The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-14
What has Become of 1t!


When the Beck bill to prohibit members
of congress from acting as attorneys of land
grant railroads was. at the urgent desire of
Mr.. Edmunds, referred to the judiciary
committee, Mr.. Edmunds, if we remember
Alright, promised that it should be reported
back. Since then considerable time has
elapsed and all that has been heard from
the bill has been statement by Mr.. Ed
munds that the committee had been unable to
agree upon the bill, but that he was hopeful
that they would be able to recommend some
satisfactory proposition. 1t would be UNI
pleasant to suspect Mr.. Edmunds or the COM
mittee of any purpose to smother this bill
especially after the distinct understanding
that If the senate would reconsider its ac-
ton and send the bill to the committee il
should be reported back. But there is no
concealing the fact that there is a very gem
eral interest to know what has become of
the bill and what the committee proposes to
do about it. We are near the closing
days of the session, when there will be a
strong pressure of business. The pension
vetoes, the appropriation bills and other i'm
portant matters wait to be disposed Of Mean
while the extreme heat suggests the mpor-
lance of closing the session as early as posi-
BILE. Is the Beck bill to be quietly kept back
in committee, under the plea of this pres
sure of business, or under no plea at all?
We beg leave to suggest that the commit
tee will make a serious mistake if il adopts
this policy, and that the construction which
will inevitably be placed upon its act will
be such as can hardly be pleasing to Mr..
Edmunds and his associates. This bill has
not been forgotten by the public. Its pur-
pose has been highly approved of, without
reference to politics, if any politics are in
legislator who has a personal pecuniary
interest in question ought not to vote
upon that question. 1t is simply a truism
to say that senator or representative who
holds in his pocket retainer of corpora
ton cannot act impartially, or with a sole
regard to the public good, when the inter-
ests of the corporation are involved in legis-
lation. 1t is an open secret that the large
ices which some corporations find it worth
while to pay to members of congress for
some slight legal service are not determined
solely by the consideration of the eminent
legal abilities of the congressional lawyers,
but by the further fact that they are in a po-
sition where their influence may be useful.
1t is no insult to the senate or the house to in
sist that the way should be closed to sus-
picions of interest and favortism in this
direction. The Beck bill, or some similar
bill, should be passed, and by its passage the
position of congressman and senators would
be dignified and improved.
THE BILL TO BE REPORTED.
The senate committee on the judiciary
Monday morning agreed to report back the
railroad attorney bill, majority of the
committee consenting to favorable report
The bill has been materially amended in
the committee. Under its provisions con-
gressmen may become attorneys for subsi-
died or land-grant roads in suits between
one company and another or between a
company and an individual, but are prohib.
TIED from serving as attorneys in cases in
which the government has an interest. The
prohibition is extended to other than rail.
road interests, so that congressman may
not serve any corporation as an attorney
whose interests are, or may become, the sub
iect of congressional legislation. The mem
bers of the judiciary committee are Ed
munds (chairman), ingalls,, Mcmillan
Hoar, Wilson of Iowa, Evarts, Pugh, Coke
and Vest. 1t is not stated how they voted
individually, on the question