The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-16

one hundred cents. 10 gold, let the Treasury
have the benefit Of II. SIR. Maxey said be
would vote Tor the Bland bill, pure and
simple, which was in effect the same bin as
was passed by the first Congress after the
Iadoption OF The Constitution. Mr.. Lamar
said he would not obey instructions, and
Intended to vote against the silver-bilI. Mr.
Coke said he would vote for the bill with
out amendment except such as would help
to make silver equal to gold.
The discussion showed that majority Of
senator's had such a distrust Of Dir. sher-
man that they wanted no loop-hole left for
him to avoid carrying out the wishes Of
Congress. For example, Mr.. Ferry, Of
Michigan, said be did not want anything
left to the judgment Of the Secretary.
Up to five minutes to II o'clock tonight
the Senate had only adopted the amend.
ment fixing the amount of silver to be coin.
ed at from two to four millions monthly;
the Government to have the profit OF COIN.
age. The effect Of this was to adopt the
Bland bill, with free coinage stricken out.
Then, after much discussion, the vote was
taken on the Allison amendment for con.
ference OF nations to fix the ratio between
gold and silver, and 1t was adoptcd-ayes,'
40: noes, 80. Messrs. Merrimon, Morgan,
and Maxey opposed the amendment, be-
cause they wanted no entangllng alliance
with foreign nations:
Some of the senator's looked fatigued.
Johnston and Withers both voted Sc No."
Dir. Mcdonald moved as an amendment
that when there is not stipulation in
contract to the contrary silver shall be a
legal tender for all debts, SC.
Here Blaine played the high dramatic on
the question Of honor.
Kirkwood said the bondholders did not
know the law indeed! Why, they had as
much to do with making it as Congress
had. He was not willing to swindle the
people out of millions upon false notions OF
honor. s.sE..#
Mr.. Beck is advocating the amendment at
fifteen minutes to II O'Clock. -
THE POLK INVESTIGATIONS.
Mr.. Duffy and two colored employees of
the doorkeeper were examined to-day by
the Committee on the Reform Of the Civil
Service, and their testimony was damaging
to Colonel Polk. Ks. E
Associated Press Reports by telegraph to the Dis
patch.l
THE TExAS-PACIFIC RAILROAD.
WASHINGTON, February 15.-The argu-
mept before the Senate Committee on Rail-
roads on the Texas and Pacific question was
continued to-day by Major Bond, yice-pre-
sident of that company. He called special
attention to the twenty-five feet OF waterin
San Diego harbor in comparison with the
shallow waters OF San Pedro, which the
Southern Pacific, of California, proposes to
make the western terminus Of their road,
where everything has to be lightered. He
showed that the entire length on the 32d
parallel from the Mississippi to the Pacific
was but 1,76T mites, or $50 miles shorter
than the present line; and that the Gov
eminent and the public, while having
the advantage of this great reduction
in the haul, would also have the i'm
mense additional advantage OF having to
pay on but $64,000,000 OF capital as against
s251, 100000 on the present line. BE claimed
that in no way could the country be bcne-
flied by being compelled to use Mr.. Hunt
ington's present line from Fort Yuma to
San Francisco, as it alone was represented
by capital account Of S67, 100000, the in
terest on which might be paid by the traffic
passing over it, being more than the inter-
est on the entire Texas and Pacific line from
the Mississippi to San Diego. Major Bond
commended that the best evidence OF the
good faith of the Texas and Pacific Com
pany was its offer to place the entire control
of it's rates in Congress, not only on the line
to be constructed, but on the 450 miles al
ready built. He cited from the reports OF
the Central and Southern Pacific companies
to show that their main line to San Fran
cisco had been saddled with about 1000
miles OF subsidiary branches, so that the
1900 miles operated in that one interest was
represented by over $3.50, 100000, and on
this enormous sum the trans-continental
traffic OF the country was now required to pay
tribute. Major Bond also claimed that not
only was the Southern Pacific OF California
in default in not having built continuous
line between Yuma and San Francisco, but
that even the part Of the line it had built
was without authority OF law, that COM
pany having failed to comply with the re-
duirements Of California legislation, and
that until they had so complied with the
California statutes, and also with the acts OF
Congress, they were not In position to APP
pear before committee and assal the rights
of the Texas Pacific Company, whose good
faith could not be questioned. Major Bond
asserted that by thus evading the statutory
requirements they had Illegally obtained
possession of over seven millions OF acres OF
land which OF right to-day should be opened
to settlement, instead Of being practically
divided among four individuals. Major
Bond closed by reading kilograms from
California showing that the Southern Pa
clic had no material on hand to extend
their line east of Yuma, and claimed that
their floating Indebtedness was so heavy that
they had no funds or credit to build an adj
ditional line at this time. The argument
will be continued tomorrow.
NOMINATIONS.
The President has made the following
nominations Bayard Taylor as Minister to
Germany; John Baker, OF Illinois, as Min
lister to Venezuela; William e. Goodloe, OF
Kentucky, as Minister to Belgium.
CABINET-MEETING.
At the meeting of the Cabinet to-day no
allusion was made to Louisiana matters.
XLyTH CONGRESSIONAL Session.
WAsn1SGroN, February Is, 1878.
SENATE.
A vote will be forced tonight on the sill
yer-bill, There are various amendments
pending, which will by routine prolong the
proceedings to nearly dawn, and the proba-
BILE adoption of some of which will carry
the bill back to the House. In the course
of the debate Colonel Lamar, OF Mississippi,
said:
"Mr. President,-Having already ex-