EaSw IN epy T
his request for nformauon indicated some
selves among which the alleged facts that the
charter granted TO the company by the state OF Texas
apart the Of the road by that State had
DOMAIN DOM iE,0D''' y VIZ ''''' ' j. N. HOWARD.
Detroit Aug II. 1869.
Comments bv The Tribune.
| Let us begin by making the needlul cOrrec-
| ton. The House bill in question not re-
ferred to Mr. Towards Committee, and of
course was not smothered therein, as we sup
posed. SO that point is settled.
Now let us 90 right at the merits. Mr..
Howard states above that Mr.. Morton made his
last attempt to get up the bill on the 9th of
April, when " it led to discussion, in which
three members favored the motion and three
opposed itn He is too modest by half in
thus concealing the fact that the chief oppo-
nent was himself, and that this was the style
of his opposition
Mr. HowARD-I hope the Senate VIII not take up that
now. have something to say upon H. wish TO notify
the honorable senator from Indiana, II 1t IS taken up
have a great deal TO say upon IT,
Again:
Mr. HOWARD I know II is improper upon such a mo.
ton this 90 into the merits Of the asure but
that there is existence any such railroad corporation
as the Memphis and III Pas0 Railroad Company. un.
derstand that that charter defunct and has rights
in law at this time Another thing entirely clear that
all the lands which donated by the state OF
aud xed the domain Of the sate that 1t has
not now, in point Of law, single acre of land upon
these two points which shall endeavor to make out in
this bill is called upand it viii take considera
bic time If do make them Out-will be entirely sasfac.
tory the Senate 70 the improperly Of proceeding
with the consideration Of such proposition at this time
Ar If mic he gaid at fhprp ia
charter for the Union Pacific Road have the stat
ues on my table as plain ana direct as any that can be
have heard this assertion made before, but there is
foundation for IT, The Senator has been misnfOTmed,
and convince him in five minutes that he has been.
Mr.. HOwARD-lt the Senator Will allow Inc, had not
Mr. M6RToS-I thought you had.
Mr.. HowARD-The Senator will allow me to say an
probably refers. and examined them carefully, and
have examined documents which presume lie has not
in the course OF the discussion that may arise 1t viii
certainly lead TO protracted discussion.
Thus we see that Mr.. Jacob M. Howard
defeated the measure by threatening to talk
the Session out if the Senate should consent
TO take it up. How does that differ in effect
from getting it into his Committee and there
strangling itH
Now let us see how his avowal of wish to
save time was promptly replied to:
Mr. CoNKLINGI shall vote with great pleasure 20 take
does not U0pe any subsidy and second IL does involve
debate. do not know better time have seen
better time that can remember for debate, than
this time s We are compelled to walt here for while
TO receive the reports OF two conference committees
There is danger OF good deal OF legislation here II
are 70 take up bills which not TO be debated, which
tomorrow morning or some other morning we should
regret. Now here Is which Is TO be debated
and inasuch as have nothing to do except TO avoid
haste, thlnk II would be very excellent plan to take
this up, and let the question of the existence
existence OF TINS must some time other
be settled ana In regard 10 which these two Senators
declare they have their tables now under their hands
ready, the evidence TO dispose of-be determined here
can never vote, FOR inellQeny upon 10 than
shall DO able to vote after hearing these two Senators
tonight.
And now a word with Mr.. Howard. which
we trust he will heed. He knows that it is
thoroughly in earnest.
Mr.. Howard is Chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on PACIFIC Railroads. That is a 1 yeTy
important pOsition-one in which true man
can effect great good; one in which corrupt
man may make a great deal of money We
have built one through line of Pacific Road,
with sundry parts or branches-at least one Of
which 1--WE mean the AtchisOn) should never
have got through an honest Committee. We
have got one through line built quickly at an
enormous cost, for good part of which the
country stands responsible, with only second