The New York herald., 1877-02-17
THE PACIFIC RAILROADS.
vrpISo FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE IEDEBr-
EDNEss TO THE GOVERNMENT

WAsHrxGroS, Feb. lo 1871
Tho Senate to-day resumed consideration Of the bill
70 amend shs Pacific Railroad acts as TO create
sinking funa for the liquidation OF the Indebtedness
due the government by the Pacific railroad companies,
pending question being on the amendment, OF Mr..
Booth. submitted Wednesday last. 10 the second
section OF tho bill reported by ,he Committee Rail-
roads, go 20 provide shat ;ho Central Pacific aud
Union Pacific roads shall each pay the Treasury
Of the United States $3.50, 900 per nnnrm IN equal
semtannuai instalments, until such sums shall with
Interest thereon, be sufcsert when added 70 other
she credit Of the Sinking Fund.- TO pay on and
extnGuish tho government bonds a. maturity
vanced said companies. with six per cent
thereon from their respective dates until paid In
oil placed tho crcds o, the Sinking
Fund shall be credited and added ,hereto semi
annually, Al the ratio Of SIX per cont per annum.
Provided. however. that II the foregoing provisions
shah prove insufficient 10 extIngush the government
bonds and interest thereon maturity as aforesaid,
the scmi-annuai payments shall increased 10 such
will DO sufficient for thnt purpose
Mr. wXsT, Of Louisiana, opposed The amcpdn
and argued that II would trouble and liti.
easion than the bill OF the Judiciary Committee. .
Mr. BoorH speaking In favor OF the amendment,
said hs only object was 10 make the oil OF tho Rail-
road Committee good that It's present friends would
not support 1t
SPEECH MIR. B.Aixk
Mr. BLAINE, Of Name, said he was opposed TO the
provisions OF the bill reported BY ,he Commit.
tee Railroads. The nth sec.ion OF that bill, allow.
ing the companies 10 anticipate their sem. nual
payments discounted the ratio OF SIX per cent, had
the power Of lnnnte mischief In IT. He was opposed
the proviso tho third section making II cond,.
ton that tho government should paronizc the roads
IN the transportation of freight, &C. Tho officers
OF the government should be left free 10 select tho
best and cheapest means OF trans por taton. On tho
other hand, he did not say that coua sup
porl the bill OF The judiciary Committee. That bill
meant lawsuit ana Congress could not do gr eater
injury 10 :hc United states Treasury than 10 pass
bill OF that character This bl! meant the delay,
the laws uncertainty and thus far the laws uncer.
ta!nty had been certainty against tho United States
IN al! con1c,s between the government the CON-
pahles The government had not mad luck IN the
courts. burnt child dreaded Are, ana he wanted 10
keep out Of tho courts. He was IN favor oil some bill
TO have u settlement with these companies II moth.
ing should be done toward settlement at the end Of
the present century The companies owe the
government over $500, 100000. IL tho government
should then take possession OF tho roads II would
be at cost OF about sll0 900 q mile, and that
would not be profitable bargain. There had
being grasping monopoles. They only men
they had valuable piece OF property and they pro-
posed TO keep It. TO appeal to tho courts fight to
the bitter end
He in favor OF somc adjustment which would 10
just 10 the government and far to tho railroad compa
mes. The amendment submitted yesterday by the
Senator from Iowa tMr. AIlisonl in the nature OF
substitutes be thought appeared 10 be just as named
no specific sum be paid but lett that with The Sec.
retary Of the Treasury. He hoped remain In Con-
gress long enough TO SEQ session go by without q
ruroad bill in II, but he was afraid he would not be
grathed II such bill as that reported by the Judiciary
Committee should be passed. The railroad compa II es
were IN position more advantageous than the govern.
mept ITSELF and they could continue The litigation at
the expense of the government
MR.. BoorHs AMENDMENT.
The amendment oi Mr. Booth was rejccted-ycas "a,
nays IS, as follows
Ann Ra
sSsy cossss S h5rs
;sp sargent, s"yW,sss Stevenson w0odssh
NAYs-Mcssrs Allison, barnum, Blaine. Boutwell,. Bruce
Burnside Burr Cameron Of Pa cay,cn Conkiing. Crsgin,
iord hitchcock i"sn Johnston Jones' Of Sla kelley.
Logan Mitchell, Norwood, Patterson, Teller, west-2a
Mr.. Boorn then withdrew another amendment sub.
mled by him Oh Wednesday. giving 10 Congress power
To alter, amend or repeal tho act.
Mr. CBRIsriAScY, rep OF Mich, moved to strike out
the sixth and seventh sections OF the bill reported by
the Committee on Railroads, which provide that the
act shall be construed as tinal settlement between
the government and the companies II accepted Dy tho
companies within tour months OF tho date OF It's pas
sage and repeas all acts and parts OF In leu
OF these sections Mr. Chris'ancy proposed
section providing that Cougrcss all have power
TO alter and amend as we'll as repeal the act
Mr.. CnAryEk, ircp) OF Col, submitted amend
mcnt TO that Of Mr. Chris!ancy, provide that
the act should be construed as final settlement be-
tween the government and tho panics, II within
four months after ts passage II be accepted by tho
companies, and providing said companies shall iai h.
fully comply with all the provisions Of tho act aud
shall not be in default of any OF the nsalments when
due.
Mr.. DAWES, ircp.) OF Mass, spoke OF tho rights OF
the government and the railroad companies, and said
he favor OF amicablc settlement with the
companies, aud would therefore support any biz 10
avoid litigation He was in favor oi Congress rescrv-
ing tho power TO alter. aend or repeal the act
not in tho shape proposed by the Senator from Mchi-
gan tMr. Chrisuancy), which was a sort Of a double
barrclled arrangement.
Mr.. CHRIsrANcy spoke In favor or his amendment
and said all no wanted have these railroad com.
pancs lay aside fund 10 pay their indebtedness 10
tho government
Mr. MCMILLAN, Of Minn., agreed with tho Senator
from Michigan Mr Christiancy MS TO tho power
grcss TO alter amend or repeal the act before The
Senate If 1t should become law and also tho original
acts OF 1862 and 1854 He argued that Congress had
right TO impose this legislation upon tho railroad
panes whether they accented or not and therefore,
he ay ored tho bill Of the Judiciary Committee
SPEECH or MR. wADLEIGB.
Mr.. WApLkIGm, OF New Hampshire. said no had
there werc many people in this country who had
work hard to pay their taxes and get living; their
money went into the Treasury OF the United States
and should not be taken out for railroad companies
He was opposed 10 the bill reported by the Committee
RAIN Dads, because he believed IL was wrong
He opposed 1t because he saw the Same men
throngng the lobbles to-day and urging It's
passage who had imposed upon Congress in
ormcr years bills the evils OF which Congress
was trying now 10 get rid OF. He was opposed 10 tho
bill OF the Railroad Committee because It would COM
pei the government TO send freight over the roads
named, and at such prices the companies might fix
and determine. lie saw IN this bill grounds for
land suits. He argued that these companies were not
entitled TO public sympathy. IL has proposed TO
pass bill Tor tho bcnent OF tho companies and,
no matter how many robbcr'es might DO concealed I'M
Ger IT, Congress TO have right to alter, amend
repeal H.
VI WEST, Of LOUISIANA, said he thought the Senator
from New Hampshire Air. Wadleeh) used rather
harsh and nncaled Tor expressions Tho Railroad
Committee had tins matter intrused 10 IL by the SEN
ate, and the Senator who had just taken his seat
should not lose sight OF tho fact that tho matter
brought TO the attention OF Congress by tho Executive
Department, Of the government He argued that The
only difference between the bills OF the Committee on
Raroaus and the COMMITTEE on the judiciary was
that the former proposed a settlement with the
sent OF the companies and tho latter settlement With
out such consent
Mr. MCMILLAN said he was not In favor Of making
an agreement with the railroad companies, recognizing
rights OF those companies. he argucd that Congress
nad !uli power 10 lcg.sutc IN the matter.
Mr. DAWES said Uwas not wise Tor Congress 10 leg.
;slate AZ 4! nobody had any rights which the govern
meat OF the United states was bound 10 respect.
Mr. BooTn, Of California in replying to the remarks
OF Sir. Dawes was interrupted By the latter, who
that the senator from CaIiorna nad no, understood
him.