The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-04

20 he proposed to the bill the previous question
cannot be sustained without bad fdih.'
The Speaker declined TO rule upon this
point, although he himself had said to the
House prev iously, the gentleman from
Indinnn suggests that the bill be open for
amendment aud consideration and that
was the express condition upon which the
rules were suspended by general consent.
Mr.. WHEELER saw the danger OF letting in
any amendment from the opposition, so
he broke his pledge without scruple, aud
of course was sustained by BLAINE, who
sat in tho chair rs ono of SCoTT's agents.
Tho previous question was carried, aud
Mr.. WHEELER triumphed.
The Senate passed various bills supple
mental to the act to incorporatekfvs Texas
Pacific Railroad Company. One of them
legalizcd the currency bonds. and MIR.
WHEELER drove IL through without n divi-
SION Another authorized the company to
lease or consolidate with other roads MIR.
WV. II. RoBERTs, then member from
this city, was on the alert and defeated IL.
But Mr.. WHEELER watched his chance,
and in the expiring hours Of the session
succeeded, though too late to get the job
eugrossed and signed.
These were some of the services which
Mr.. WHEELER rendered TO the Texas Pa
cnc scheme and TO TON SCoTr, but they do
not by any means cover his whole record.
Having also served the Central Pacific and
the Northern Pacific he could not stand
back when his voice was demanded for the
Union Pacific.
When the Legislative Appropriation hill
was before the House, Jan. IL, 1873. Mr..
HIBBARD of New Hampshire proposed an
amendment to repeal the ninth section of
the Army Appropriation bill of March 3,
1871. and making IL the duty of the "Secre-
tary of the Treasury to apply all such sums
of money as now are, or shall become duo
10 either OF the Pacific Railroad companies
embraced within the provisions of the said
section, from the United States, for the
transportation Of troops, supplies, and ma
terials or otherwise, to the payment of in
dcbtcdness of each company to the United
States for interest paid by the United
States on bonds issued for the benefit of
said companies"
This, certainly, was reasonable and just
proposition. The Government had paid,
in subsidies of money and land, more than
enough TO build the road, and had been
paying interest on the bonds thus adj
vanced. while the company was enjoying
ali the profits and growing rich. How did
Mr.. WHEELER meet this amendmt mt, Of
fered to protect the public interest, Us
against the combination who held the road
in their hands, Ho proposed the follow
ing amendment, providing;
General tLANpAulET wnIiAssl SHAH cer.ify 90 tie
Secretary Il the Treasury that me rail Dad eomganes.
Juy . iss,, either Of said liable under
amount Of nieres, eSd pS the Government upon he
them"
Mr. HOLMAN made the point that the
amendment was not germane, or If ger
name to the pending amendment, not adj
Missile; that it came under suspension OF
the rule. BLAINE overruled the point Of
order OF course. But this aid of the
Speaker was Intellectual. The Credit Mo-
bilicr investigation was then going on All
the leaders in the House. like GARFIELD,
DAWES, BINGIIAM, KELLEY, and SCoFIELp,
and in the Senate, like CoLrAX, WILSON,
PATTERSON, and ALLISON. had been CAUGHT
with bonds and scrip III their pockets. The
press was laundering At the doors OF Con-
grcss. A panic like that at Bull Run
seized the party under these terrible ex-
posurcs and for the first and only time
Mr.. WHEELER was really beaten by two to
one.
II would be easy to pursue this record
and to show that throughout his chair
manship of the Pacific Railroad Com
mittee, during four years WILLIAM a.
WHEELER was the author or advocate Of
all the Ring jobbery that signalized that
period of corruption, prodigality, and
fraud. We have presented the conspicu-
Gus examples so that they may he tested
by the journals, debates, and records of
Congress, which stamp him as among tho
very worst of that throng Of traflickng
legislators, of which JAMES q. BLAINE and
JAMES A. GARFIELD are special orna-
ments.
HAYES and WHEELER both voted, from
first TO last, for every one OF these rail
road jobs while they were in Congress,
and II ~ eminently 1T they should now
be associated together ut the head of the
Republican party.