The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-08

| would have been.
"Now, Mr.. President, In what have
said, have swered one of the com
plants that has been made about thii
committee, namely, taht II had not gon,
| to work TO obtain general transfer tick
| cts. i reply, in the first place, that We
were not directed TO do anything OF thai
kind. They were not appointed for that
| purpose; they had no reason TO expect
| that you desired them to GO into the
| question which had been tried, the doors
| OF which had been closed by the reply oi
| the Union Railroad Company.
"After a careful examination of this
| question we came back and reported this
to the Council, and reported also q sug-
gested extension of our work, somewh hat,
by the statement that any notifications
OF such contract ought TO consider the
injustice of the provision under the three
per cent. OF the gross income of the COM
pany was divided under the provisions
OF the legislative act. We were sent TO
the Legislature to obtain the power TO
there and did just what the body had d.
rected us to do.
This Was Speedily Criticised,
because 1t was the only thing that could
be criticised. We have nothing else TO do
but examine and report, and, although II
has been claimed that we should have,
some way or other, taken the Legislature
by the throat and made them give us trans
fers and all sorts of other things that
could be desired those state
ments are so wild that they have not been
reiterated; but statements with regard
to this act have been made over and over
again, and yet they are SO plainly false,
so entirely without foundation that feel
II my duty 10 call your attention to them,
Mr. President. In the first place. 1t has
been said that this act was not an act
that was obtained for the benefit Of the
city, but some way, by some power, the
company had this act pushed through.
And there was one thing that they de-
sired, and that was that, in some way,
what mysterious way has never been
pointed out, that there was great
danger OF losing not what the fertile
brain and bad digestion had given rise
to, but certain ii is that there never was
an act further from ratifying anything
which had been given TO this company
by the Legislature, and certainly not
imposing upon the city something which
otherwise might have been escaped from.
Ii would seem, and possibly some OF the
people who have commented upon this
act have been misled by supposing that
the act of 1893 had not been passed and
there had been no assent by the Council
and the city TO the provisions of the act
of 1892, as amended by the act OF 1898 and
made part of II. i think it is possible
that some one in their careless examina-
tion OF the lew on the subject may have
got some idea OF this, and thought that
there was possibility that this act
which has been imposed on the city
might sometime, In some distant future
day, no doubt imagined that there was
a chance for that to he repealed before
the twenty years had expired, that the
act might be repealed In some way, and
this prevented it from being repealed.
IL the act of the Legislature, 1923
could be repealed by a future Legislature,
the act OF 1896 can, but the trouble was
Company had nothing to fear from fu-
-ure legislation. Why, by the course II
has taken, 1t had driven the city OF Prov
dence into that question which had been
,losed up. The acts OF the Legislature
had been carefully secured by this assent
which has been wrung, after three years
legislation, out Of the City Council of
the city of Providence,
No Future Legislation Can Annul the
Contract
the city and the Union Railroad
Company. They had nothing to ask; they
we're not asking for anything. Ii was the
City Council Of the city Of Providence
hat was asking in behalf OF its citizens
hat we shall have at least some benefit
of transfer tickets and exchange from one
ihS W dhObhtis anu HCts Wc bnd Wp 4
,ould not obtain IL, even by their con-
'ent, unless the Legislature gave US this |
power, and we went there to obtain the |
)owor IL we could make any agreement |
With this Union Railroad Company, and |
he city of Providence. But the legisla-
ure of the State OF Rhode Island very
raciously gave US permission TO make
uch agreemnt, perfectly sure that there
7as no LIKELIHOOD OF the Legislature doing
nything to especially benefit the city
4 Providence. They were graciously will
1g that, IL we could arrive at an agree
lent with the Union Railroad Com
any, and the city OF Providence,
lission granted. There was no right
ranted TO the Union Railroad Company
, that act in any way, shape or fashion.
ut, to the city of Providence, several
lings were granted. We desired to deal
18th this question ourselves instead OF
aving it passed upon by the Legislature.
'e desired to be allowed to make ar
,r the use OF the streets In such amounts
could be agreed upon by the company
nd the city. But that was very closely
Iarked out, and was not TO exceed three |
er cent. for the first five years, and af-
.rward to be fixedly agreement, or by
"This brings me finally,
To the Great Accusation
iii against this committee, that we were
ndeavoring In some way TO extend the
'ancbise of the Union Railroad Com
any by the act Of 1891.
"That franchise was made not to exceed
years. BY the acts of 1892 and 1893
20-year franchise was forced upon the
ty. Mr.. President, 1t might have been
laimed with great deal OF force that we
'ere leaving the door open to the fran
hise for an indefinite period, for long
: period than that fixed by law at that
me. The Legislature had previously
xed 20 years as the limit. and then ex-
ended. the franchise TO % years more. II
'ss simply allowing the city to make
ontracts not TO exceed % years. Ii mas
cen said that we gave them perennial
ontract. Why, Mr.. President, that was
ist the condition when the act was
breed upon US. We had open all the
me the privilege OF making II 25 years
hen we chose. What we did say really
'as that X should not exceed what the