The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-23
UNTIL JANUARY FIFTH.
Both Houses Of Congress Adjourned
Yesterday.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM WARMLY
DEBATED TN HOUSE

Subject of the senate's Discussion
MANY People who Expected Cuban
Debate Disappointed.
Washington, December 22.-The number OF
spectators in the galleries today when the
Senate met was not much larger than at the
same time yesterday.
The attraction was Senator Vests expected
speech on the constitutional question raised
in Mr.. olney's press statement
In his opening prayer, Chaplain Milburn
spoke of "the happy prospect that. between
the governments OF Great Britain ana our
country there should henceforward be peace.
No appeal to the horrors and hell OF war,
but to the rule of reason and right feeling
and added: "Grant that the example set by
these nations may be followed by all the
nations of the world, a time shall speedily
come when the sword shall be beaten into
the pIowsflare and the spear into pruning
hook. "iA
Mr.. Hale, from the committee on appro-
priations, reported back the urgent de-
ficiency bill and asked for its immediate
consideration. There was no objection and
the bill was read with the amendments re-
ported by the committee. The amendments
were agreed to, the bill was passed and re-
turned Immediately to the house for concur
renee on the amendments.
The Joint resolution introduced yesterday
by Mr. Pettfgrew, Republican of South Da-
kota, directing the Secretary of the Treasury
to pay the amount due on the six per cent
trust notes of the Union Pacific Railroad
company and to take possession of the bonds
and stocks now held as collateral for them
and appropriating ten million collars for
the purpose, was taken up and MI. Pettigrew
spoke in advocacy of it.
Mr.. PIatt, Republican of Connecticut, said
Mr. 'Pettigrew's remarks should convince the
Senate of the necessity of immediate action
to settle the debt of the Union Pacific and
Central Pacific to the government.
Mr.. Morgan, Democrat of Alabama, said
he understood the plan of the managers to
be to get control of the branch lines, unite
them with the northern system, and get up
parallel to the Union Pacific lines. He
proposed to ask that the committee should
sit during vacation and investigate the sub
ject. No such petitions and remonstrances
Mr. Morgan said had ever been presented to
Congress as come from the Pacific coast
against the management of the Pacific rail
roads. The Union Pacific company had in
its treasury enough money to pay the in
terest on its first mortgage bonds. The Cen
tral Pacific had paid such interest up to date
and had, besides paid a one per cent diyi-
demo to the British stock holders, yet both
those companies came to Congress as mendi-.
cants, stating that they were bankrupts. All
this was "false pretense.''
: Mr.. Morgan argued that under the charter
of the railroad companies they would cease,
whenever the first default in the payment of
their bonds was made. to have any right to
the property and all property passed imme-
diately and without any action by Congress
or by the courts into the possession of the
government of the United States. The con-
troll of the Pacific railroads was absolutely
necessary to the government from military
point of view. 1t was imperatively import-
ant to shut out the idea that the govern
ment was ever going to abandon its control
into private hands, particularly into the
hands of foreign stockholders.
Mr.. Gear said that members of the COM
mittee were unanimous with the exception
of the Senator from Alabama, in reporting a
funding bill. but none of them was welded
to that specific plan. Personally he was op-
posed now, and in toto to the operation of
the Pacific railroads by the government, ex-
p rience having shown that the government
operation of railroads in Europe was more
0ApCuS1No ulftA OpCAdbioh Ny SOlliPoAlOo- NiI
Pettigrew's resolution was referred to the
committee on Pacific railroads.
Mr. Butler, Populist Of North Carolina,
offered resolution for q committee of six
Senators to enquire into the principle of
legislation through initiative and referen-
dunn. Referred to the committee on contin-
gent expenses.
A resolution offered by Mr. Call was
agreed to calling on the President for infor-
nation as to the circumstances OF the death
in Cuba Of Charles Govine, an American
citizen, said to have been ''hacked to pieces
by Spanish soldiers
At two p. m. the Senate went into execu-
tive session and shortly thereafter adjourned
until January 9TH.