St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-17

tunlty to compel the st. Paul
City Railway company to either do
It's duty or sell out. The act in
question was introduced by Mr.. Will
rich, and repeals chapter 293, Special
Laws of 1883, which validated the city
council ordinance of 1872 which gave
the street railway company exclusive
control over the streets of st. Paul. If
the bill passes the senate it will nullify
the action of the council in 1872, and
enable the city to purchase the plant of
the railway company and GUST the
present management. Mr.. Bickel
moved that the bill be recommitted.
Mr.. Williams opposed this.
Mr.. Williams-It was Mr.. Downs
who, was told, had lobbied against
this bill and in the interests of Mr..
Lowry. Two of the members of the
Hennepin delegation are attorneys for
Thomas Lowry, and have been acting
for him upon the floor of this house.
Mr.. Hay-Name them.
MIR. Hay rose to question of privi-
lege. He denied that he was the at.
torney for Mr.. Lowry or that he was
interested in the bill.
Mr.. Hay-In the interests of good
such measure, aside from the prob
able illegality of the act.
Mr.. 1veS-The citizens of st. Paul
find themselves bound down hand and
foot. We have got the poorest street
car service OF any city of our size in the
country.
Mr.. Smith, hope the good sense of
this house will refuse to take away
from this company vested right.
Mr.. Stevens-This ordinance was
! passed by gross breach of trust upon
the part of the aldermen supporting it.
| The future, if not the present, will visit
serve. But this ordinance lacked le-
gality. Therefore, persons represent
ing the street railway company, and
not the citizens of st. Paul, came be-
fore the legislature of 1883 and had
railroaded through bill validating the
ordinance. This matter has long been
discussed in st. Paul. 1t has been
hoped that extensions would be made,
| and facilities afforded which the trust
reposed in Mr.. Lowry called upon him
to make. The last few days have satis-
fed the citizens of st. Paul that this
| trust is not well repOSed, and they al
most unanimously have asked for the
passage Of this bill. Thomas Lowry is
not the owner of majority of the stock,
and it is owned almost exclusively in st.
Paul or Philadelphia and Boston. The
citizens of this city have
VITAL INTERESTS AT STAKE.
The delegation, except one, is i'll favor
of this bill. If the act passes, the city
of st. Paul will call upon the railway
company to do its duty, and then if il
does not the city will purchase the plant
of this company and operate the line.
Mr.. Bickel-I desire to say that L am
in favor of this bill, and not opposing
it. [ desired to have the bill recommit-
ted because l thought it had not gone
through its proper course.
Mr.. Smith-At this time it seems to
me that it comes with very bad taste to
attempt to pass such bill now.
Mr.. Stevens-The city of st. Paul
stands at the foot of the list of all the
leading cities of the United States in
regard to street railway facilities.
f. G. Stevens-I wish to say that our
East Seventh street cable line is only
being built because the city has agreed
to foregO the three-cent fare for the
laboring man. Every extension made
by this company has been by forcing
exemptions from the city. The COM
pany is bonded for S5.000.000, and capi,
talized at 81, ,250,000. We take no rights
from any one under this bill.
The bill was passed upon the follow.
| ing vote: