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

the passage OF the Thurman act was
$99,00O,OO0. The amount due last 3Oth of
June was sos, 100000, an increase of 3d.
100000 in one year. If the government
were to-day to take possession of this
property it would have to take it subject
to prior liens of $62,0O0.00O. The result
would be these roads would cost the gov
eminent S165, 100000. There was an i'm
preston abroad in this country that these
railroads did not intend to pay the debt
due the United States. He, Hewitt, con-
fessed he shared in that impression. He
did not believe they would be able to pay
it. There was but one barrier in the way
of the obligations of the people to take
these roads, and that was the operation
of the Thurman sinking fund act.
When that bill was passed
it was believed funds would be provided.
sufficient at least to iGuiGate the prior
debt, but IN the report of the commissioner
OF Pacific railroads there was statement
that when the debt Eatuced there would
be due the government 81 ,O00.0OO. Add
that to $62,O00,000 first mortgage bonds
and it would be still $133 100000, the min
imurn lien which would be on these roads
He had not been unobservant of the policy
| of these companies. They were securing
| other roads independent of their own roads,
| and he expected to see them abandoned,
and the people of the country would be.
brought face to face with the great CUES
ton OF administering and owning
the railroads. The proposition brought
before the house would diminish
the sinking fund by the amount of so per
cent. of the compensation now allowed for
carrying the mails, for that money went
| n 10 ink, fpnI
gress to do! Ought it diminish the means
provided for paying the government, or
ought these means be increased? The duty
of congress was plain. The Thurman act
has been held to be constitutional. Legis.
lation of the kind now propose6
would be held unconstitutional, and:
valuable time would be lost. IF;
the committee on appropriations would
amend this proposition by striking out the
provision that the company should take
one-half of the compensation, and insert in,
lieu thereof provision that they should!
pay into the sinking fund a sum equal to-
so per cent of the amount now allowed by
law, he would support it.
| Mr. Robson suggested this amounted to
| exactly the same thing.
| Mr.. Hewitt replied it did not. He
wanted to have remain in the sinking fund
every dollar which low went into it, in.
Guiding the so per cent which the GENTLE
man proposed to take out of it, and he.
would vote for proposition requiring
the companies to pay in addition sum-
| equal to so per cent of the amount they,
now got by law. In other words, he.
wanted to secure fund for payment of
the debt.
| Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, offered and adj
vocated an amendment providing the land
grant roads, as distinguished from. those.
which have also received bond subsidies,
shall be paid only so per cent. of the COM
pensation allowed other roads which have
not received government aid He con-
tended the decision of the supreme court
in the Union Pacific case did not decide,
but, on the contrary, carefully avoided de-
Gliding that congress coull not alter amend,
| modify or repeal original charters. TWAS
not hardship to require railroads which
had received imperial estates to transport
mails at less compensation than was paid
other corporations which had not received
such grants.
Mr.. Anderson, of Kansas, opposed the.
position taken by Mr.. Caswell, that the.
companies had vested right with which.
congress could not interfere. Where.
could it be shown that any company had a
vested right to determine what was fair
and reasonable compensation for carry
ing mails? He asserted that Pacific rail-
road received much higher compensa--
ton than other railroads, instancing the
Kansas Pacific, which received three times
the amount paid to other trunk lines, and
yet these magnificent companies actually
had the audacious, malicious, egregrious
cheek, impudence and devilism to come
to congress and say they must be paid
express rates, and Notwithstanding all that,
his friend Col. Robert Ingersoli was actual
~ in hurry to abolish hell. Laughter
Mr.. McLane, of Indiana. held it was en-
tirely in the power of the Pacific coast to-
so administer their affairs that there
would never be any safety for the govern,
ment except in the sinking fund.
Mr.. Caldwell-It would never do for the
government to place itself on line of re-
pudiation and say it would not stand man
fully by its contracts and set an example
for private persons everywhere.
Mr.. Hiscock, of New Yor|, approved
Mr.. Holman's amendment, but advocated
that offered by Mr.. Robson.
| Mr.. Robson said the object of the
amendment was to bring the compensation
gwen to the Pacific railroad dewn to the
compensation granted other roads. He
repudiated the idea that congress had no.
power to do so, and denied there was any
vested right in the company which availed
| to say their charters should not be-
amended.
/ Adjourned.