The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-15
CONGRESS.
HOUSE,


amend the act q 1879, providing for the
holding of tho United States Circuit
Court in the Western district Of Mis-.
souri,.
On motion Of Mr.. Potter bill passed
extending the time for the completion oi
the Portage Lake Il Lake Superior Ship
Canal.
The House then went into o Commit.
tee Of the Whole, Mr. Stevenson, Of Ohio,
in the chair, on the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill. The
pending question being an amendment
offered by Mr.. Randall last Saturday, pro.
vidlng that no money shall be paid TO any
railroad companies for the transportation
Of mails or troops while such companies
are in default for interest on bonds 10.
sued BY the government. is.
Mr.. Beck, who had been on the confer.
ence committee on the army appropria-
Ition bill Of 1879, which contained the sec.
ton relieving the Pacific Railroad Com
pany, explained and justified the action
of the Senate and conference committee,
and argued that the section had not been
surreptlously intended, but had been
elaborately argued in the Senate and in
serted there by a vote Of 3S to 1S. The
House conferes had desired to have. that
section struck out, but the Senate conferes
insisted upon 1t and asked that the ques-
tion be laid before the House. He,
Beck had called attention 10 It as q very
serious and Objectionable piece Of legis-
latlon. No man in the House had opposed
the provision or called ior division on 1t;
it was too late now for any one to assert
that there was anything surreptious In the
action Of the Committee. Why did they
wait until the country was infamed and
until the mention Of the Credit Mobilier
OF the Union Pacific railroad was like
shaking q. red flag in the eyes oil an angry
bull. He declared now that while ad.
mitting that the legislation was objection
able, that the law Of 1859 and 1884, as
decided by the Judiciary Committee Of
the Senate, and as decided by the language
OF the law itself, only gave the govern.
rnent the right to retain halt of the inter
est. No friend Of his, no constituent OF
his, or no colleague OF his knew anything
about the Credit Mobilier, or held any
stock in these companies.
BY common consent Mr.. Randall's
amendment was withdrawn and the fol-
lowing amendment substituted for 1t, as
offered by Mr.. Hibbard: "That the sec.
tlon of the army appropriation bill up.
proved March 8, 1871, is hereby repealed,
and It shall be the duty OF the Secretary
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
the transportation Of troops, supplies,
mails, or otherwise, to the payment Of
the indebtedness Of such company to the
United States, for interest paid by the
United States on bonds issued for the ben.
eft Of such companies"
Mr.. Wheeler moved TO amend Mr.. Hib.
bard's amendment by adding to 1t pro.
viso that tho repeal shall not take effect
until the Attorney General shall certify
to the Secretary OF the Treasury that such
railroad companies are in debt to the
government for any amount OF interest
paid by the government on the bonds
issued in aid Of such companies.
Mr. Hibbard spoke In support Of his
amendment.
Mr.. Dickey defended the action of the
committee. s
Mr.. Willard advocated Mr. Hlbbard's
amendment.
AIr. Kelley opposed the amendment,
rguing that those who bought the bonds
Of these Pacific Railroad Companies
bought them under Congressional guar
antee, and that but half Of the earnings Of
these companies from the government
! should be withheld. He-had never owned
share of stock In the Credit Mobilier,
but il was not his fault that he didInot
own ten shares offered him. His poverty
and not his will consented TO let these
shares pass him.
Mr.. Kerr said he had thoroughly in
vestigated the subject, and had come to
the opinion that the ability of the COM
panies to pay the interest on their bonds
. . was perfectly clear under the law Of the
. LIST OF July, 1862. The 9th section Of that
act admitted of no doubt. It was under
, the 9th section Of the act Of the 2nd oil
July, 1866, that this right was claimed
on the part Of the companies, but he con-
tended that the section only applied 10 the
,, term Of lour years, ior which time for com
) pleting the road was extended, but Il his
position in that respect was not quite
strong enough, and he admitted it was
not, he argued that the amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Hibbard should be adopted
, under the reserved right to amend, alter
: or repeal an original law.s "'.-.
MIR. Kellogg opposed the amendment.
= He said only excitement OF the hour
= = would lead members TO vote Tor Hibbard's
!, amendment, it would be testimonial tc
. Reputation and the effect would fall or
!, innocent holders.
! Mr.. Holman argued in support Of Mr.
:, Hibbard's amendment and against thai
: offered by Mr.. Wheeler. He intimated
:, = that the opinion OF the present Attorney
!, General was known to bc in favor Of the
: company and that the adoption oi Wheel
: er's amendment would be simply confirm
Ing the opinion ot the Attorny General
a The House would not deal fairly with tht
: country unless 1t not only repealed th,
: !, 9th section Of tho army appropriation bill
). Of 1871, but went step farther and sus-
:, tanned the action OF the Secretary Of tht
4 Treasury, r.. .rl
Mr.. Sargent opposed Mr.. Hibbard'
:. amendment. The result, II not the mo
> tive Of agitation against the Union Pa
= ciic Railroad was to effect the stool
), market. z
a Mr.. speer regarded 1t as healthy sensl
Q tiveness as shown by the members in re
% gard 10 their connection with railroad
corporations. 1t would have been wei
for the people IL that sensitiveness hal
existed ten years ago. These railroat
corporations had thought themselvei
81 strong enough 10 take Congress BY tn
- y throat and demand obedience to their be
y hests. II could not be denied that the,
y had had in this House and Senate man
!, members who were more faithful TO then
4 than to the people.
Al