The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-19
HOUSE.

III VIC llOtiSc this uittrilOoil itelprtscll
tative Atkinson Of Pennsylvania called up
The conference re port on.the District Rail
road bill which bears his name.
Mr. Enloc raised the question Of consid
Grafton. II was voted down promptly by
1876 to 50. -
Mr.. Atkinson then demanded the pre-
vious question upon the adoption Of the
conference report. A rising vote showed
35 ayes TO 80 nays.
Mr.. Hcmpliitl Of South Carolina dc
handed the ayes and nays. A sutllcien
number arising in their seats the ayes and
nays were ordered. The vote resulted 1903
ayes to. ll3 nays. So theprcvious question
was refused. r.s
; The debate upon the report was COM
nlenccd, General Circuit, Chairman of the
District Committee, speaking against the
adoption of the report. He said that the
report gave the railroad all that it had
heretofore acquired by charter, legislation
or otherwise. 1t was wholly for the rail-
road company and against the interests of
the public. II put the House in the posi-
tion-mastiff and saying, well done, good
Watchdog" II would make n setter of
that mastiff, IIewanted the bill sent back
to conference, with instructions to the
House conferrees to take up Il position
that would preserve the public right.
He would at the proper time make a mo-
ton that the bill be again put in confer
cnce,with the proper instructions given
titions against the bin. Mr.. Grout Was
several times interrupted by Mr.. Heard of
! Missouri and Mr.. aiilliken of Maine, but
nothing salient was evolved therefrom.
Mr.. Atkinson of Pennsylvania said that
the House conferrecs had accepted por-
ton of the Senate bill n portion that was
presumably in the favor Of the people
lie believed TINT the bill, US agreed upon
The privileges asked for in the bill were
essential to the railroad company in the
transaction Of its business as q common
carrier. He said that property -owners
affected by the bill would be fully COM
pensated. ~ HN sf'3 '~-
1t was q most just measure to all con-
cerned. The Commission feature Of the
bill originally includes both the Baltimore
and Potomac and the Baltimore and Ohio
railroads, against both of which COM
plants. are made That was right. His
idea of the Commission was that it should
not only locate or relocate present tracks,
but all roads hereafter to come into the
city. But the Baltimore and Ohio feature
of the Commission was stricken out in the
House, and then the Senate was opposed
to the Commission with that limited
be restored by the House it ought to be in
such form that II would not apply onl =
tOthc Baltimore and Potomac road, but
should be general in its scope. To max /,
il otherwise would be but to provide for Il
Commission to harass the Baltimore and
Potomac road.
There had not, he said, been singl
suggestion on the part of members OF tn
House except to remove the SiXth-stree
Hanpt aNaant gltDuagfinp4 an huruSQ fh
road. The depot removal had been vote
down. FnT ~ -fen
Mr.. Atkinson quoted the petition in
favor of The railroad.
Mr.. Grout wanted to know how much
per head was paid to the signers ofthat
petition.
Mr.. Atkinson said that he did not know
any more about that than he did how
much per head was paid for him lNlr.
CIRCUIT. nrt.rr es .,st-.s-s
Mr.. Atkinson wanted to know Mr..
CIRCUITS authority for his insinuation that
10 much per head had been paid for the
signers the railroad petition.
AFR. Grout said that the District Com
missioners We're themselves his authority.
Mr.. Atkinson denied generally what
WAS conveyed by Mr.. CIRCUITS remarks.
Mr. Atkinson continued to defend the
ID. d T.. road, and said that it asked no
more than the business interests did. lie
also argued in support of the limited conf
mission clause of the House bill
Mr. Moore Of New Hampshire, another
member of the District Committee, OPP
posed the bill and the report. He favored
an all-authoritatiye commission, which
he also called pan-commission, to con-
troll railways entering the District.
The debate continued ON these lines, A
vote cannot be reached until Late this
afternoon,