The Portland daily press., 1895-01-31
WASHINGTON NEWS.
A Shipping Commissioner Appointed
At RockIand Yesterday.
THE GOLD RESERVE HAS TAKEN
ANOTHER DROP.

|
Reilly Pacific Railroad Funding Bill
Caused a Heated Discussion in the
House-NIaine Pensions Granted.
Washington, January 80. I'm the
House today. Mr.. Catchings (Dem.) of
Mississippi reported from. the committee
on rules resolution for the considera-
tion of the Reilly Pacific railroad fund
ing bill. 1t provided for general debate
from the adoption OF the resolution un-
til tomorrow, Thursdays session to be-
gin AZ II, the debate to be ON the five
minute rule, and to continue until 4.3O.
Ths vote was then to be taken on TIE
bill and amendments. The order giving
Thursday to the committee on the Dis
trlct of Columb bia abrogated the Friday
set apart Tor business from 1t.
Mr., Boatner (Dem.) of Louisiana, op-
posed the adoption of the rule. The bill
involved, he said, over one hundred MIL
lion dollars, and important questions OF
procedure and principle far exceeding
the money at issue. He protested
against it the House entering upon the
consideration of the measure except un-
der conditions that would permit full
discussion.
MIR. Mcguire (Dem.) OF California, said
the time provided for the discussion was
totally insufficient. The bill proposed
condition of crime extending over thirty
years. surprising the crimes OF the East
people had been vainly trying for ~
! years to reach q solution of. The time
! had now come when the questions in
| volved in the management OF the Cen
tral and Union Pacific railroads could
be litigated 60 conclusion, and the for
| tunes of the directors, amounting TO
| tens of millions each-fortunes flched
/ from the funds OF the corporations
brought to answer to demands of law
And it was proposed to relieve those
people of obligation to answer.
Mr.. BRYAN (Dem. of Nebraska object
to the passage of the resolutions. He
said the railroad debt to the government
! last October amounted to hundred ana
thirty-eight million dollars, while two
| hundred and seventy light million dol
lars had been paid TO stockholders and
directors. 1t was now proposed to re-
leve them ard perpetuate the debt Tor
another generation.
Mr.. Kyle (Dem. of Mississippi said the
bill was framed to enable the govern
monG TO 26G lCS Cldlul WlpuOub lAelS5cAUiOIib
and without waiting for a Judgment. LII
this Congress adjourned without action,
the government would never get It's
money.
The debate up to this point had pro-
ceeded amidst some confusion, the mem
| bers crowding about the speakers and
| thronging the area in 'front.' OF the oesK,
| but all that was as nothing as compared
| to the hubbub that accompanied MI.
Catchlngs's efforts to close. lie said
| that the rule did not commit the House
| to any settlement of the question. Ine
| only question involved was as to Whebt-
er or not the House would consider the Dill
| He understood there was a mem ber on the
|. fluor who would not be sorry if the gov
.ernment's rights and interests were sacri-
| feed The practical question racing the
| House was, should an effort be made to
! oct the money due the government? de
| believed that the House would be rec
reant to every TRUST If it failed TO make
| every effort in that direction. i he gem
tleman, from Indiana (Mr. Holman) SAID
| Mr.. Catchings, had asserted what was
mot true when he said that the Demo
cratic party had frowned upon every at
/ tempt to settle or compromise the de61.
* At this, MIR. Holman was on his feet
| shouting and gesticulating violently.
willie half a hundred members crowded
about the speakers, whose voices were
| drowned
| Sneaker pro tem., Mr.. Richardson of
Tennessee added by vigorous rapping
of the gavel
4 Mr.. .Catchings asserted that the jour-
nails of the 48th and 49th Congresses
would show that two committees report
ed bills for the settlement OF the ques-
tion. ;,
Mr.. Holman" They won't show any
thing of the kind"
Mr. Catchings-" They will show it.. If
we had had rules to force consideration
the bills would have been passed. They
could not he reached"
Mr.. McMillin (Dem.) of Tennessee and
Mr.. Cultivate (Dem. of Ohio were on
their feet shouting their views. Mr..
McMillin said the House had refused TO
pass the bills.
Mr.. Catchingg-aTh House did not
refuse to pass the bills. They were not
considered.n
Finally, by appealing to the members
and calling on the sergeant alarms, the
Speaker pro tenn succeeded in restoring
-lsomething like order, and MIR. Catchlngs
concluded, with the expression OF opln-
ion that two days were amply suinclent
| for eluetdation of every proposition that
could properly arise in the discussion.
The resolution was adopted-yeas l55,
nays 11.
The preceding vote upon the Adoption
of the resolution and the mobilization
of the rule was accepted by Mr.. Catch
nes. on the suggestion of Mr.. Reed of
Maine. by which the sessions of two days,
Thursday and as much of Friday as
should not be occupied by the District OF
Columbia business will be devoted to
general debate. Saturdays session will
he Given to debate under the five-minute
rule until 4. 80 o'clock, when vote will
he taken. As thus amended the resolu-
tion was agreed to, and the house went
into committee of the whole. and the
bill was read i'll full to empty benches
Mr.. Reilly Dem. of Pa, chairman OF
the Pacific railroad committee. in ex-
planning the provisions OF the bill, spoke
for nearly three hours, much. OF tue
time being taken up with inquiries by
member as to the details of the 6lil ano
his answers thereto. He stated with en-
nhasis that the bill reserved to the gov
eInmenu every legal right it now pos
sessed ,-ohua1,o
gave notice of an amendment ne Would
propose, authorizing the consfruction o. 2,
! The road from Sioux City to North
Platte, f'ia Nebraska, the corporation being
authorized to participate in the sinking
FIND nroyision Of the pending Dill.