New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-04

animals In Alaska 40 as to authorize tho Secretary OF
TO designate the months 10 which m
be taken for thor skins the Islands OF bI au'
and st. George and e waters snS tne
planstion the bill was passed. e. o. Hin
THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.
The House then proceeded 10 the consideration OF the
bill 10 regulate commerce among the several States ana
Mr. McCRARY rep, Iowa, who reported the Oil from
the Committee Railroads and Canals. addressed inc
House in explanation and advocacy OF H. Inc o'''
related he said, exclusively TO inerstst conmeroo,
and he asserted IL 90 he the right ana duty OF
90 regulate such commerce IL pTovloe9 wv sraons
engaged in railroad shall not make unreaso a
able or extortonato charges and Ssormi,aton
in the matter of charges. The Dln w ss
therefore, decsratory OF tbe eoue ,1HVWt~w
TO railroads IL required nothing from them but what
was far just, and reasonable IL teqse% od rnw and
from time immemorial. required OF them lie qnotsa
from highest judicial Engsh authorities a. 20 sno
rights powers and due OF railroads us puoHo carriers,
and as to the authority Of Governments 10 regn 1n
them aud argued that the power o, where
state railroads penary and unllmtto, oAcepo T oao
limitations were imposed by the Constitution anu waS
equal in extent with the power OF any single doVerh'
Mr.. ELDREDGE (Dem., Wis., asked him whether he
held thai there was any parallel between the power OF
the BRUSH Parliament and OF the American Congressi
Whether the latter was not confined 10 suc .ninso
denued the Constitution. while the iofor was
Mr. McCRARY would not concede that Congress ha aa
no powers except such expressly conferred oy
the Constitution. Congress had estaDiishea Na. Nv
banks aud done great many things, the rlght 10 90
which derived not from the express "
the Constitution, from their necessary implication
He might, however plant his ioot on tne ehIo S
states rights doctrine and still maintain MS
position because nobody could deny tue
Of 9snerres %pon It's
jurisdiction was supreme ana plenary Ihere was nv
Congress NAV regulate Commerce A to what Congress
do the way of regulating commerce. ~ was 10,
the nature OF a regulation. there was not ana there
could not be any other Limitation on tne poWor y,
reason the proposition contained in the bill was for the
regulation OF commerce, and would lneWtaoy DO noiu
10 he proper and legitimate exercise OF the power Vi
He quoted John Stuart Mil IA saying on the subject
of railroads. aud canals, that they were always III
great deg.ee practical mOnopOes anu that Tue u9vo
ment which conceded such monopoes ~ ,
much the thing allowing ndlVduas OF assocd-
lions tax they chose Tor Jnelf own vi
all the malt produced in England aud ON all the cotton
Imported Into it, Referring 10 the immense prohts made
10y railroad companies, not on their Stock Out on hoir
instanced the case OF the NewYork Central which in
few years had paid SOOO0O in Dividends being nearly
the entire cost OF toe road These dividends
had been made by eyyins exOrbitant charges on com
merce. Talking of opening up new routes anu
ing old said that no one was more III favor nan
he was OF doing So He know that water transportation
was one Of the features In the solution OF ho quesIou
! hnt me knew too, that Congress might spend any
monnt Of money IN the improvement OF the Mississippi
River and in opening other water routes, anu commorce
would stu the aid of legislation in order 10 compel
rsiiroad companies TO connect with these water
routes on fair ana reasonable terms. The railroads
ths value Of these water routes They had
always done 50 and always would do so. upess c3m
ne led by law to connect with water routes on idH
Terms AS the proposition OF building great Ma
fiona raliroad it should be considered only, ii al att as
a last resort But even II there was sucn soa ~ %
cress would still need 90 control the railroads 50 MS 10
compel them to with IL. He closed his speech
by saving that Congress the only power tnat hau
the right aud on which deyOved the duty OF Adopting
such sonabe rules and regulations AS the case re-
ouired hoped that Congress would not hesitate 10
discharge duty and Its whole duty IN the premises
| Mr.. ARTHUR Dem. Ky.), a member OF the COnmtteo
ON R,iIways and Canals followed in speech against
the bill as being proposition In the nature OF an ex
periments xplorer of the elasticity OF
government He quoted from the debates on the Con
stitutiou the decision OF ChefJusce Daniels
10 show that object Of giving Congress the power 10
regulate commerce. was to establish perfect equality
among the several states commercial rights aud
10 nreveDt unjust and lnvdious distinctions which local
aoues or partial interests might be disposed To miro
| duce aud maintain.
Without taking action the bill. which is special
order from day to day until disposed Of the House at IL
adjourned.