The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-24
FROM WASHINGTON.

The Pacific Railroad and tue Government.
Despatch to theAssociated Press
WAsHINGToN, Feb. 24.-The Judiciary Com
mittee, through Senator Carpenter, reported on
the subject of the relations of the Government
to the Pacific Railroads. Two questions were
considered by the committee:-First. Had the
pensation for services by the railroad, and apply
the same to the payment of the bonds aud inte-
rest under existing law in conformity with the
opinion of the Attorney General? Second IT
not, is the interest upon said bonds due from
the companies, and are they bound, uuder ex-
isting laws, to pay 1t semi-annually, as maiu-
tained by the Attorney-General?
On both these questions the opinion of the
committee is adverse to that of the Attorney
General, and maintains the position taken by
the companies, viz, that the United States are
bound to pay one-half the services In money,
and can only apply the other half on the bonds,
and that the companies are only bound to the
performance of the Government service where
required, and beyond the performance of such
service are not bound to repay the interest until
the maturity of the bonds.
1t is understood that all the committee concur
in the report except Mr.. Edmunds.
The report of Senator Stewart is from the
Committee on Pacific Railroads 1t recommends
no legislation, but expresses the opinion that
the advantages are so great that the Government
will send freight over said road as far as practi-
BILE to do so.
A Petition from Miners
of Colfax county, New Mexico, has been pre-
have the right of the so-called Maxwell Land
Grant and Railroad Company" to an i'm
mense tract of mineral country known as the
Moreno mines, investigated, and the lines of the
grant defined by an authorized Government sur
vey. This is another Mexican grant, in which
the miners are contesting their claim in opposi-
tion to an English company of capitalists who
are endeaveriDg to appropriate an immensely
rich mineral region to itself.
The Enforcement Bill.
Special Despatch to The Buentrg Telegraph
The Senate has taken up the enforcement bill,
and majority has agreed to sit IL out until q
vote is reached If it takes all night and all day
tomorrow. The Democrats are determined to
resist the bill at every stage, and by all means in
their power. Four or five of them are prepared
to talk against time, and 1t Is now question of
physical endurance. The Democrats charge
that the object of the Republicans in hurrving
this bill up at this late stage of the session is to
defeat several appropriation bills and throw
them over to next Congress.
They charge that the President having Disco
vered that the San Domingo commissioners can
not return before the middle of April he is
anxious to have a session of two or three months
of a new Congress SO as to get action on the
report of the commission. The defeat of the
appropriation bills the Democrats assert will
afford pretext for long session.
The House Is engaged on the last of the ap'
preparation bills, and will probably finish 1t to
day. The members of the Committee on Ap
propriations of the House conceded the fact
that two or three bills will fail In the Senate