Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-04-18
SCENE IN THE SENATE.

A stormy and at times sensational col
loquy occurred in the Senate yesterday
Mr. Hill had concluded the second in
stalment of his speech on the Petlel
bond inquiry resolution, and was about
to yield 10 a motion for an executive
session when Mr.. Gear reported the bill
for the refunding of the Pacific bond
aided railroads.
This led to an alteration between
Mr.. Gear, chairman of the committee
and Mr.. Allen, the populist Senator
from Nebraska.
Mr.. Gears statements were charac-
terized by Mr.. Allen as false. Mr.. AL.
len was called to order and his words
reread from the clerks desk, after
which he was permitted to proceed in
order. Mr.. Aliens subsequent re.
marks consisted of tribute to the re-
cent candidate of his party for the
presidency, James B. Weaver, and a
defense OF the principles of the party,
which MIR. Gear had attacked.
Mr. Allen began to condemn the
action OF the committee. 1t was, he
said, matter of common report that
the NOTORIOUS Coils P. Huntington
and his lobbyists had been seeking to in
fluence legislation relative to these
roads," Mr.. Allen called the atten-
ton Of the Senate 10 the fact that no in
vitation had been issued to the people
along the lines of these roads or to their
patrons to appear before the committee
and give the information of which they
were possessed. There had been stud
led effort on the pert of the committee
to cut off these people and not get a full
and free expression of the public senti-
ment.
Mr.. Gear retorted with warmth. Mr..
Allen had no right to impugn the chair
man of the committee for not sending
out notices to every Tom, Dick and
Harry all over Gods country. The
public has been notified through the
newspapers of the hearing, and all who
saw fit to come had been heard. The
committee had followed the universal
custom of both branches in conducting
the hearing.
This explanation did not appease the
Senator itom Nebraska. Mr.. Allen re-
piled that he had seen the supreme
magnate of the Pacific bond-aided
roads, that embodiment of corruption
itself, sitting in the committee room like
an autocrat, lording over the commit
tee, and, with the lobbyists, occupying
seats there, but not a single farmer
who had been oppressed by the road,
not single patron of the line ITSELF"
He repeated that there had been a
studied aud fixed purpose to exclude
these people from the hearings Of the
committee.
Mr.. Gear stated that he had invited
the Senator to come before the commit.
tee, but he had not done so He repre-
sented in part-Mr. Gear would not
say misrepresented-a State interested
in those roads, and yet he declined the
committees invitation to be present
and give such testimony as he saw fit.
The Senator from Nebraska belonged
to class of people who sought to pull
down rather than to build up.
81 have known him for thirty years,
and have known all the parties with
which he has affiliated" said Mr..
Gear, "and now he turns up here as
what my friend, the Senator from Mis-
sissippi, would call populist."
Mr.. Allen proceeded to give an ac-
count of his political history, but pre-
faced his remarks with an apology for
his interference in the exhibition" Of
the Senator from New York.
"The what 2" asked Mr.. Hill, in as
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