Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-03-15
Latest Eastern News.
C0NGREsaEOS sf..

the navy was called up and Sargent
opposed its passage, saying it was
the first instance of an attempt to
give a pension to person already
receiving $4,000 year on the re-
tired list of the navy and rendering
no service therefor.
Pending discussion the morning
hour expired and the bill was laid
aside.
Mitchell submitted a resolution
calling upon the Secretary of the
Treasury for copy of the report ol
J. II. Evans relative to the claims
of laborers and the men who fur
nished material arising out OF the
construction of the Revenue Gutter
Corwin, recently built at Abina,
Oregon, together with such recon-
mendations as he may deem advis.
able in reference to the payment of
such claims. Agreed to.
Matthews explained the bill re-
portei by the Railroad Committee
1t did not embody the propositions
urged by the railroad companies
but was based on the consent of the
parties contracting. 1t differed
from the Judiciary Committees
bill in that it proposed to alter a
contract by contract, while the
other was merely an act of power
and nothing else. 1t would put an
end to litigation and make a final
settlement, which the other-the
Judiciary bill-did not pretend to
do. 1t allowed six per cent. while
the Judiciary bill allowed five on the
accumulations of the sinking fund.
He argued that the bill of the Judi
ciary Committee, instead of col
Letting a sinking fund for the sole
and exclusive use of the Govern
ment in order to extinguish the
claim,of the United States against
these Companies, is carefully col
lected a sinking fund in respect to
which the United States would
have no lien whatever, except sub
ject to the prior lien of the first
mortgage bondholder of the road.
The amount Of money required for
the sinking fund must be paid by
passengers and those doing busi-
ness over the roads. 1t was tax
levied by Congress upon the COM
merce of the country transported
over these roads. Suppose the tax
be made burdensome, the compan-
les must increase their charges.
Would that be good policy? Would
it be for the good of the public or
benefit the government? The bill
of the Judiciary Committee was an
of the rights of property
and contracts. He quoted from
many legal authorities in support
of his views. The bill of the Judi
ciary Committee declared what the
net earnings of the railroads should
be. Congress had no more right to
declare what should be the net
earnings than it had to confiscate
them.
Pending discussion Gordon, by
request, Introduced a bill TO author
izs the construction OF a narrow
gauge railroad from Bismarck to
the Black Hills Referred.
The Consular and diplomatic Rp-
propriation bill YVES then received
from the House Of Representatives
and referred to The Committee Oh
Appropriations A
The Nice-PresidRnt nnnDuneed
that he had affixed bis signature TO
the House bill for the relief 0f
VIM. A. Hammond, late Surgeon
General of the army. II now goes
to the President for his signature.
Christiancy claimed the floor to
speak Monday on the sinking fund
bill and the Senate adjourned till
that day.
Afier the inu breakers.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-Col-
lector Brayton, at Greenville, s. c.,
to the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue that he has or
ganized force OF thirty men who
are now on their way to Pickens
Court House. Redmond, with
thirty men, followed Captain Hoff-
mans force of eight men all day
Tuesday. They being powerless to
contend with Redmond's gang, they
to Easty, where they are
waiting for endorsements. Red
mond has ordered citizens at their
peril not to furnish food or shelter
to revenue officers. Warrants will
be procured for the Jail breakers
and other revenue culprits. They
will either be captured or become
fugitives.
Bchurz on the Timber Debate.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-Sec.
retary Schurz, on being asked
what he thought of yesterdays de-
bate in the Senate upon the prose-
cution Of the timber depredators in
Montana, said: Some Senators at
tackled the Interior Department for
doing the thing it has not done and
scarcely mentioned the thing it has
really done. We are arraigned fol
having pelsecuted settlers and
miners who wanted a little wood
and timber for their stores and
mines, while we really had only
prosecuted Spectators who had
deprecated upon the public land:
on large scale for the sake of per-
sonal profit.
COnsnis Nomina,ed-aew Dollars
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14th.-The
President has nominated as United
States Consuls Thos. Nj. Dawson, oil
California, at Apia; G. w. Roose-
welt, Of Pennsylvania, at Auckland
Postmaster, d. Slatterlee, Dunlap
Iowa.
Ten thousand new dollars wer,
received at the Treasury to-day
and three thousand paid out foI
gold.
The COas1 Timber LANDS.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-In th,
Senate to day Sargent introduced
bill for the sale of timber lands il
California, Oregon and Washing
ton Territory. Referred to the
Committee on Public Lands.