The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-02-09
THE WASHINGTON WIRE.
Important Report on the Union Pa
cific Railroad.
Secretary whitney Orders Here's
hoff Torpedo Boat.
Coal Baron Scott Likely to Succeed
''Seven Mule" Barnun.

| WASHINGTON, Feb SIT Is stated In
| Democratic circles that Representative w.
| L. Scott Of Pennsylvania, Will probably De
selected to succeed ex-senator Barnum as
| chairman of the National Democratic Com
mittee. That body is to meet in this city on
the 22nd of March next, and it is expected
that Mr.. Scott will be formally selected as
| the keystone of the structure. The mem
| bers of the National Committee who are new
/ in the city will neither confirm nor deny the
rumor, but they appear exceedingly anxious
| that nothing shall be said about IL at tnls
| time One of the committeeman. without IN
| tending to commit himself on the suDlecI,
| remarked few days ago that nothing less
than miracle can prevent the renomlnatiSon
| of Cleveland, and in view OF that 1act MI.
/ Scott seemed to be just the man TO manage
| the Presidents campaign. He is probably
| on more familiar terms with the Presldeht
| than any other active member OF the party,
| and knows his wishes and desires on al
| leading issues of the day. 1t Is also pretty
well agreed among committeeman in this VI
| cinity that Chicago Is the most desirable CITY
| in which to hold the National Convention.
The Union Pacific.
The government directors of the Union
Pacific Railway, who are A. G. Haskell,
Frank Mac cVeagh, James W. Savage, Fred
erick R. Coudert and NJ. A. Hanna, have
submitted their annual report, of which the
following extract embodies the principal rec
concentrations:
at now seems to the government directors
that there can be no longer any reasonable
doubt as to the interest and duty OF the gov
ernment toward the Union Pacific Railroad,
and they beg to express the earnest hope
that no further delay will occur in passing a
settlement through Congress. We cannot
too strongly urge the great harm which delay
| is doing. both to the Union Pacific and to the
security of this government debt Every
consideration which we can believe is peril
| nent to this subject urge immediate settle
msnt. The plan presented by the report Oh
the commission contains some new features
| which strike the government directors Oh tne
| Union Pacific Company favOrably, and to
which they will call attention. The sugges-
| tion of mortgage to secure bonds to be CIV
/ en- by the company is fully endorsed. Here
| tOfore the lein of the government has been
purely statutory, and its enforcement has
| been subject to all the difficulties, uncertain
/ ties and Inconvenience inseparable TO liens
/ Of that character. 1t is for various reasons
| set out In the commissions report, desirable
| that there should be an ack acknowledgement in
| writing in the usual form by the company OF
| its Indebtedness to the government thus
placing the mortgage in the same position as
| regards tine enforcement Of its rights in
court of equity, as mortgages generally occu-
hy. There would be an advantage, also, In
| that feature of the plan which permits
the debtor company TO redeem It's
bonds in whole or in part so long as they
/ remain in the possession and under the con-
troll Of the United States. The provision OF
| the commissions plan which makes possible
| at the option of the government, some action
| against those persons who may nave tam,
| pered with the property OF the road, and
| thus diminished the security Of the govern
/ ment. is proper. To what extent any effort
| to have justice done after so long period,
may be be effectual, this board will not dis
| cuss. This question is one of Importance,
| and should be left for decision to the legal
| adviser of the government, II the time snail
i arrive when it may be placed before him. To
/ leave the company free to attend to its own
business, and as part OF TINS plan 70 a9ol-
| ish the Office of government director, and TO
| make the government in all respects an ordl
/ nary creditor, and the company an ordinary
| debtor, so long as the provisions OF the act
are carried ent, meets with tne approval ol
| the board, and has been prominent object
| in the plans hitherto recommended. With
| the security made practicable and increased;
| with the gradual reduction OF the debt, aud
with the provision for foreclosure constanl,y y
ready to act, the government can AFFORD 70
| let the stockholders conduct the analrs OF
| the property as other railroads are conducted,
| and especially in view OF the notorious 1act
that its present relation 10 the governhent Is
nothing short Of mischievous and destruct-
| i've.
The government directors did not propose
10 discuss at any length the plan submitted
by the minority report OF the commission,
the objective point of which is not so much
| the recovery Of the money due to the govern
| ment as the punishment of those who are
/ supposed to be guilty OF having unlaWtully
| diverted the property of the last company.
| Our business is with the Union Pacific
alone, and that company wishes to pay its
| debt to the government, and as we foresee
that the debt can be secured, our interest
lies with our duty in coniinlng ourselves 70
| the business considerations that are In
volyed. If. however, the government dl-
| rectors are at liberty to express any opinion
| as tothe desrability Of the course recommend
ed by the minority report, they 90 not ; nesi-
| with regret. Indeed, If this were the only
alternative it would, in our Judgment. be
better for the government to lose
every dollar Of its debt and execute
respectfully submitted that whatever
may have been the wrongs done by individu-
| ais in their dealings with the Union racine,
| such should be atoned for by those indiyidu-
ais themselves, and them only. To punish
| time in the past it may have been despolied
| by those who were bound in law and In con-
| science to protect 1t, does not appear to be
| logical method of enforcing justice, nor
such conception of justice as would increase
the respect Of the people for the law OF the
/ land"
In summing up their opinion Of the ad-
ministration of the Union Pacific Company
ministration of the Union Pacific Company
| since the spring of 1884 In our judgment,
it is fully and entirely exonerated from the
condemnation to be passed on the transac-
tions Of other roads and relating TO otner pc
| RODS"
That British Treaty.
| Mr.. Belmont, chairman of the House COM
mittee ON fareign relations, said to-day that
there was no clause in the British treaty as
sent to the Senate. permitting the extradi-
| tion of a citizen of the United States for any
political offense. If any such provision was
now under consideration, it must have been
| inserted as an amendment in the Senate
| There was no clause in the treaty as sub
mitted to the Senate which surrenders any
| right which the government has always up
held nor any provision which could be con-
| strued as permitting surrender on account
| Of political offences. 1t is reported that the
Senate, in secret session this afternoon. post
/ poned the further consideration OF the
! treaty until next December.
Chinese Must Stay Out.
| Congressman Belmont said today that the
negotiations which have been pending some
| time for the amicable settlement of the Chi
nese question were reaching completion. The
proposed treaty contained such notifications
| of existing treaties as would bring about the
complete exclusion of that class of emigrants
| to which the people Of the western coast OBJ
| jected. There was no disposition on the
part of the Chinese government to stand in
the way of such an agreement lie believed
there was a strong prospect that within
month we would have treaty. which would
effectually dispose of the question.
Notes.
Among the pensions, granted yesterday
l ,w,I faaw ss.k