The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-23
Vest of Missouri Seeks in Vain
for an Interpreted on of the
Presidents Message.
Preliminary SIX rmish in the Senate
Over the 0bnc xious Refund.
ing Bill.


traction being Senator Vests expected
speech on the constitutional question
raised in Mr.. Olney's press statement.
In his prayer Chaplain Milburn spoke
Of the happy prospect that between the
Governments of Great Britain and cur
own 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 ex-
ample set by these nations may be imi-
tated and followed by all the nations OF
the world, 30 that the time shall speedily
come when the sword shall be beaten into
the plowshare and the spear into the
pruning-hook."
Early in the day the statement was
passed around that Senator Hale, who is
opposed to Cuban recognition under ex-
listing circumsl ances, would demand
quorum if the debate was resumed. and,
doubling his ability to command
quorum, so many Senators having left the
city: Vest had determined to postpone his
effort TIL after the recess. After this i'm
preston had gained ground the proceed
ings rapidly assumed listless account,
which intensified when Hale, from the
Committee on Appropriations, reported
back the urgent deficiency bill and asked
for its immediate consideration. There
was no objection, and the bill was read
with the amendments.
Morgan was discussing the question OF
the Government interp. eading in one of
the foreclosure suits pending, and ex-
pressed the hope and the confidence that
the Attorney. would refuse to
interplead.
81 would like to ask the Senator" Vest
(D.) OF Missouri interposed. "wnat he un-
dersiands by that part of the Presidents
message to the effect that unless some
thing be done by Congress in the very
near future the Executive Department
will take steps by the first of January next
to protect the interests of the Govern
ment."
Morgan The Senator from Missouri
asks me to interpret the Presidents mes
sage, while in Egypt there was found but
single man land he divinely inspired)
who could interpret the dream of Pharoah.
I suppose the Senator from Missouri can
interpret that message ii any body can, but
| will lot stop to do.
Another remark of Vests as to the
meaning of the message was replied to by
Morgan with the sentence: 81 wish the
Senator from Missouri would not bother
me Win III al message, IOT CERTAINLY I'LL
not paying attention to it.
Morgan went on 10 argue that under the
charter of the railroad companies they
would cease, whenever the first default in
payment of their bonds was made, to have
any right to the property, but that all the
property passed Immediately and without
any action by Congress or the courts into
possession of the Government of the
United States. The control of the Pacific
ipr, do hantt 1taIv a. aan IA
Government from military point ofview,
and it was imperatively important to shut
out the idea that the Government was
ever going to abandon it's control into pri-
vate hands, particularly into the hands of
foreign stockholders, "for," said he,
"there IS not railroad two hundred miles
long that is not owned abroad. American
stockholders in American railroads would
be curiosity thakshould be put In a side
show"
Gear said that he could point to rail-
road of over 1000 miles, of which 5S per
cent was owned by American women and
78 per cent (including the ownership of The
women) was owned by trust companies
and churches and estates.
.'Who owns the bonds?" Morgan asked.
'They are owned by people all over the
country" Gear replied.
"Show me the men who own the bonds"
Morgan said, land | will show you the
men who control the road"
"They only control the road" Gear re-
joined, when the company defaults and
this company has never defaulted."
Morgan spoke for about an hour and q
half and when he had taken his seat Gear
expressed his satisfaction that the ques-
ton had come up incidentally. 1t was
evident, he SAID, that there was a desire
on the part of the Senate to take ND that
important measure. The mem bers of the
com mittee were unanimous with the ex-
ceptiou of the Senator from Alabama in
reporting the funding bill, but none of
them were welded to that specific plan.
Personally he was opposed, now and in
toto, to the operation of the Pacific rail-
roads by the Government, experience
having shown that Government operation
OF railroads in Europe was more expensive
than operation by companies. He hoped
that the Senate would take up and act
upon the bill Immediately after recess.
The joint resolution introduced yester-
day by Pettigrew (R.) of South Dakota
directing the Secretary of the Treasury to
notes of the Southern Pacific Railway and
to take possession of the bonds and stocks
held as collateral Cor them and appropri-
ating $40, DOC, 600 for the purchase was taken
up, and Pettigrew spoke in explanation
and advocacy OF it as business measure
TO protect the interests OF the Government.
In the course of his remarks he as erted
that the receivers OF the Union Pacific
Com pany did not desire to pay interest on
those trust notes so as 10 complicate mat
ters. 1t was the duty of the Government,
he said, to pay off those notes, take pos
session OF the road and it's branch lines
and operate them in the interest OF the
people all along the line. He believed
that it was the fear that that would be
done which had led the managers of the
Union Pacific to handle the property so as
tn be able to sever the branch lines from
the main road, on which the Government
had lien.
Patt (R.) of Connecticut said that Pet
tlgrew's remarks should convince tn g Sem
ate of the necessity of immediate action
to settle the debt of the Union Pacific and
Central Pacific to the Government. There
was no question before the Senate and be-
fore the country more i'm peratively de-
handing attention. He could not under
stand why Congress had been so utterly
Indifferent TO the question whether debt
OF over 100000 to the Government
should be secured or should be lost, and
he hoped that when Congress met after
the holidays the matter would be taken
up and acted on.
Morgan CD of Alabama said that as
mem Der of the Pacific Railroad Commit
tee the matter was entirely new to him.