Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-14
THE ATKINSON BILL.
It Consumes Another District Day
in thu House.
A PRETTY SHARP DISCUSSION.
cARRIED-.YEAs 50; NAYS 81.


District day in the House rolled around again
today and the Atkinson railroad bill promised
| to absorb for the third time the hours devoted
| to the interests Of the capital Of the nation.
Mr.. Grout was not present this morning and
Mr.. Atkinson was in command.
After little preliminary business Mr.. AZ
kinson moved that the House resolve itself
into committee of the whole for the discussion
Of the Atkinson bill.
A division was dsmand ed BY Mr.. Milliken.
The motion was carried-80 ayes and 70 noes.
Mr.. Mckinley made point Of no quorum.
count OF the House showed Just 1866 men,
bers present-just a quorum with not even Q
single vote to spare.
The House, therefore, resolved itself into
committee of the whole with Mr.. Dunnell
(Minn.) in the chair.
MR. MooREs MOTION TO RECoMM1T TIE BILL
WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
After little discussion as to what was the
pending motion it was decided that Mr.. Moore's
motion to lay aside the bill with recommen-
dation to recommit with instructions took
precedence. Mr.. Moore's motion directs that
the committee report q substitute for the
bill directing the removal of the tracks and
depot from the mall and the placing Of the
same at Maryland and Virginia avenues, the
company to be recompensed for their present
depot.
Mr.. HkMPHILL N BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF
WASHINGTON.
Mr.. Hemphill took the floor. The bill, he
said had received the direct condemnation Of
every citizen and organization Of citizens in
Washington, excepting the individuals directly
benefited.
Mr.: Hemphill presented a petition from
about 1856 citizens of South Washington pro-
testing at Ho ho oil had
petitions from the Federation of Labor and
from the Knights Of Labor protesting earnestly
against the enactment of this bill without
compensation to the people. He had also
petition from large church in South Wash
ington protesting against the bill. In his
hands, also, he continued, was the protest from
the Board Of Trade Of this city-an organiza-
ton representing the best business interests OF
the city-which likewise entered its
earnest protest against the Atkinson bill as it
stood. The bill should be recommitted, he
thought, SO that the people could obtain some
recompense for the great and additional grants.
Mr.. ATKINSON DOESN'T WANT THE BILL AMENDED.
Mr.. Atkinson said the bill did not infringe
on any privilege Of the people. The history
of the occupation of the mall was then referred
to by MIR. Atkinson. He spoke Of
the condition Of the mall at the
| time it was taken by the
railroad-old barns and squatters, he said, en-
should not be loaded down by amendments and
suggestions not having any connection with the
measure.
PRESBYTERIAN PROTEST.
Mr.. Holman Qnd.) bad sent to the desk and
read a formal petition from the Sixth Presby-
terrain Church, which protested in tho most
vigorous way against the enactment Of tho At
kinson bill.
Mr. HEARD AND MR. HEMPHILL.
Mr.. Heard took the floor in opposition to the
motion. He challenged opposition to the state
ments that everybody agreed that the railroad
needed additional facilities and that the local
ity provided for in this bill was the proper
place for such additional facilities. The sid
ings were not there illegally said MIR. Heard.
Mr.. Hemphill wanted to know il that was 90
why the road wanted the sidings legalized
now.
Mr.. Heard did no. reply, but said the oppo-
sition was unfair.
Mr.. Hemphill said it was not unfair. The
scene on the floor was one of
CONSIDERABLE EXCITEMENT
about this time. Mr.. Milliken took the floor
and Mr.. Heard thought something in his re-
marks implied that he (Heard) was o tool of
the railroad. This Mr.. Heard started in to
deny with emphasis and heat. He dared Mr.,
Milliken to provo the charge.
Mr.. Milliken said he had great respect for
the gentleman from Missouri, but the great
heat which the gentleman showed in connec-
ton with this bill caused him to be unfair Mr..
MillikeE then sent to the desk and had read
extracts from the speech of Senator Morrill, on
this subject, which have already been printed
in The STAR.
Mr.. Rowell GIL thought there could be no
worse thing for the travelling public than the
removal of the Baltimore and Potomac depot
from the present situation. The only person
who would gain by the move would be some
owner of property who would be unable to sell
certain lots to the railroad.
AN UNMITIaATED STEAL.
Mr.. Cornell thought the present bill an un-
mitigated steal, in which the railroad tried to
get something for nothing. He thought the
House should 60 on the principle that even the
public has rights which a railroad is bound to
respect. This was an idea which the Penn
sylvania railroad had never taken to
heart. Public opinion, he continued, was
unanimously against the enactment Of the bill.
Mr.. Mcmillan (Tenn.) wanted to know what
the government wanted with railroad station
where there was no railroad. He then pro-
ceeded to attack that part Of the amendment
providing for the payment to the railroad for
the station and bridge. He thought, however,
that the station should not be moved to the
outskirts Of the city.
A QUESTION OF TWO SQUARES
Mr.. Hemphill replied that nobody proposed
10 move 70 the OutskiftS VI the caty tnat IL was
only question of two squares whether you
rode on street car or on the railroad
Mr.. Payson thought he had heard not one
argument against the passage Of the bill. The
bill had no connection with the passenger
station and was only a question of proper
freight facilities for the road. The side tracks
were laid in good faith, and all the bill did was
to validate these tracks.
WANTS TO LIMIT DEBATE.
Mr.. Atkinson wanted debate limited on the
pending motion to twenty minutes.
Mr.. Hemphill moved to amend to sixty
minutes.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Hemphills amend
ment, resulting, ON division--ayes IS: noes, 49,
Mr.. Hemphill made point OF no quorum and
demanded tellers.
The vote by tellers resultsd-ayes, IS; noes,
3d.
Mr. Anderson moved to amend by limiting
debate to two hours-one on each side.
On a division the vote on the amendment re-
sulted-ayes, u; noes, Al.
Tellers were demanded. The vote BY tellers
resulted--ayes IS; noes, 81.
Mr.. Anderson's amendment was therefore
lost
Mr.. La Toilette moved to amend by limiting
debate to forty minutes.
The vote on this amendment resulted-ayes,
Ga; noes, 8.
DEBATE LIMITED TO FORTY MINUTES.
Debate was therefore limited to forty
minutes ON the motion To recommit Nth in