The New York herald., 1879-02-15

concerning what Or. Green said yesterday desire
say yesterday that aside from any contracts the
Western Union had with any railroad company. as
oelevs .hey nave wth nearly ALL no raisSsa .,st
more and Ohio Railroad Company may have some.
which mostly belong to the Western Union. Now
do not suppose for the purpose of defeating leg
islation before appropriation committee officer
Of corporation ike the Western Union Company
TO DE accepted for the purpose OF misleading the
committee. l have had the greatest respect always
was talking about, and do NOT think he would have
stated under oath what was not correct.
In the Forty Congress. second session. House
OF Representatives. find that in report it OF the
special committee of which Hon. c. @. washburne
was chairman. page lO4. Mr. William orton;
that certain press contracts Of theirs then existing
tanned clause that they will not in any way encour-
age or support any opposition or competing tele,
graph company On page lis. in regard to railroad
telegraph lines Mr. Orton said Probably for every
mile OF telegraph built by us mile is built at the
cost of the railway company.
On page 124 Mr. Orton says of the railways
fhey have special wires in some cases, and have an
far it be used for the convenience of the rail
way and yet all of its revenues from commercial
business SAGE, sccrne to the telegraph T company; w.rs
December. 1872. by direction OF Mr.. William Orton
upon the relation of the government to the tele-
the great development OF the telegraph since 1866.
that there has been expended some $120O.OOO. OF
which the Western Union had spent $5.ooo.ooO and
the railway $2500.000."
Before the Committee on Appropriations of the
Forty-second Congress- third session. House of Rep
resentatives, Miscellaneous Document No. 49, at
meeting held December II, 1872, Mr.. Orton said, in
reference to proposed increase of $4,000 miles OF
wire:"In the erection of 5000 miles of new tele-
graph wire it is probable that from onethrd to one
half of the total cost would be contributed by rail
road companies. We are building good deal'ot line
every year. at the cost Of our company of only the
wire. insnlators and instruments. the poles being
provided and all the labor performed except that of
competent foreman, by the railroad companies
Mr. CHAIRMAN-The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany owns line of poles from New York to Chicago
via Columbus. Ohio; from Philadelphia to Erie Pa.
the entire length of the State: from Washington to
Canandaigua, n. Y. the Northern Central Rail
way. and. think. owns its own line to Cincinnati
and ST. Louis.
The lines of all the Pacific roads, aided chartered
by Congress. own their own telegraph lines. and by
their charters themselves are telegraph companies.
and compelled to operate their telegraph lines for
public business in the their railways.
Inc acts OF lsG2 ana 1854 actually provide penalty
yet, practically the Western Union to-day claims to
control them by direct contract or lease.
During the remarks of Mr.. Reif the following
questions outside Of his written remarks were pro-
pounded and answered by him:-
Mr.. TELLER-Do you say that any company can go
to work and build a line where they choose? A.
Yes sir. The difference is. however. that the act
provides for telegraph companies technically.
Q. Suppose the company is organized as the Denver
Pacific Railway Telegraph Company; can such COM
pany go to work and build line Of telegraph? A.
Yes, sir the question is simply to whether
railroad company organized such and doing
tclegrsphic business for themselves has the right
There are some twelve hundred railroads in this
country, each one of which could tomorrow file an
act OF incorporation. and there would still be doubts
as to certain Questions involving the right Of way.
Mr.. TEILER-They declared that any telegraph
company may go over anybody's road. While do
not think this is very good law still it ia right
Mr.. RIEFF-We have spent $500,000 in developing
teegraphic improvements. which desire to unite
with the railroad companies in producing re-
suits. We had a line which we operated two
years between New York and Washington, over
which we sent twenty words for twenty five
cents and undertook to make an alliance with the
Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company by which we
hoped to establish and form successful opposition
to the Western Union Company. Circumstances
made that concern very formidable. hat concern
was not broken down by the Western Union Com
pany. as all previous opposition had been. but it be-
sariy absorbed it. think this act of Congress will
furnish some rights about which the Western
Union is only interested IN raising questions. The
intent Of that act of 1866 to make it Of wide-
spread application 1t does not take any money from
anybody; it does not deprive the Western Union Of
any right. If the Western Union controls all this
property, of course, it cannot to by any
Tangement. If the railroads have desire to create
facilities of course harm come to the Western
Union. The contract under the of 1906 the West.
ern Union considered had its advantages. All ask
is that shall be bound by the advantages which ac-
cred to the government under the act and that they
shall not their power to prevent telegraph faci
Elsewhere they may be successfully extended.
A CoLoRED SENATOR IN THE VICE PRESIDENTS
CMMR-pRoaREss OF AMERICAN CIvIIIzA-
T1oN.
In tho Senate to-day, during the debate on the Anti
Chinese bill, Senator Bruce. the colored Senator,
from Mississippi occupedthe Vice Presidents chair.
IL being the first time that colored member OF this
body has been called upon to preside over the do
liberstons Of the Senate. While in the chair Senator
Thurman made vigorous speech in support Of the
bill. and the vehemence with which he uttered his
sentiments was commented upon by number
of the Senators. who quietly discussed the
progress Of American civilization in the
cloak rooms adjoining the Senate Chamber. II was
remarked that it was extraordinary chapter in
American history that colored senator should pre-
side the Senate while of the leading demo-
cratic members Of that body opposing the immi-
grafton of Mongolians to shores. During the
Fortythi Congress Speaker Blaine called Congress
Rainey. of South Carolina. to the chair and he
was the FIRST colored Representative who occupied
,he Speakers chair While he presiding Con-
gresham Parker. Of Missouri, now United States
District Judge of Arkansas, addressed the House
the necessity OF making the American Indians cti-
of this country. which suggested to the London
Times the Importance of Congress preserving this
event historical painting. best illustrating tho
progress of American civilization since the rebellion
THE CATTLE PLAGUE INVESTIGATION.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture called for
to-day did not meet, and the chairman has issued
summons to the members to meet Monday when
the investigation into the prevalence OF pleuro-
pneumonia among horned cattle in the United States
will be commenced The Commissioner of Agri-
culture sent to the committee to-day every letter,
telegram and document bearing upon recent investi
cations Of the subject These will be printed for the
information Of the committee.
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GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.