Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-09

that sum would extinquish 1t. The
theory of the legislation was that
substantial boon was to be given to
these companies to enable them to
surmount what were admitted to
be enormous difficulties and to
overcome the lethargy Of capital
lists. He thought the legislation of
1854, which doubled the land grant
and released half the compensation
for transportation, was unnecessary
then and he did not believe he
would have assented to it if he had
been in Congress at that time. The
only inference he drew from the
saving the road had caused to the
treasury was that it should be con-
ceded that the road had been adj
vantageous to the companies and
the government. He thought a
sinking fund of adequate character
should be secured, aud the prospect
Of Congressional hostility and of
endless litigation would induce the
companies to assent to whatever
COMFORTS with the wants of the
government, which require not
only the repayment of the princi-
pal and interest, but the mainte-
nance of first-class road. He be-
lieved the building and operating
Of the roads had been profitable.
Out of these profits the companies
should pay an adequate annual
sum to put the debt in course Of
ultimate extinction. BY as plain
q stipulation as any in the contract,
Congress provided that it would
not reduce the rates Of travel and
transportation unless the profits
of the corporation should exceed
ten per cent. annually. In view of
that provision, the Pacific COM
merce is likely to be beyond the
relief of Congress, when to the
present demands are added several
millions of annual payments to the
National Treasury, which must
soon exhaust any previous accu-
mutation of profits and become a
serious charge on the transporta-
ton of freight and passengers. He
said: On behalf of the people Of the
Pacific Coast and of the Territories
traversed by the road, 1 protest
that, under the claim of protecting
the Government, you should not
impose too heavy burdens on this
commerce. Through business may
60 by the Isthmus but local traffic
cannot help itself and will be
crushed down. The shipment of
low grade ores, the running Of
slightly productive mines and gen.
eral and great prosperity will be
stopped from the enhanced cost of
transportation of machinery and
supplies. All the States get the
benefit of the reduced cost of Gov
eminent transportation and should
help to bear the burden, instead of
imposing it on the far West, until
the development of the interior
calls into existence the populous
communities that will exist by the
time the bonds mature. California
has but one-eightieth of the
population and two.siXteenths
of the property of the United
States and should not bear
the load of all of what is, in effect,
a direct tax on its commerce. Vi.
innate success and not rapid pay.
ment should be looked to. While
he so believed, he did not think
the Railroad Com mittee bill correct
in theory. The Government should
not be required to pay interest on
its own money by putting its half
of the compensation for Transports
ton and the 5 per cent. net earn
ings into sinking fund, but the
other should 60 into q sinking fund
to be added to reasonable annual
sum to be paid by the companies,
on which interest should be al
lowed at six per cent. with semi.
annual rests. This was just to
both parties and assured "a road
we'll northumberland a burden,
but q blessing to Pacific COM
me-ce.
Gettysburg Claims Rejected.
WASHINGTON, April Sth.-The
Treasury Department has rendered
a decision regarding the sixteen
Gettysburg claims filed in the au.
tumn of 1875 for the use and rent
of camping and parade grounds
and the buildings used for hospitals
in the summer Of 1858, near the
field of battle of Gettysburg. The
decision of the Assistant Secretary
is that the owners have no claim
to compensation and no compensa-
ton can be awarded them. Such
losses are part of the incidents and
accidents of war, and the govern.
ment is no more bound to repair
them than TO indemnify citizens
against destruction by floods, or
fire, or earthquakes. Government
as a matter of grace may, by &C: of
Congress, give indemnify for such
injuries, but there is no existing
statutes authorizing the payment
of such claims. There is no occa-
sion for the further investigation
of these claims, and they must be
promptly rejected il presented to
accounting officers. 1t would be
impossible for any government to
make good such losses during war,
especially civil war, as are here
olaiDlpi