The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-07

route. He claimed that the agree.
ment was for the interests OF
the steamship company, and for
the development of trade. lie
spoke of the exactions of the Pan.
ANA Railroad Com pany, which charged
twenty-five dollars for carrying passen-
gers, whether first or second class, over
its line of forty-seven miles, and charged
for freight one-fourth Of the whole cost
from New York to Elmyra. The
Panama Railroad Company had sat
there at the foot Of the isthmus throt-
Ting commerce, and now it came to
Congress with its antique notions and
its miserable history Of exactions to
force traffic by that route. He denied
that the extract read yesterday from
the Alta Californian against the pending
bill, expressed the views OF the people
of San Francisco and referred TO the
San Francisco Bulletin "a the great
commercial paper of the Pacific coast
which advocated the bill.
Mr.. Strong referred TO the enormous
subsidies granted to the Pacific railroad
companies, from which the men who
built the road had put forty millions
clear into their pockets while building
the road Congress had dealt literally
with these railroads, and loaded them
down with lands and bonds, and now
they come for an additional subsidy.
He referred to the report of the army
engineers to show that no portion OF
the island in question can be safely part
ed with by the Government for railroad
or commercial purposes; also to the
report OF the coast survey against allow
ing bridge to the island to be built in
the Bay Of San Francisco.
Mr.. Kellogg, of Connecticut, argued
in support of the bill
Mr.. Butler was Of the opinion that
the bill as it stood, was in effect a land
grant, if not better. 1t gave the use Of
land to railroad company while it re-
tained title in the Uuted States. AS
the latter cannot be sued, it secures the
island 10 the company as etfectunally
as if granted to them absolutely. lie
asked unanimous consent therefore
TO introduce an amendment providing
that any claimant having a legal OF
equitable title to any portion OF the
island occupied by the railroad com
pany shall have right to bring suit
against said company in the Circuit
Court Of California with a right OF
appeal in the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Bingham objected.
MIR. Coburn asked leave to introduce
a substitute for the Till and Mr. Skanks
and others asked the same privilege for
their amendments.
Mr.. Wheeler declined to admit the
amendments but was willing that they
should be printed for the information OF
the House and they were ordered to be
printed.
Mr. Banks asked but failed to Obtain
leave to have read at the Clerks desk
an amendment which he proposed
Mr.. Holman being emitted t. the floor
Welded to Mr. Garfield, on whose mo-
ton the House resumed the deficiency
bill in Committee OF the Whole.
The deficiency appropriation bill was
then proceeded with.
Mr.. Duke's motion in regard to the
Ku-Klux enforcement appropriation,
offered yesterday. was elected.
Mr.. Dawes offered an amendment
providing that the proper accounting
officers, in settling for the service OF
laborers. mechanics, etc, for the period
between the passage Of the eight hour
law by Congress and the date OF the
Presidents proclamation in regard to
the reduction OF the hours OF labor. He
explained that under a misconstructlon
of the intent and meaning OF the law
the Government employees in some OF
the navy yards have suffered reduc.
ton Of wages in proportion TO the re-
duction of hours effected by the eight
hour law. This wrongful exaction con-
tinued from the passage OF the eight
hour law in June, 1868, to the date OF
the Presidents proclamation in May,
1869.
Mr.. Farnsworth, of Illinois, opposed
the amendment, saying it had been
rejected in tue Senate, and it was not
fair to other laborers who worked ten
hours at the same work for the same
wages This proposition would take
$50, 900 out OF the treasury.
Mr. Dawes said it was to restore
$4j0,000 that the Government had
wrongtully taken from its employees.
Mr.. Farnsworth replied that it was
proposed to make this restoration by
taxing workmen and that Peter was TO
be paid the same for eight hours that
Paul received for ten.
Messrs Banks and Hoar both ia
vored the amendment contendlng that
it was not only an act OF justice but
that experiments fully demonstrated
that the eight hour system produced
more results to the employer than the
ten hour system did.
Mr.. Dawes amendment was rejected
Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts, then
offered an amendment appropriatlng
S450,000 to pay government laborers,
etc, as contemplated in Mr.. Dawes
amendment and provided for iu the
Presidents proclamation. Rejected
yeas 81, noes 81.
The reading OF the bill having been
concluded, the committee rose and re
ported the bill aud amendments to the
House.
Mr.. Garfield demanded the previous
question, but Mr.. Dawes insisted on
another vote upon his eight hour law
amendments.
Pending the discussion, the House, at
4:50, adjourned.
FOREIGN.