Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-01-15
HOUSE.

L u6 hOuS6 Wtub Iul0 OOmnltleo Vi lu6
Whole, Mr.. Stevenson, of Ohio, IN the
Chair, on the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial appropriation, the pending ques-
ton being the amendment offered by Mr..
Randall, last Sat urdad, providing that no
money shall be paid to any railroad COM
panies for transportation of mails or troops
while such companies are in default for in
terest on bonds issued by the government.
Mr.. Beck, who had been on the Confer
ence Committee On the army appropriation
bill of 1872, which contained the section
relieving the Pacific Railroad Company ,ex-
planned and justified the action of the Sen
ate and the Conference Committee, and ar
gued that the section had not been surrep-
titiously introduced, but had been elabor-
ately argued in the Senate, and Inserted
there by vote of SO to IS. The House
Corferees had desired to have that section
struck out, but the Senate Conferees in
sisted upon it, and asked that the question
be laid before the House. He (Beck) had
called attention to it as very serious and
Objectionable Piece of Legislation.
No man in the House had opposed the
provision or called for division on it and
it was too late now for any one to assert
that there was anything surreptitious in the
action of the committee. Why did they
wait until the country was infamed and
until mention of the Credit Mobiler, or
of the Union Pacific Railroad was like
shaking the red flag in the eyes Of an angry
bull? He declared now, while admitting
that the legislation was Objectionable, that
the laws of 1852 and 1864, as decided by the
Judiciary Committee of the Senate and as
decided by the language Of the law itself,
only gave the Government the right to re-
tain half OF the interest. No friend of bis,
no constituent of his, no colleague Of his
knew anything about the Credit Mobiiier,
or held stock in any of those companies.
By common consent Randalls amend
ment was withdrawn and The following
amendment substituted for it as offered by
Mr.. Hubbard:
'That section of the army appropriation
bill approved March 3, 1871, is hereby re-
pealed, and it shall be the duty of the Sec
retary of the Treasury to apply all such
sums Of money as are now or shall become
due to either of the Pacific Railroad Com
panies embraced within the provisions of
said section from the United States for
transportation of troops, supplies, mails or
otherwise, to the payment of the indebted
ness of such company to the United States
for interest paid by the United States on
bonds issued for the benefit of such compa-
MES"
Mr.. Wheeler moved 10 amend Hibbsrd's |
amendment by adding to it proyiso that |
the repeal shall not take effect until the At |
torney General shall certify to the Secretary |
Of the Treasury that such railroad compa-
MES are liable to the government for any |
amount of interest paid by the government |
on the bonds issued in aid of such compa-
MES.
Mr. Hibbard spoke in support of his
amendment.
Mr.. Dickey defende the action of the
committee.
Mr.. Willard advocated Mr.. Hibbard's
amendment.
Mr.. Kelley opposed the amendment, al
guing that those who bought the bonds Of
these Pacific Railroad Companies bought
them under Congressional guarantee that
but half of the earnings of the companies
from the Government should be withheld.
He had never owned share of stock in the
Credit Mobilier, but it was not his fault that
he did not own the ten shares offered him.
His poverty and not his will consented to
let those shares pass him.
Mr.. Kerr said he had thoroughly investi-
gated the subject and had come to the opin-
ion that the duty of those railroad compa-
MES to pay the interest on their bonds was
perfectly clear under the law of the 1st of
July, 1862. The sixth section of that act
admitted of no doubt. 1t was under the
eth section of the act of the I'd of July,
1854, that this right was claimed on the
part of the companies, but he contended
that that section only applied to term of
four years, for which the time for complet-
ing the road was extended. But if his pc
sition in that respect was not quite strong,
IS he admitted it was not, be argued that
,he amendment proposed by Mr.. Hubbard
should be adopted under
The Reserved Right
% amend, alter, or repeal, the original law.
Mr.. kellogg opposed the amendment. He
'aid only the excitement of the hour would
cad members to vote for Hiboard's amend
nent. 1t would be tantamount TO repudi-
alton, and the effect would fall ol innocent |
holders.
Mr.. Holman argued in support of Hib-
0ard's amendment, and against that offered
Dy Wheeler. He intimated that the opin-
on Of the present Attorney General was
known to be in favor of tie companies,
and that The adop ion of Wheeler's amend
nent would be simply confirming that
opinion of the Attorney General. The
House would not deal fairly with the coun-
ry unless it repealed not only the ninth
section of the army appropriation bill of
1871, but went step farther, aud sustain
ID the action of the Secretary of the Treas
Try.
Mr.. Sargent opposed Hibbsrd's amend.
nent. The result, if not the motive ofthe
agitation against the Union Pacific railroad,
Was to affect the market.
Mr.. Speer regarded as shealthy sign
Tho sensifiVeness
shown by members in regard to their con-
lection with railroad corporations. It
would have been well for the people if that
had existed ten years ago.
These railroad corporations had thought
themselves strong enough to take Congress l
ly the throat and demand obedience to
heir behests. 1t could not be denied that |
hey had had in this House and in the Sen