Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-03
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Uncle Sans Lien on. the Great Pa.
cifc Railway.
Attorney General OIn'y Opposes Government
controi-How to Extirguish the Debt.

saLlOn On t.ie Dill sent IN By attorney CJen-
eral Olney. Ordinarily there would be a
great difference Of opinion as to which Is
the better measure, even il the committee
and house were Of one general mind on the
subject Of railroads, but we have men who
are wild with animosity against all rail
roads, men who want government to run
them, men who want to rccoup or replcvin
all the money made by the men who built
the railway, no matter In whose hands it
Is. The Boatncr proposition was pretty
fayorably received, but OF course the Olney
bill would have the highest standing az
coming directly from the highest law officer
Of the government. You must remember
also that drafting this act was not officious
or voluntary on the part Of Mr. Olncy, but
was done in compliance with resolution
passed by the house Last October. 1t IL
true the main object Of that resolution
was to get his opinion as to what additions,
legiSlation Is needed, and he has answered
that In the best way by preparing this bill
We passed resolution soon after the roa
was put into the hands Of the receivers"
The OIney Bill.
An examination Of the bill and all til.
accompanying papers shows that by tia
bill the guarantee Of the United States t.
very greatly enlarged. At present the only
assured lien of the United States is con
fined to !, 442 miles Of the main line, Will.
the new bill would give as security all the
property Of the company, main line ane
branches, making system Of over 8, 0G
miles. The existing corporation Is to ~
preserved unless foreclosure Is made neces
sary, when a reorganization Is provide,1
for. The first mortgage bonds, amounting
to a little over x33, 900, 600, are to be re
newcd and extended at "a lower rate Of in.
tcrest, with a provision for a sinking funt
which will extinguish them at maturity.
The great debt of $40, 900, 600 is to b.
put in per cent 100 year bonds, with Il
sinking fund so arranged that it will ev
cry year pay 81 $50, 900 in principal anr
interest until the whole debt is extin
guishod. Here and there through the at
torney generals paper are found state
mcnCs OF general policy so blunt as to bo
amusing. Thus in treating of tho PROPOSE
ton that tho United States shall manae,.
and run the road he says:
1t has been taken for granted that any
permanent assumption of the operation o.
the road by the federal government will b.,
universally deprecated on all grounds, pc
lltical as well AS economical. Such opera
ton, AS experience has shown, would b,
both less efficient and more costly thai,
operation by priva@ agencies 1t woul,:
inevitably take on Ia political character ait,
in the hands OF the temporarily dominanJ
party would become II most potent instru
mentality for the punishment of enemies
the rewarding of friends and perpetuatiolt
of its own asocndancy. 1t is therefore as
sumed that congress will not SC riously con
template the setting upo a hugo poiitica.
machine for what would inevitably provs
the mismanagement of one of the mcss
important railways il the country
Tho Cry Tor Action.
Owing 80 tho organization of the hous,
last August and the prolonged debate, o.
rather roll calling, several of the commit
tees have got entirely through with thoir
work, aud Us fast as they got tnair bit,
through tho house they turn rs by one i'm
pulse to home politics. Thus III the rooat
of n committee which has discharged is,
functions as committee for this term Oh.
may get daily and almost hourly news iro.i,
tho country and form very fair idea vi
what the PEG, le think If this congress-
From early in February until quite recent
)y all the adyiCes from distant constituent,
might have been summed up in the old
personal adj" with one word changed "
was Act, act, only act, and all will be foy.
given" And il enc could judge by tl.n
election returns the longer this body didn
act the more adverse to voting their coll
stitucnts grew, but from many Democra.a
now comes the testimony that things look
much more cheerful The committee on
appropriations having completed its wort
among the first, has had time to get WEI;
informed, and even the late William CAMP
bell Preston Breckenridge wears quite a
cheerful look when he sits in the commit
tee room and tells how smoothly every
thing is going in the A Ashland district In
spite of many cold looks and few rather
pointed snuls the old man actually seems
to be gaining ground. People who happen
into the committee room and come upon
him unexpectedly often start back in n
way that is ludicrous to the spectator ana
must be annoying to him, and almost ev
cry newcomer to the galleries asks to havs
him pointed out 1t is one of the COM
monest things in the events Of day to seq
half dozen glasses levcled at him from
the ladies' gallery, but he bears it like q
the house think he wiz be n elected.
The Hatch Bill.
Other members Of the committee from
the south express the most sublime conf
dencc rs to their prospects, and taking the
whole southern field nobody comedies to
Republican or populist any gain over theiy
present membership unless it be in North
Carolina. The committee on agriculture
is very far from having the same leisure
and light enjoyment, rs Mr.. Hatch and his
colaborers are preparing for the grcatess
effort of their lives in aid of six or eight
bills out of the dozen or more they have
prepared with such labor. Mr.. Hatch says
that every possible objection on constitu-
tional grounds or any other has been met
in the present antioption bill; that every
delegation opposed to it has been listened
10 and every argument carefully oonsid-
ered, and now there is but one honest thing
to do, and that is to put it through.
Probably very few people in the United
States were weak enough to suppose that
the coming of few erratic men like Cox
cy's army would have any influence Oh
legislation, but it is an odd fact that while
the newspapers have been full of the do
fngs of these little squads Of 500 or 400
~. IN.