The Portland daily press., 1890-09-16
A DISCUSSION SOMEWHAT PERSONAL.
Messrs. Frye and Plumb on Their
Devotion to Senatorial Duty.
The House Non-concurs In the Tariff
Bill Amendments.
major McKinIey's Spirited Reply to
Some Democratic Charges.

WASHINGTON, September 15.-On motion
OF Mr.. Frye the Senate today proceeded to
the consideration of 16 bridge bills on the
calendar. Before much progress was made
slightly bitter exchange of courtesies
passed between Messrs. Frye and Plumb
The latter said while the Senator from Maine
was "off fishing" he MIR. Plumb was al
work. Now the Senator came back with his
face all Drowned from contact with nature
and was insisting that nothing should be
done at all except according to his notion.
Mr.. Frye resented Mr.. Plumb's remarks
aud said that in 10 months he had been alb
sent exactly IA days and had not missed a
roll call since the End of June.
"The Senator has been absent just IA
times as much as l have" was Mr.. Plumb's
next remark.
II haven't been absent" said Mr.. Frye,
from as many roll calls as the Senator from
Kansas"
Mr.. Plumb-"I am not going to get into a
squabble with the Senator from Maine."
Mr. Frye-"Then why did the Senator
from Kansas make the remark he did? ?"
Mr. Plumb-"Because it is literally true"
The presiding officer, Mr.. ingalls,, interposed
with a remark that such colloquies were liza
BILE to degenerate into personal alterations
and the bridge bills were then disposed of.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration
Of bills on the calendar to which there was
no objection. The following bills, among
others, were passed:
House bill granting pension of $40 a month
to Lucy Hale, daughter of soldier In the revolu-
Senate bill to amend the act of June 10, 1878,
to create an auditor of railroad accounts.
At the close of the hour assigned to the
business on the calendar, the conference re-
n IN roi1 los nrfn tfrra hi
taken up as unfinished business and Mr..
Sanders resumed his argument. He said
that when he concluded last Friday he hoped
to have maintained that the railroad compan-
les, within the limits of their respective
grants, were not owners of the mines on odd
were in no peril unless peril should arise out
of the provisions of the first section of the
act of March Sd, 1887.
Mr.. Plumb said that under the land grant
policy probably one hundred million acres of
public lands were given away with the result
of the direct construction of perhaps $1,000
miles of railroad and the indirect construc-
ton of perhaps twice as many more miles.
He thought it safe to say that
IN IN the neighborhood OF a third Of
grant policy. Neither political party was
responsible for it. 1t was born of the hun
ger of American people for the development
of the material resources of the country.
I6TudpS III WOulu nave De6n DeIIeT III never
adopted. Having been adopted 1t had to
come, and had been for number of years
an essential paIt of public policy. Mr.
Plumb estimated the quantity of land that
would revert to the public domain under the
conference report at 100000 acres, and
probably 100000 acres.
Mr.. Morgan argued that Congress had ex-
hausted its right of forfeiture in the cases of
the Southern Pacific aud Atlantic & Pacific
companies, those roads having been complet-
ed, and the former act of forfeiture in those
cases being a finality. This was not the fact
in regard to the Northern Pacific road, which
was not yet completed. The bill would SIM
ply forfeit the land of the Northern Pacific
from Wallua to Portland. and that would be
the end of it. II insist" said Mr.. Morgan,
shat the Northern Pacific Company shall
do equity and yield up its claims in favor of
settlers. The Northern Pacific has had 30,-
000,000 acres already, with town sites and
cities, and everything Congress could give
it,"
Mr.. Morgan had not concluded his re-
marks when the Senate adjourned.