Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-04-04
FORFY-SBCOND CONGRESS.
YESTERDAYS PROCEEDINGS


Msa. without amendment House bill author
Ising tho Secretary Of War 10 deliver condemned
ordnance 70 certain soldiers memorial asso.
MI. Wright from the Committee on Claims,
reported, with amendments, House bill author.
hing the Southern Claims Commission TO APP
point special commissioners, etc.
Mt. stewart, from the Committee on Pacihc /
Railroad, reported adversely on the bill moor.
under the name Of the North Carolina Exten. |
sion Railroad Company, and on his motion u |
was indennitely pOstponed. ,,,,-
nittee on Claims, House bill TO pay John Potts,
chief clerk Of the War Department. $4,000 for
acting as discussing clerk. Passed.
- rAY OF NAVAL oYFicERB,
Mr.. Anthony, IRON the Committee on Naval
Adairs, reported the bill In regard TO The COM
moneenent Of increased pay 70 promoted otioeTs
In the navy which was passed.
fit provides that the clause In section seven
OF The naval appropriation act q July 70, Bio
ur promoted orieer shall commence from the
date he Is to take rank as given IN his commits.
slop," be repealed, provided that u sach oiileer
shall have been promoted In course TO nll
vacancy, aud shalt have been 10 tho perform
apeo 81 the duties Of the higher grade rom ne
increased ray from that date
Mr.. Ramsey called up House bill 10 break up
the system Of straw bids Tor carrying tho mails
by prescribing hne and Imprisonment for mail
contractors neglectlng to fulhl their contracts
AFTER their bids are accepted which was largely
amended, and then ordered TO be printed as
Mr. Morrill,, Of VI, from Committee on Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds, reported q bill In
and grounds nd property Of tie United States
10 the District OF Columbia Passed.
IN motion Of MT. Morrill, OF W., the Commits.
Sl0ner Of Agriculture was directed TO communi.
cato to the Senate = statement Of the compare.
tive importations Of wool aud uOolons each year
OF the last decade, and all facts in his possession
showing the cause Of tho fluctuations In the
production Of sheep aud the prices Of wool.
THE PIEDMONT AND roToMAo RAILROAD.
of UopSress to Inc sn5scription Of he District
u Columbia TO the stock OF the Piedmont aud
Potomac Railroad Company.
Mr.. Sumner stated that Il was supposed that
this projected railroad would be advantageous
TO tho District aud TO the city OF Washington,
that II was to pass through most hourishlng
country The subscription had been sanctioned
by the popular vote, some l200O TO 600 he hal
bcen informed, aud this being the case the Dom.
mittee had not thought Il proper that Congress
Mr.. Frelnghuysuu asked Mr.. sumner what
amount Of genuine capital had been subscribed
vitaf Importance as to whether the city Of
Washington should subscribe and pay In t6OO-
900, lie had never known township to sub
scribe for railroad stock that was not loser
II the scheme was q feasible one; n there
was any necessity fqr this railroad, and II prom.
ised TO DO romunefatiye, there were plenty Of
capitalists throughout the country who would
embark their means In II. That they had not
done % was pretty good proof that Il was not
finances OF tho city Of Washington he did not
think It advisable that Congress should permit
RS. Cn tSas S not . S
much influence with hlni, Tor In every eommu.
nifty there were many citizens who we're per.
debt or how II was increased Twelve thousand
were said TO have voted for this subscription,
but the vote OF Warrington, he believed, was
about y, 900, 80 that II seemed majority OF the
citizens stayed away and did not vote at all In
soribSd for this road, and that the city Of Wash.
lngton would not be asked to pay It's subsorip
ton until this soS5,Ooo had bosn paid up. He
able out OF their own means to build every mile
OF this road. II was earnestly desired by the
people OF this city, It had been thoroughly dis
handful. The Board Of Trade was almost unani.
nous In Its favor, and the bill to authorize the
subscription had passed the lower House OF the
Legislative Assembly by vote Of II to-
Mr.. Nyo read from the report made to the
Legislative Assembly OF the District and the
81 BI Ss % dss1 setting oTIh the
proceeded 70 advocate the necessity and the
profits Of RAILROADS and said that It was the great.
est shame that the capital Of this great country
should be 80 poorly provided with railroad iacii.
tiles. No such policy prevailed In any other
country in regard 70 lts capital, and he could
was road which would bring New York a miles
nearer 10 Cincinnati than by any existing route.
Who could doubt that II would be an advantage
TO the city OF Washington The capital Of this
country was to-day blessed with one little railroad
that backs In and backs out. He intimAted tina,
tne opPosiulon Q, some Senators 70 tho bill was
city and feared little more taxes
Mr.; Frelinghuysen remarked that Mr. NyS
had hit the nail right on tho head. That was
the very thing. This was matter Of business;
the ones that were interested, AMI they ought
not TO be taxed without their consen'.
mr.. Nyo indicated his opinion that the ma
lority d the property interests favored the build
ing Of tho road.
Mr.. Robertson wanted 10 know why the prom
erty.holdors, who were In favor Of this road, did
not subscribe TO II themselves without attempt.
Ing to compel the other property holders to do
Mr.. Nye said Washington was to DO the win.
ter Newport OF America, and should be fOstered.
plo Of Washington should 50 iet alone ia his
matter OF subscription. They had decided to
make Il, and he did not think It vas the part OF
Congress TO Interfere. He submitted now an
amendment, which, no supposed, would Obyiate
the objections which had been made.
The amendment was read. II provides that
lngton shall be called for until at least On equal
OF tho sum subscribed by private parties shall
have been paid In and expended inthS eOnstruc.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen said this amendment
would not In any way do away with his obiee.
ton. He regarded as diAcouTtsous the intima-
lions that Congress should mind It's own busi
ness. II was exactly tho duty Of Congress to
watch over and protect the interests Of this city
Mr.. Eimunds said he understood the great
interest OF tho Senator from Virginia In this bill
This railroad was 70 20 right to his door.
whatever in this bill. His only interest In IL
was mat the road was 70 go through one Of the
most fertile portions Of his state, and 1t did go
through the county In which he lived.
Mr.. Edmunds did not believe that his friend had
any pecuniary Interest In the road, and as no was
ever would. tLaughter.l What he (Mr. E.)
objected 70 was that tho Senator should wish 10
nuild this road at his (Mr. ESD expense and
b,,S expense OF other property holders Of this
Mr.. Lewis said he would pay. the enhanced
t1aation On Mr. Elmund's property II that Sen.
Atef would give him the enhanced value Of II.
Mr. Elmunds said he was not so poor hut that
Nc eouli lay his taxes yeti but at the rate the
city o. washington was going on, he ala not
Mr' Edmunds thon proceeded at length " an.
alyIe tho financial condition Of tho city Of Wash
ingtop, reading from the exhibit OF the assets
which no proclaimed 10 be practically WORTHLESS,
add said he would take great pleasure In pre-.
senting them TO this railroad. WasbibgtOn, In
government was organized, had saunpderei
large amounts In the very kind OF thing that Is
n9T proposed. He then commented on the four
MT. Lewis said this 100000 subscription was
included In that amount
Mt; Edmqnds said Mr.. Lewis must be mis-
such thing US this, and II tho Board Of Public
WORKS had attempted to do anything like this
their trust.
Ho then went on to say that the charter OF
thls railroad was as vague as tho wind; there
was no guarantee whatever In II; that The cor
porations could sell out tho franchise at any
time 70 anybody. Tho proposed route had never
even been surveyed or located.
In eolloquy between Mr.. Lewis and Mr.
Edmunds, the former said that the Pennsyiya.
nia Central railroad had been negotiating with
reference 70 taking tho franchise Of the pro
posed road, but had abandoned the idea.
Mr. Edmunds said that was isient TO show
mat u was all moOnshlne. The Pennsylvania
railroad was prosperous and an enteTprislng
corporation, and the fact that II had concluded
70 have nothing to do with the road showed
mat there was nothing ~. He then said that
" MOULD cost at least eight times as much 10
Duhu lhls road as was cot down, and claimed
tnat the people had been hoodwinked into voting
lyI th9 subscription by false Tepresen tatlons.
ING Nhole ming was snare and q deluHlOn.
. MI. MOIrlil, VI VI, said there was not single |
senator on this ho0T that would invest $500 In |
thls road anu II would not be right or lust for
OonEress 70 permit the city Of WashinKtop 10 |
become Involved In such hopeless enterpTise.
Ho said that this city would now DO bapkrupt |
u u we're not for the financial skill and stand.
Ing 1.-THE Governor Of this District.
Nh. NYE DEPRECATED
the assumption OF guardianship over this dis
tTiot by the Senators IRON Vermont He saId |