The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-03-04
OUR NATIONAL HOUSE.
The Pacific Railroad Telegraph Riii Passed Asisr >
Long niscrssion-

WASHINGTON. March 3-The Speaker
pro tenn. laid before the House reports
from the First Comptroller and the Com
missioner of Customs upon claims arising
under the eight hour law.
Henry G. Seymour, successor to f. G.
Moffatt, of Michigan, deceased. appeared
before the bar of the House and took the
oath of office.
Mr.. Bacon, of New York, chairman OF
the Committee on Manufactures, offered
resolution authorizing the expenditure
of S., 900 by that committee in investi-
eating the subject of trusts. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Dibble, of South
Carolina, the bill was passed appropri-
ating $75, 5,Oo9 for the construction of a
revenue cutter for use at Charleston,
S. G.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Mr.. Dargan, of South Carolina, from
the Committee on Banking and Cur
| rency, reported the bill authorizing the
issue of fractional silver certificates. Re
ferred to the committee of the whole,
| Mr.. Grain, of Texas, from. the Com
| mittee on Election of President and
Vice President, reported back his joint
resolution proposing constitutional
amendments changing the time for the
commencement of the Presidential term
ald changing the date for the annual
Meeting of Congress. Placed on the
calendar.
PACIFIC RAILROAD TELEGRAPH BILL.
The House then resumed, as the special
order, the consideration of the Pacific
Railroad Telegraph bill.
MR.. WHITE IN OPPOSITION.
Mr.. White OF New York, took the
floor in opposition to the measure. He
thought that all remedial legislation
should make the punishment fit the
crime, and that before numbering up the
statutes with voluminous enactments,
legislators should assure themselves that
those enactments would have the de-
sired effect. He then proceeded with a
legal argument in which he contended
that under the terms of the contract
between the Union Pacific Company and
the Western Union Company vested
right had been created which could not,
under the decision of the Supreme Court
in the Union Pacific sinking fund case,
be interfered with by Congressional
action. Mr.. White said, in conclusion,
that he was here to protest against an
archie and comm unistic legislation
which would seek to legislate away the
property of man acquired honorably
and honestly under the forms of law.
MR.. syMEs FAvoRs 1T.
Mr.. Symes, of Colorado, said that the
| purpose of the bill was merely to COM
pei the subsidized railroads to comply
| with the conditions and provisions of
the grants creating them. The contracts
between the Union and Central Pacific
| Railroad Companies and the Western
| ab initio, and no lawyer in America
| knew it better than the gentleman from
New York. {White). They were at the
time they were made, and they still were
| indirect violations of express provisions
| of the statutes and grants creating the
| Pacific Railroad and Telegraph Compa-
nies, and were in violation of public pol
| icy and against public law. There were
numerous authorities to show that all
pooling contracts, with certain Iimita-
tions, were void, and no contract could
| te enforced if its conditions were against
| the general good. The contracts under
consideration had been made with the
object and intention of defeating every
substantial requirement of the grants.
| After Jay GOULD and his ring had con-
Quoted the Union Pacific as long as he
could make anything out of it, he had
walked off, leaving the company bank
rupted, and taking with him, among the
assets, the telegraphic lines, with which
ne levied discriminating tribute from
| II e people west of the Missouri River.
/ MR.. DoCKERY FOR THE BILL.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, said that
| under the granting acts the Pacific COM
panies We're required to construct not
only railroad lines but also telegraph
lines. Instead of doing so they had
obligations by contract with the Western
Union Telegraph Company, conferriRg
upon that company the exclusive right
of way along the railroad lines. The acts
of Congress requiring that the telegraph
lines along the Pacific railroads should
receive all business without discrimi-
nation, were nullified by this unlawful
contract with the Western Union Conn
pany. Upon these unlawful contracts
the gentleman from New York (White)
had erected superstructure of vested
right. The very language of the con-
tracts showed that the railroad COM
panies knew that they he'd no right to
| enter into them.
THE BILL PASSES.
Mr. White offered his substitute. which
/ was rejected without division and the
bill was passed. Yeas, 1877, nays. bliss,
Ketchum, Merriman and White, of New
/ York.
Mr.. Bland moved that the House ad-
| journ, and this motion being defeated,
t in ord;r to prevent requests for unani-
NOUS consent, he demanded the regular
| order
i The Speaker pro tenn announced ths
regular order to be the further consider
| alton of the bill to provide for the issue
of circulating notes to national banking
| associations, and as this was the bill
| which Bland has uniformly opposed.
laugh was raised against him that b.
should have unwittiugly brought it be
fore the House, but he accomplished hi