The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-01

Debate on the Pacific Railroad Bill Pro-
ceeds In the House.

ceedls In the House.
| Washington, Jan. 31-The house de-
voted six hours today to the debate
on the Pacific railroad funding bill.
and although the speeches on both
sides were characterized by unusual
earnestness, there were no marked or
! sensational incidents. Those who par
| ticipated in the discussion today were
) Messrs. Powers (Rep. VT and Mr..
measure, and Messrs. Boatner Dem.
+, La-), Snodgrass Dem. Tenn, and
Cooper (Rep. Wis., in opposition to it.
J He was willing to see the government
| purchase the property to protect its in
terests but only on condition that il
should be Immediately resold to pri-
vate individuals.
DO you mean to say that the prop
erty is worth as much as the first mort
gage debit" asked Mr.. Reilly.
4 am inclined to think il is replied
Mr. Boatner, but if it is not you can
rest assured that these railroad people
vii never discharge the debt if your
bin is passed
Mr.. Powers Rep- Vt). argued in ia
vor Of the passage of the bill which ne
said would secure the payment to the
government Of S140, 900, 900. He de-
nounced the methods employed by the
opponents of the bill to encompass it's
he members, S6tG,
was gorged with letters from certain
persons and certain sections having
grievances against the roads of certain
former officials of the roads who were
correctly or incorrectly supposed to
have profited enormously by their con-
Struction.
In response to a question Mr.. Powers
said il the mortgage of the government
We're forecloSed the property would cost
the United States s1So. 900. 600 and he ex-
pressed the opinion that the govern
Hnent would not after the endless liti-
cation which would inevitably follow,
realize s10,0e0.0 900 from the property.
Mr. Harris Pop. Kan-), begged to re-
mind the house that six years ago Jay
Gould offered S6S, 600. 600 for the Union
Pacific section alone Mr.. Mcclure
dem Cali, presented TO the house the
petition of the San Francisco Examiner
signd by 20o,5eI persons against the
bill. Messrs. Snodgrass Dem Tenn,
and Cooper (Rep- Wis.,, continued the
debate in opposition to the bill. Mr.
Cooper combatted the idea that the
provision in the bill copied from the bill
prepared by the commission of 1887 to
feernlito the government to pursue le- |
gally the officials, directors and stock |
holders who defrauded the road under |
the act of 1873, would prove effective. |
AS the passage of the bill would be an /
the government. the United States he |
maintained would be able to go be- |
yond that mortgage. This was, he |
said, well established principle. MIR. !
Cooper said he did not pose as an anti |
an anti-corporation man /
or a refoTmer. He did not believe in /
the government control of rail- |
roads and only believed in the govern
ment taking this railroad beca use THAI /
was the only way TO do Justice under |
the law TO all parties concerned.
Mr.. Lockwood tDegn. y. j.. closed the
debate for the day in advocacy of the |.
bill. He declared that the question of |
the alleged criminality OF the original /
and officials of the road !
had nothing To do with the merits or !
this bill which in his opinion presented
the best solution ever offered for the
Pacific railroad problem.
At the conclusion of his remarks the !
house at $40 p. m adjourned until to-
morrow at l O'Clock.
The commissioner OF Indian affairs has |
received a report from a special agent !
gho has been investigating the conditions !
81 the Navajo Indians in Arizona that |