St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-10
REMEDYING DEFECTS.
The Bill Amending the Interstate
Commerce Law Adopted by the
Senate.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, July 9.-The passage
of the senate bill amending the inter-
state commerce law was the chief
feature of to-day'S proceedings in the
senate. MI. Stewart speaking to mo-
ton to refer the vetoed pension bill to
the committee on pensions attacked and
severely censured the president for
vetoing SO many private pension bills.
The presidents action, he thought, was
unreasonable, and he doubted if the
necessity was so great as to justify the
executive in assuming legislative power
so frequently. Mr.. Vest defended the
president. Mr.. Stewards proposition,
he said, was monStrouS, and the preSi-
dent was as much required to Scrutinize
the smallest pension bill and give it his
approval or return it without his ap-
proval as he was to examine and act
upon the largest appropriation bill. Mr..
CullOm called up the pension bill to
amend the interstate commerce law.
The important changes in the existing
law proposed by the bill are: Requiring
reductions in published rates, fares or
charges to be made only after three
days previous public notice; prohibit
ing advances in joint rates, fares and
charges shown upon joint tariffs except
after ten days notice to the commission;
adding Imprisonment to the penalty
provided for violation of the law as to
unlawful discrimination in rates; MAX
ing false billing, false classification,
false weighing, etc, misdemeanor
punishable by fine not exceeding
$1,000 and Imprisonment not exceeding
two years for each offenSe making pay
ment of any consideration to induce un-
just discrimination misdemeanOr SUBJ
ject to similar penalty. Nr. Reagan
offered an amendment, which was
agreed to, giving the United States cir
cult and district courts jurisdiction of
violations of any provisions of the law
upon the relation of any person or firm,
with power to issue peremptory writ
of mandamuS. In the course of the de-
bate Mr.. Reagan intimated that the
interstate commerce commission had
shown too much of vacillating dis
position in dealing with railroad COM
panies, and Mr.. Wilson criticised the
commission for constituting the law to
the advantage of the roads.
Mr.. George said the law prevented
discrimination between 100000 ship
perS who
COULD PROTECT THEMSELVES,
but unless it went step farther and
provided that the small shipper, the
man of small capital, should have serv-
ice pro rata per barrel or pound. at the
same rate exactly as the large capitalist,
congress would have failed to do its
duty. After further debate Mr.. Cullom
promised to have the question thor
Oughly considered at the next session of
congress. Mr.. Mcpherson said that
since the enactment of the in
ter-state commerce law the railroad
companies had received Is per cent
more per ton per mile than they had re-
ceived under the old competing pol
icy. Mr.. German contradicted this
statement and said that since the act
went into effect there had been less
charged on through freights than for
the five preceding years, except in
cases where the railroad companies
were at war with each other, and that
Notwithstanding the large increase in
the volume of through business the re-
ceipts had not equaled the receipts
during the preceding normal years.
After further discussion the bill was
passed. The house bill was passed
providing for bridge across the Mis-
souri, at point within five miles below
Kansas City. The senate then went
into secret session and at 5 o'clock adj
journed.