The Portland daily press., 1878-04-10
XLVth C0ngress-Regular Session.


sidered without action.
Mr. Morrill, reported from the fin ance com mittee
bill to repair and put in operation the mint at New
Mr. Morrill, said that in the opinion of the COM
mittee his would afford all the additional mint
facilities required.
Window, from the committee of conference on the
bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
employ temporary clerks, reported there was dAsa-
greement and Messrs. Window, Dorsey aud Beck
were appointed members OF new conference COM
mittee.
The Chair also appointed Messrs. Window, ALI
son and Eaton members of the conference COMMITTEES
ON the consular and diplomatic appropriation bin.
The Chair laid before the Senate number of
House bills including that to place the name OF Gen.
Gordon moved present action on this BILL
Edmunds objected. He would not single out
single individual to help the House out of its scrape
reported the general deficiency bill. Calendared.
At the expiration of the morning hour Senate
proceeded to consider the Pacific railroad funding
bill and Mr.. Edmunds spoke in support of the
judiciary bill.
Mr. Edmunds of Vermont addressed the Senate
the idea that because railroads had
proved of benefit in the United States they were
entitled to extraordinary consideration. he dis
scented entirely with Messrs. Matthews and Hill as to
words Of the act said snot less than per GENE ne
should be paid in Did not this coupled with the
reserved right to alter, amend or repeal imply
that more than per cent could be required to he
paid in. The provision for the payment of obIIga-
lions of corporations was purely an Administrative
act and required different application from timeSto
time as circumstances changed yet it was proposed
to tie the hands of this sovereign administratfya
power behind its back for % years. nearly entire
generations. He did not think the gentleman from
Maine would upon reflection think this entirely safe
mode of procedure. 1t might happen that the stock
should get into the hands of foreign holders who
might bedevil the roads and bring about state Of
things where there would be no net earnings the
interest Of the first mortgage bonds would not be
paid and all would go down in value. Yet the
Senat, from Maine in the innocence of his nature
supposing everybody honest as himself would fold
his hands and allow himself to be put in a bag and
placed in the custody Of the Union Pacific railroad.
referred to Jay Gould.
MT Edmunds said be had not referred to Jay
Gould or any other individual.
Mr.. Blaine insisted that he had made reference I'd
stock holder whoshad large quantity of the stock
and who was painted blacker than he really was
Mr.. Edmunds said there were many men who were
not so black as they were painted. There were
Senators who were not as black as they had been
painted in connection with stock. He had not in
duged In any personal references and rarely referred
TO individuals by name. Recurring to tie proposed
amendment Mr. Edmunds said it would cut off all
the net earnings which were due since the roads
were built There never had been a dollar paid in
or account OF net earnings although the companies
had been going or declaring large dividends and as
the present bill left the back accounts where they
tied up. He argued that the decision of Supreme
Court had simply defined what the law now was
and it had no bearing upon future legislation.
MIR. Blaine proposed to amend his amendment SO
as to remove every objection to it raised by the
Senator from Vermont by adding proviso that the
annual amount to be paid in addition to the net
be less Than $600000 and nothing herein contained
shall be construed so to waive any existing claim
OF the government against the roads.
MIR. Voorhees, advocated the amendment proposed
by Mr.. Blaine, and in his remarks asked Mr.. Thur
man he did not consider that the present bill made
the government secure against loss.
Mr.. Thurman replied he did not.
MI Voorhees, asked why then he did not perfect
such bill as would do SO.
MT Thurman said because he could not get such
Dill through this Senate.
Mr.. voorhees, went on to declare that he had in
the reconstruction and other acts of Congress seen
repeated disregard of constitutional regulations and
contended that the present bill went bevond the
constitutional limitation as to the right of contract
lie hoped the amendment OF the Senator from Maine
Woua pc adopted me scenes OF the past four weeks
about this capitol should not be repeated if it could
be avoided. If the bill was not acce otable then let
the Judiciary nittee do its work over again and
prepare bill that would be acceptable finally
Mr. Howe said one fact about these Companies was
That they were debtors to the United States in yery
large sums and the United States were interested
whether they were honest or dishonest in securing
payment of that Indebtedness. hundred millions
was not an over-estimate of what would be due the
United States In about % years. How was the pay
1t must be paid out of the annual earnings for the
property m0rtgaged to the government would never
pay it: The Union Pacific road could be built for
$lo, 0O0 900. How then could $lSO00,000 paw $780,
100000 with prior mortgage OF $27,OOO,000 on it?
fortunately the annual earnings are sufficient to
pay this and all other debts the companies have con-
tracted, enormous as they are. He did not care now
to consider what the reserved rights and the reserved
powers OF the government were. When the govern
ment says to these companies, we want you to Sc
cure us for the payment of these obligations, aud
tney say we will not, then it would be time to en-
force the reserved power then he would favor the
enforcement OF the payment of the whole debt in
Eaton said that under his obligations as senator
he could vote for neither of the bills proposed The
judiciary bill asserted power that did NOT belong to
the legislative branch of the government God forbid
that he should subscribe to the omnipotence of
Congress He considered the bill volative of the
CONSTITUTION de maintained that it was VIOLA
ton of the rights of contract expressly reserved in
the Constitution. Referring to the reputed siobby'
IN the interest of the roads, he said that senators had
not dared to charge that senators had been bribed
put they threw out the intimations and they were
taken up and magnifed by the press He commended
That the contract between the government and the
ROADS could only be changed by the consent of both
parties, and in conclusion declared ne was willing to
devote himself heart and sonl to bring about com-
promise between them.
Debate was continued by Messrs. Hill Sarcent
Howe and Allison, o''
At $50 motion to adjourn was made by Mr.. Pat
te1son, and resisted by Mr.. Thurman.
~ Inc yeas and nays were ordered and resulted yeas
29, nays So. 49,
:, Mr. Thurman then proceeded to close the debate.
ne .e sald tne Dill was not framed the idea en-
Draceu IN Mr. Blaine's amendment. He said that
Ine amendment proposed to make law that shou Id
stand LOT twenty long years. and it PROPOSED to 90
further and surrender the power to alter amend or
repeal. For many years the roads had sought this
surrender but this the first time that such pro-
POSITION had been made by Senator on this floor or
: representative in the House of Representatives
Ii the roads could obtain this surrender thew wouId
give much more than the sum named in the amend-
nent The reservation was put in the bill to retain
Tor the government the control over contracts with
Ihese corporations. Sooner than see it Abandoned
ne you'd see the bill sunk to tee depths of the sea-
md n 1e amendment OF MI Blaine was then voted on
, Y eas-Messrs: Allison, Barnum, Blaine Bruce.
ronoVer' Dennis Eaton, Ferry, Gordon, Hill, In.
atehe PaddocR Of p RDTda Ke0g
'eIs, spencer, Teller, and voorhees,.
Nays-Messrs Anthony, Armstro ng, Bailey. Bay-
o H Dsfk, o Sooth Burnside suteE Christancy
Lirginia, Edmunds, Garland, Grover, Hereford.
,GInnns S Keenan,, Lamar, McCreery Mcdonald
ac. emerson, Maxey. Merrimon, Morgan Oglesbv
'atterson. Randolp h SALISBURY. Thnrman, Wad,
eigh. Wallace, and Window.
MT. Ihufman's amendment providing for the en-
ary was then adopted, Messrs Sargent and Chaffse
tatlng it was evident that all amen iments to the
III were 20 be voted down. and Withdrew their re-
Inc question then required on the passage of the
Ill upon which the vote was yeas 40, nays 10, as fol-
Yeas-Messrs. Anthony, Armstrong. Bailev Raw
"a, Beck, Booth, Burnside, Butler, ChIistiancy,
ockrell, Coke, Davis of Illinois, Davis of w. Va
amqnds Enstis Garland, Grover, Harris, Here
lcCreery, Mcdonald, Mcpherson, Maxey, Merri.
ION, Morgan, Oglesby Patterson, PLUMP, Ransom.
INNS, SALISBURY, thurman, voorhees,, Wadejph,
iallace aud Windom-40.
Nsys-Messrs. Allison, Barnum, Blaine, Bruce.
9moyer, Dennis, Dorsey, Eaton, Ferry, Gordon |
III hellogg, Matthews, Mitchell, Paddock, Ran
Jpn, sargent, Saunders and Spencer-19,
20 motion OF Mr. McCreery the Senate took ND the
u repeating the bankrupt act, and pending its COM
Iteration at 40 adjourn I'd. 80 W.
HOUSE.
Mi Wright offered concurrent resolution propos.
9 an issue OF $4OO,000,G00 in U. S. notes 10 he |
loWn as national money. 1t recites at length the |
esent business disasters throughout the Country
"a directs the Issue of $500 o0o o. s. notes to be
gal tender Tor all debts. pubic aud private and to
emit. Referred FO''-"'o Ano-
Mr. Wright asked to have the resolution printed in
= record, but this was objected to by Mr.. Town
w, VINO SAID the workingmen could not afford to
y i9r printing stump speeches of the gentleman
I'm Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Buckner, chairman of the banking committee
ported Dill providing for the issuing Of $500 7S0
IN treasury notes for the retitement of national
nk notes, which are to be received in payment of
e-tnlrd OF custom duties Referred to the COM
ttee OF the whole,
MI. Durham from the conference committee on
I'LL I'LL Ior the employment of temporary clerks in
treasury, reported that the committee was not |
re 20 agree the only point of agreement being on
tor postal clerks. ~-V'
Mr. Bount Zone of the conferees) defended the ac-
" Vi Tue house conferees, and argued that the de-
iency grew out OF the postal car system which was
q OF Une hobbies of the PostOfica Dena rtmont an,