Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-20

mittee on public lands, reported bill to |
repeal the laws allowing the presumption |
OF public land. Referred.
Mr.. Scales, of North Carolina, offered
resolution directing the committee Of ways
and means to inquire into the expediency
of so amending the internal revenue laws,
as to not only abolish the tax on tobacco,
but also on all braRdies made of apples,
peaches and grapes, and reduce the tax on
whisky to so cents per gallon, and further
to inquire into the propriety of abolishing
the present complicated, expensive and
odious system of collecting tax. Referred.
Mr. Neal Of Ohio offered a resolution
lnstructlng the Garfield board of audit to
report to the hnuse d schedule of all
claims presented to and allowed by it.
Adopted.
Mr.. Anderson of Kansas offered reso-
luton calling on the secretary of the inte-
rior for information respecting the with
drawal of lands in favor of the Leaven-
| worth, Pawnes d Western Railroad COM
| pany. Referred.
| The house then went into committee of
| the whole, Mr. CaIkins of Indiana in the
| chair. on the postofice appropriation bill,
| the pending amendment being that offered
| by Mr.. Robson of New Jersey providing
| that railroad companies which have receiv-
ed bond subsidies in addition to grants of
| public lands shall receive as com ensation
for carrying mails so per cent. of the amount
now allowed them by law for that service.
Mr.. Robson explained his amendment
was intended as an amendment to the
charter of these railroads declaring the
legislative intention. It did not reduce
the compensation largely. It reduced it
only to so per cent, and when that reduc-
ton was made those roads would still have
more compensation than any other rail-
roads in the country. This legislation was
necessary in order that the question of
whether congress has or has not control
over this matter, would be brought fairly
to the test of judicial decision, and settled
for the present and future.
Mr.. Caswell, of Wisconsin, opposed
the amendment as being in con-
fict with the rights which the
same railroads aimed at had obtained
Congress could not invade vested rights.
He would not talk about the merits of the
question, but he would not give his con-
sent to proposition, which he conceived
to he plain violation Of the rights of q
corporation. If this amendment should
be adopted, it would fall short of the Dur
pose intended by its author. It would not
affect the Union Pacific or Central Pacific
in the slightest degree, and these were the
two great corporations at which it was
aimed, but would be effectual as to all
other smaller land grant roads which had
a hard time of it already.
Mr.. Robson stated his proposition af-
fected no roads except those which had
received bonds in addition to land grants.
MIR. Caswell replied he SO understood it,
but that it would be Intellectual as to the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific, because
they had vested rights, which could not be
AIKEN away or invaded by this house. The
gus ton had arisen whether the compensa-
ton Of these railroads was governed by
the postal laws that governed other rail.
roads, and the supreme court had held
that the several statute did not apply to
the Union Pacific Railroad company,
because there was provision in its charter
that 1t should have fair and reasonable
rates. At the present time there was no
liked rate allowed the Union Pacific or
Central Pacific for carrying mails. There
was suEclent confusion now existing be-
tween these companies and the postoffice
department, butt the amendment should
be adopted confusion would be piled upon
1
was 80 per cent. of an unknown quantity.
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, opposed the
amendment. Here was a proclamation
which sought to insert into the charters of
these companies condition subsequent,
and the authority for making
this new condition was claimed to
be right to alter amendment and
repeal the original acts. In the charters of
the companies there was q nrovisiop fbo+
the rates to be paid would be fair and
reasonable. The right to alter and amend
Charters was reserved in remarkable Ian
guages: "And the better to accomplish
the obligations of this act, congress NAV
at any time with due regard for the rights
| OF said companies, alter, amend or repeal
this act" He had never seen a clause in
any charter in which that peculiar Ian
guage was inserted, having due regard to
the rights of said companies Was congress
prepared to begin the work of confiscatin0
private property, which, when once ap-
proved by the vote of the house would
proceed with fearful strides until it
ended in its logical result. commun-
ism. The Pacific railroads pay for carry
ing mails last year was $739.OGO: so Der
| cent OF that amounted to about $4,000
1t the government wanted to get any com
peHsatlOn for its immense grants of land
and bonds, 100000 was scarcely worth
while considering. Let it take the whole
S739,OOO, and put it into the treasury as
some compensation to the government for
the great loss which certainly awarded it
when the bonds matured. The amount
Cue the government Immediately after
-