The Washington times., 1894-06-12
LOCAL BILLS TURNED DOWN
District Committee Met Opposition
In Ali Its Proposals.
DEBATING ON rHB TROLLEY
cause No Quorum Was Present-Failure to
Enact Washington and Georgetown Exten-
sion and Suburban Road Amendments.

District Of Columbia day Yesterday In the
House proved . complete aasco.
The fact is, Congress has apparently be-
gun to get suspicious Of tho District Commit
tee, SO that now every bill is subjected to se-
we're scrutiny, and all favorably reported are
looked upon as wicked until their honesty
is proven. In this state Of affairs District
bills are not rapidly disposed OF.
But yesterday the House was In an unusu-
ally suspicious mood. Mr.. Quay's declara-
ton In the Senate in the morning hour that
he had nothing to do with the trolley
scheme" and only introduced his bill at the
request Of Mr.. Dolan, Of the Philadelphia
Traction Company, but that he had requested
q member Of the House to zee to the presence
of q quorum there yesterday, when this bill
would come up, had primed the gentlemen
at the other end of the Capitol to be ON their
guard. As . result they handled all proposi-
hons of the District Committee without
gloves.
The District bill to provide for the payment
Of police pensions out Of the fund raised from
licenses for sale of Intoxicating liquors was
first taken up, and Mr.. Heard (Mo.) }, chair
man of the District Committee, after moving
the consideration Of the bill, asked to have
the full report read from the clerks desk.
Mr. Dingley, Of Maine, protested against
applying liquor license funds to the police PEN
sion fund.
Mr.. Coombs, of New York, was emphatic in
his objection to measure authorizing the
withdrawal of $4,000 from the license pay
ments fund before general appropriation, and
argued further that it was unwlse to bring
the police pension fund into such close con-
nection with license revenues from liquor
sellers
Mr. Cox. Of Tennessee. and Mr.. Heard then
got into discussion as to the status Of a fund
SO disposed OF, and whether it would compel
the United States to pay an equal amount
with the District in accordance with the stat
ute requiring the Federal government to pay
one-half the expenses Of the District.
Mr.. Cobb, of Alabama, insisted that the IL
cense fund ought to go into the Treasury. and
then compel the Federal government to pay
its one-haH.
Mr.. Heard made the point that the District
did not wish to get cent from the Federal
treasury; they simply wanted to be allowed to
spend their funds in that way. 1t was impos-
sible without congressional permission to so
apply the money.
on the expenditure as unwise, and especially
the manner Of 1t.
Mr.. Reed said that the bill did not extend
existing law; that it resulted in the establish
ing Of a new police pension fund. to be paid
for by the District or possibly the United
States. He feared it would result In the eI-
tension of the matter to a general civil service
pension system. As 1t is now. most employees
Of the government are paid more than they
would be by private employers and at The
same time they always spend their full sala-
ries. At present men who are useless are re-
tanned as matter OF pity.
Mr.. Reed then declared that II the question
was to be taken up at all, it ought 10 be taken
up thoroughly. If a civil pension list was to
be established, pay ought TO be smaller or the
government ought to take something out OF
their salary to provide for such pensions,
rather than pay the present full salaries and
pensions besides.
Mr.. Heard declared his opposition to civil
pension list, but thought the city Of Wash
ington ought to be able to make the same
provision for its policemen that other Amer
lean cities such as Brooklyn. Boston, ETC.,
did.
Mr.. Richardson, Of Texas. then expatiated
humorously on the new aristocracy, 'the
pensioned policemen OF the District Of Co
lumbia," which would be created by the bill,
and declared that policemen from other cities
would hasten to the District to get the ad-
vantage Of pension when they were unable
the grass.
Mr.. Hepburn, of Iowa, spoke in opposition
to the bill.
Mr.. Heard then presented an amendment
offered bv the District Committee, appropri-
ating an additional 5000 for carrying out the
law, but. objection developing, he then asked
to have the bill recommitted.
The bill to extend the Washington and
Georgetown railroad at its terminus in
Georgetown to the Aqueduct bridge was
brought up and met with considerable oppo-
sition.
At the outset it looked as though this
measure would go through with a rush, but
developed. Mr.. Grout, OF Vermont, wanted an
amendment to compel rather than to authorize
the construction Of passenger station, and
also to limit the right OF the company to
purchase land therefor by stating that 1t
should not condemn any land except for the
purpose Of the passenger house, and If ever
used for any other purpose the land should
revert to the owners.
Mr.. Tawney. of Minnesota, attacked the
bill on the ground that it would confer
unnecessary power upon the company and
that at least one property owner had pro-
tested and had not been allowed a hesling.
Mr.. Heard denied that this was so.
Mr.. Gear, Of Iowa, protested against the
conierring Of such a power Of eminent do
fused, and then Mr.. Warner, of New York,
opened fire on the bill. He declared that it
was an absolutely unparalleled proceeding to
to allow a street railway company, which was
to extend its lines only flye blocks and which
did not at the time require to use the right,
but might later on to have the right to con-
denim. He declared that this was a pure dog
in the manger policy and should not under
any circumstances be allowed. He wanted
the bill recommitted.
Mr.. Heard then offered to strike out cer-
tain clauses relative to the passenger house,
but Mr.. Hull objected.
Mr. Heard then withdrew the amendment,
and vote was taken upon objection being
made to withdrawal, resulting SO to 9 in favor
OF withdrawal. The point of NO quorum was
made. The committee rose and the bill was
withdrawn.
At this point Mr.. Heard, seeing that the
absence Of a quorum would be apparent in
any vote on the L street bill, that known as
the ''trolley bill," which was to be the inter-
esting feature OF the days debate, tried to
pass over that bill. There was considerable
opposition. on the ground that IL had been
promised that the bill was to come up after
the Washington and Georgetown bill, but ii
was finally permitted, and the amendment to
the suburban road bill, providing for sale OF
franchise to highest percentage bidder, which
was not completed at the last District day,
was taken up. On the vote for the amend
ment there was no quorum, and an adjourn
ment was taken without a single bill having
been passed as q result of the days work.
AT THE WALKING MATCH.