The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-01-27
CONGRESSIONAL
The Senate had no session.


In debate, Mr.. Bright spoke upon the
monetizatlon of the silver dollar, which lie
was earnestly in favor of. He contended
that the demonstration of silver was a vio-
lation of the Constitution and fraud on the
people and legislation of the United States,
and fraud upon posterity.
The National Convention Of steamboat
inspectors is in session here. They indorse
and recommend the adoption of Professor
Girards automatic alarm. 1t is a safeguard
against fire and register of the depth of
water in the holds Of vessels.
ARGUMENT BEFORE THE TEXAS PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD COMMITTEE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26-Argument on the
Texas Pacific Railway question was resum-
ed before the House committee on Pacific
Railways. Mr.. Storrs having finished his
statement of the legal points on which the
Southern Pacific, of California, desires the
right to build through to Ell Paso- Gov. j.
G.. Brown, Vice President of the Texas Paci-
| tic Road discussed fully the broad general
lquestions which had governed the policy of
the Government in aiding the construction
of commercial highways. In this connec-
ton, he argued that all the statesmen were
of the school of strict cOnstructiOnists and
with Calhoun at their head, had maintai ned
absolute power to extend this aid; and that
one of the inducements to the recognition of
the Gadsden treaty had been the acquisition
of territory through which ran the natural
route for a trans continental railway. He
maintained that by decision of the United
States Supreme Court, Congress had full
power to authorize the construction of
| bridges, and that the Southern Pacific,
of California, had no authority to bridge
the Colorado so as TO come eastward the
Texas and Pacific alone having that au
thOrity. He then discussed various bills
presented by Stephens, House, Chalmers
and Willis, and showed that they all favored
| tLp onnSirnptiOn 0f a oOmnatinO line he
tween the Mississippi river and the Pacific
ocean, differing only as to the branches to
be built from the terminus of the Texas
| Pacific to the river; also that none OF
| them permit single bond to be issued by
| the company except to represent the actual
cost which could not exceed $4,000 per
| mile; that the Texas Pacific had built al
| ready 445 miles of road without dollar of
aid from the Government, and that justice
required the extension OF the aid asked by
| it as the Union and Central Pacific Compa-
nieS received fitty-fOur millions dollars OF
bouds and fifty three millions acres of
| land the Northern Pacific forty-seven
millions acres of lands, and the Texas Pa
cific only eighteen million acres, no portion
of which could the latter receive until after
| it had built a thousand miles through the
State of Texas.
Mr. Thomas A. Scott, President of the
Texas Pacific, then briefly reviewed the
| grounds upon which Government aid was
asked and the advantages which the Gov
| ernment and the people would secure
through competing line. He showed that
with the present prices of labor and mate
rial, and the ability to market the bonds al
| par, which would be secured by Govern
| ment endorsement of the interest thereon
the whole amount of annual interest to be
paid out of the earnings of the line would
be less than twenty millions of dollars. he
further claimed that under the plan pro-
| posed the interest would be paid eacf
six months by the Texas Pacific Rail
way Company, while the sinking fune
would gradually redeem the principal ano
leave the road entirely without debt; ant
that under the power reserved TO the Gov
ernment to regulate the rates so as TO take
care of the actual capital. these rates woult
annually be reduced to the great benefit Of
the Government, and that the Goyernmen
alone would save 900 yearly BY th'
building of road more than the entIe I'D
terest on bonds if it never earned cent
He claimed that the Central Pacific had n
intention to build a line to compete 1t
, self, but merely offered to build roa
to prevent its construction, and that tn
Texas Pacific had spent $l6,OOo,0O0 L
good faith. and had it not been tor tn
panic of 1873 would have had the line nearl
completed by this time, and under the ale
proposed would complete it by the yea
| lSS2 Mr. Scott closed with a strong appea
: to the committee to look at the question no
s i'm the light of technlcalltleS, Dut on tn
broad ground of the interest of the Who'll
country, and expressed his conviction thu
every member of Congress who aided
securing this great highway on basis jui
to the people and in the interest of the Coy
J ernment as competing line between ii
) 1.-TWO oceans would in after years regard
: as-one of the proudest achievements of b
! political life. The Committee then adjourn
= ed until Tuesday morning, when the argl
. ments will be concluded.
WEATHER INDICATIONS.
: West Gulf States, cloudy weather vii
, rain areas, followed by clearing weathe
) warm southerly winds. veering to cold
Z Northwest winds and rising barometer,