New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-02

made entirely without authority. 4 WAS III NtW-
York on Monday and called on ex-1reasurer Jor-
dan purely as an s0t of courtesy My vlsit 10
him may have been the foundation Tor the rumor
CONGRESS AND TIE EXPRESS COMPANIES.
ARGUMENTS BEFORE SENATE Committees THE
INTERSTATE LAW coNsTITuTIoNALi
WAsuINGToN Feb. tSpccaD.-Thc Senate
Committee on Interstate Commerce to-day heard
arguments by counsel against the proposed amend
ments to include express companies within the
provisions Of the law to regulate interstate com
mercc. Clarence A. Seward appeared for the
Adams Express Company, and Theodore NJ Pome-
roy. of Auburn n Y, for the American Express
Company Mr. Seward stated that the debates
and investigations which preceded the enactment
of the Interstate law and which extended over n
period of more than two years, elected no COM
plants against any express company, ana thap
since the passage of the act no complaint Affecting
the express company had been made before the
Commission. The inquiry suggested as TO whether
the act was applicable to express companies was
resolved in the negative by the Commission.
That resolution was communicated to Congress
But it is to be Observed said Mr.. Seward that
the Commission RETAINED from soliciting Congress
so to amend the act as to embrace express com
pancs The opinion OF the Commission is simply
that if Congress intends to embrace the express
companies, it should say so III language when
cannot be misunderstood.
Mr. Seward remarked that certain provisions
Of the original act and of the proposed amend,
ments will not sustain or survive 3udiclaI
scrutiny" After an enumeration OF elghteen
new crimes" created by the original act ana tie
proposed amendments. Mr.. Seward stated that
there was four or five express companies IN the
United States; some Of which do purely Local ncil
business by horses and wagons, some purely
local business by steamboats, and railways and
some an interstate business OF limited extent.
Many horse and wagon express companies 5elong
30 fhn p1 oil Tho
to the transportation of goods or passengers oy
railroad, or partly by rail and partly by water
interstate carriage, whereas the proposed amendmcn
brings within the act " all express companies and
all their business irrespective of whethera railway
is used, or steamboat is used or horse and
business is purely local and not interstate"
Mr.. Seward submitted that sections and
proposed amendments to Sections 3, 6. Q. IA and
IL Of that act are unconstitutional and void
lie maintained, also, that the requirement. OF inc
amendment to Section 6. " is unreasonable as well
as illegal" 1t requires every express company
to print and keep open for public inspection IN
each of its Offices where freight is received LOT
transportation between all places in which they
do business. Mr.. Seward said that the Adams
freight at or for some $4,000 different stations;
that to print 10, 900 copies OF ITS tariffs which
should comply with the, provisions OF the pro-
posed amendment would require it to print n
tariff containing IA OO0 900 lines. representing
places of shipment destination and rate Of charge.
To do this Mr.. Seward declared would involve his
company in financial destruction and he read
a letter in support of his stationery from promi-
nent mercantile printer Of Ncw-YorlS City, who
respect to the printing of the tariff would require
for 1900 offices 2S,S0000 volumes OF 300
pages each, inches by p inches % S the aggregate
cost of which would be $50, 060, 600.
These figures seemed to stagger the members
OF the Senate Committee.
Mr. Pomeroy maintained that Congress went to
the extent of its legitimate power in the Inter
state law He went on to show, why the inde-
pendent express companies as he termed the
American Adams and Gther to disnsnSh them
Germs. and should not be placed under the inter
w w. Mcfarland will be heard tomorrow in
behalf Of the United States Express COMPANY,
and Mr. Isham of Chicago will follow with an
argument in behalf of the Pullman Car Company.
RIDDLEBERGER on TIE OFFENSIVE.
HE BATTLES sINGLE-xANDEp IN THE SENATE FOR
OPEN DEBATE ON A TREATY.
WASHINGTON, Feb Special. Senator Riddle
berger is nothing if not persistent Yesterday he
presented "a resolution which has for its object
the discussion of the pending extradition treaty
between this country and Great Britain with open
doors Under the rules Of the Senate it went over
until to-day At the conclusion OF the morning
business to-day several Senators were up on Their
feet camoring for recognition: MIR. Mddleberger
insisted upon the regular order which brought
that resolution to change the Senate rules so
as to allow the consideration of the British extra
dition treaty in open session was entitled to
precedence but the chair ruled against him and
Mr. Call Of Florida, thereupon took , the moor
touching the appointment Of receivers Of railroads
Before he had finished Mr.. Riddleberger returned
to the attack. 1t was two o'clock when the Edu-
order. Mr. Blair agreed to yield the floor to
Mr.. Cali until he finished. Mr. Riddleberger
wanted to know how long the gentleman from
vouchsafed him. and Mr. Call proceeded, At the
the floor to speak on the Educational bill Again
Mr.. Riddeberger claimed the floor, and called for
the consideration of his resolution. The chair
decided that Mr.. Pugh was entitled to the floor.
Mr. Riddleberger appealed from the decision OF
the chair and wanted to know whether the motion
was debatable
He was Informed that 1t was not.
Mr. Riddleberger replied that this was not
Senate II it's members could he so choked of. He
claimed the right to talk and called for the reading
Of the rule, but the chair simply put the appeal
from f, his decision that Mr. Pugh was and Mr;
Senate, of course sustained the chair, Mr. Riddle
berger alone voting in the negative.
AS Mr.. Pugh began speaking Mr.. Riddlebergcr
put away his law books and papers and left the
chamber He declares that he will renew the at
tempt tomorrow.
CAPTAIN BUNCES THEORY REFUTED.
THE ACCIDENT TO THE ATLANTA PROVED HER TO
BE A sTANCH VESSEL.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1.-Information has been
received at the Navy Department in regard to the
Atlanta, now In the New-York dry-dock, TO the
effect that an examination Of her bottom showed
that while few of the plates on the starboard
side had been mashed and denied by her recent
accident in touching bottom of Management
Pier, not a single rivet had been started IL Is
evident that she ran on the rocks and was
severely shaken up. The concrete coating, was
shattered and the propeller badly damaged. a
piece fourteen inches long was broken of one OF
the screw blades, and two of the other blades
were cracked and bent, 1t is said that tho ex-
animation upsets the theory Of Captain Bunca,
her commanding officer that she only touched
on the sand, and also shows the vessel to be Of
excellent structural strength. The Secretary OF
the Navy has received a telegram from Rear-hh
miral Gherardi, Commandant Of the Brooklyn
Va follows