The news & observer., 1896-12-12
HIS PRAYER APPLAUDED.
HOUSE CHAPLAIN THANKFUL
FOR mo LlQuoR"lN CAPITOL.
A Bill to increase Congressmen's sal
aries TO ST.. 500 and the Speak
er's to $4,000.

| A Bill to increase Congressmen's sal
aries TO ST.. 800 and the Speak
er's to $4,000.
Washington, Dec H. Rev. Cowden,
| the blind chaplain, referred IN ms IN
vocation to the bill passed yesterday
forbidding the sale Of liquor ia the
capitol.
1--WE thank the, oh Lord" said he,
| "that the House In no longer responsible
for the LIQUOR traffic within the halls Of
the National capitol. Grant, we pray
thee. that the bill passed here yesterday,
will so through the regular channels and
speedily become law, never again to
be repealed In the history of our nation"
The conclusion OF the prayer was greet
ed with n unusual demonstration. Half
n hundred members aplauded vigorously
but Speaker Reed promptly suppressed
the outburst.
On motion of MIR. Dingley, the tioor
leader, ii was agreed that when the
House adjourn to-day it be to meet on
Monday.
This was private bill day in the House
and seven war claims, carrying an aggre-
gate of S1S,40T, were favorably acted
upon by the committee OF the whole, as
follows:
TO pay Peter Cook, oS Arkansas, 1904
for stores and supplies used by the
Federal troops: to pay Augustus L. Bur
ditt S5. 130 for the use Of the steamer
Matte during the war; to pay Flora "A.
Darling S.. .6S3 in satisfaction Of her
claims for arrest and Imprisonment and
the seizure of her property at New Or
leans in 1864; TO correct the muster
Francis a. Benton as captain of the
Fourth United States colored cavalry
and pay him accordingly; to pay John A.
Lynch $2,490 for services as assistant
quartermaster at Cincinnati in 1S61-'62,
and to refer the claims of Major james
Stewart, u. S. A, retired, for longevity
pay to the court of claims.
Only the first two, however, were
passed by the House, as Mr. Dalzell Of
Pennsylvania, made an attack on the
bill for the relief of Mrs. Flora a. Darl-
ing and developed the fact that she was
the wife of Conferedate general fact
not brought out in the original debate on
the measure. The result was that a
point of no quorum was made on his
motion to lay the bill on the table and
it went over until next Friday.
Representative Bell, of Texas, a mem
Der of the committee on Pacific Railroads.
presented to the House a minority report
against the Powers bill. He opposes the
bin ON the ground that 1t proposes to in
crease the indebtedness of the Pacific
roads, which is covered by the first mort
gage and n prior lien to the Government
lien, by $4,000, 900, and to make the gov
ernment lien subordinate to this increased
indebtedness lie asserts that while un-
der the Powers plan the companies would
attempt to give security to the Govern
ment by a second lien if the Government
is Obliged to take possession Of the prop
erty. as he predicts that it would be event
| ually under the Powers bill. it would have
to assume an additional debt of $4,000.
600 He holds that the property ON which
| the Government would be given a second
| lien would be worth less than the amount
Of the first mortgage,
The bill recommends that the indebted
Eess Of the roads 10 the Government be
extended. provided the companies will Sc
| cure the Government debt by first mort
gage on the property, giving the Govern
| ment a right on default to institute pro-
| ceedings on the entire amount Of the
| roads indebtedness. In the event of the
failure or refusal OF the roads to comply
should institute suit to foreelosc and sell
| the property.
The report says that the subsidized
roads have squandered the assets which
ought to be available to pay their in
debtedness to the Government; that "mal-
administration of the properties began
with the building of the roads, and has
continued ever since.
If there was any prospect Of securing
anything for the Government by litiga-
| ton with officers or stockholders, Mr. Bell
| continues, he would oppose any settlement
| which might release them from liabilities.
but he holds it to be clear that suits of
this kind would continue to be fruitless
as in the past.
He contends that as the Government
has TO pay per cent. interest on what
it owes, it is unreasonable that ii should
loan to private corporations, and recon-
mends that any extension of the debt be
at three per cent, instead of two, as pro
vided in the Powers bill.
Representative Boatner of Louisiana,
introduced n bill increasing the salary
of the Speaker of the House from $4,000
to $4,000, and of Senators and Repre-
sentatiyes from $1,000 to 81 800.
The House at o'clock took a recess un-
til O'Clock, the evening session to be de-
voted to the consideration of private pen
sion bills.
TO PREPARE A TARIFF BILL
The Committee VIII Begin at Once and