The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-21
PROCEEDINGS Ii CONGRESS-.
The Senate Trying TO Eyade Railroad
Legislation By Establishing n
Useless Commission.
The Indian Question Debated by
the House In Committee Of
the Whole.
THE FORrY.EIGHTH CONGRESS.
The Senate.

The Senate.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 20.-A Senate bill was
passed authorizing the National Bank OF
Bloomington, ILL.,, to change its name.
A resolution was agreed to authorizing the
Committee on transportation Routes to the
Eeaboard to sit during the session for the
purpose Of securing further statistical in
formation in regard to the cost OF Transports
fion, etc.
After dispcsing of several matters the SEN
ate resumed consideration Of the Interstate
Commerce bill. The House bill. the Reagan
bill," so called, having been already in the
Senate read twice by title and placed the
calendar, was now taken from the calendar
and read in full.
The question before the Senate was on the
motion of Mr.. Cullom heretofore made to
strike out all after the enscting clause in the
House bill and insert instead the several
provisions of the Commission bill, already
debated and agreed to in the Senate. The
latter bill was now also read in full.
Mr.. Beck said the House bill approached
the question directly. and did not approach
It through means OF doubtful constitutional.
ity: The railroads, he eaid, and the best
trained attorneys could not place the subject
matter OF the bill In position more fsvora-
bic for themselves If they tried than was
done by the Senate in agreeing to q Commits.
zion bill. The Senate knew the House would
never agree to Commission bill. Senators
were simply trying to give the railroads an
other chance by giving them q commission,
against which the railroads could urge in the
courts the ground OF unconstitutionality.
That ground had not 10 be controverted in
the Senate, since it had been so ably stated
by the Senator from Arkansas (GarlaBd) As
IL was absolutely certain the House
would net accept such q bill, what was the
use Of evsding the question OF railroad regu.
lation in the way in which the Senate was
now doing? The Senate would simply be
pretending TO do something while taking
Gaze not TO do anything. The railroads had
n one period OF sixteen months given the
STANDARD OIL Company rebates amounting 10
$l6000,000. Such discrimination showed
the necessity fer interference on behalf of
the people.
Mr. Beck moved to amend the House bill
by striking out from the first section the pro-
visions regarding determinations in psssen-
ger accommodation and discrimination on
account of color. This would leave the bill.
he said, in the condition in which IL had
been originally brought into the House by
Reagan. Mr.. Beck said be would also move
TO amend the House bill 30 as to prohibit
railroads from charging more for carrying
freiah's over part OF their line than the
charge for carrying them over the whole
length Of the line. II railroads were COM
mon carriers, all persons along their lines
Beck said, ought to be treated with common
fairness. The companies should not be al
lowed to extort from the people along the
line what thsy lose by gambling in freights
tax on exports was unconstitu-
tionai, and Congress could not impose
one, yet the railroads could substantially
impose such tax by their discriminating
rates. The question was whether Congress
would have the courage to declare to the
Iailrosds what Congress knew the people
wanted the railroads 10 know. Unless the
railroad companies were checked they would
very soon control both Houses Of Congress.
IL q proper law were first passed Mr.. Beck
WOULD then favor q commission, not to legis-
late bet to investigate and report.
Mr. Maxey recognized the great sdvan-
tsges conferred on society by railroads, and
had no prejudice against them. He had
never owned q railroad bond or a share
Of stock in his life. The question
haad. whether we should have a commits.
sion to supervise the railroads, or, on the
other hand, should pass laws for their regu-
lstion. and leave all the infraction of laws
10 be dealt with by the courts? With re-
gard to the constitutional right OF Congress
in the premises and he was as strict State
rights man as anv OF them and recognized
that Congress had such rights, but he was
opposed 70 the proposed commission, and
with regard TO the House bill Mr.. Maxey
thought any measure of railroad regulation
must necessarily be tentative. The power
and wealth of railroad men we're increasing
dangerously fast. Almost every railroad in
Texas was under the control Of Jay Gould.
As between the House and Senate bill Mr..
Msxey favored the House bill, believing the
Commission bill would do no good.
Mr. Coke rose to address the Senate on the
bill, but yielded to q motion to go into
executive session.
A message from the President was laid be.
fore the Senate, transmitting the increasing
relative foreign commerce of Mexico, Gen.
trai and South America, the Spanish, West
Indies. Hsyti and San Domingo, and the
shsre OF the United States therein.
Mr. Voorhees, introduced q bill to increase
the limit of the appropriation for the public
bailding at Terre II auto to 500, 900. sss.S
fsa~ iva <oofn I'D, uoI