The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-10
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
Interesting bat Brief Speeches on the
heftsndfn0 Bill.

bill was passed confirming the erection OF
a bridge of tn Red River, at Fulton, Ark,
by the Texarkana and Northern Railroad
Company, and now operated by the Tex
arkana and For Smith Company.
Henderson (R.) of Iowa moved to recon-
slider the vote of last night by which the
return of the .Sergeant-at-Arms upon the
xecution OF the warrants issued for the
arrest of the absent members from the
session was postponed until Tuesday.
After some debate it was agreed to-180 to
19-and only IS members seconded
Thomas (R) of Michigan's demand for a
yes and no vote.
The resolution carrying over the order
OF arrest until Tuesday was disagreed to
166 to i65.
Further proceedings under the call of
the house last night were then formally
dispensed with in order that there might
be no doubt of the status of any OF the
members. The House then, in committee
of the whole. Payne (R.) of New York in
the chair, resumed consideration of the
Pacific railroads funding bill, the day to
be spent under the five-minute rule.
Johnson (R.) of North Dakota said t:
fusion that these roads were built by the
private fortunes of any persons. The roads
have been built out of the proceeds of sub
sidy and mortgage bonds and sales of the
land grant, netting profit of over $780,
100000" To say nothing of what had
been done for these corporations Johnson
asked what excuse mem bers could make
TO their constituents by now adding to
that magnificent gift the sum of SIPS. 000,-
600 more, which was what the bill prac-
ticslly proposed to 40.
Daniels (R.) of New York urged the pas
sage of the bill as q reasonable and fair
measure. When the roads were being con-
structed the country thought it had in
them fair equivalent for the expenditure.
Daniels did not conclude within five min
utes, and cons mt was asked that he might
extend his remarks three minutes.
Mcguire ID of California; have no
objection to the gentleman continuing his
remarks; but want TO say that every mem
Der from the Pacific Coast opposed to the
bill was shut out of the general debate
yesterday, and 1 shall consent only on
condition that at least some of Us on this
side have our time extended.
Hepburn (R.) OF Iowa-There will be no
consent gwen TO that. II you STAYED out
of the debate yesterday it was because of
to be consumed in that way.
Grosvenor (R.) of Ohio, without at
tempting, he said, to ada anything to the
argument on the affirmative side of the
question, briefly gave the reasons why he
should support the bill. The question
should be settled in the interests of the
Government and of the roads, and the
present proposition he believed to be the
best thai could be obtained, although it
might not be all that equity demanded.
Dockery CD of Missouri said he should
vote against the bill for the reason that
adequate information respecting the con-
dition of the corporations had not been
furnished. Congress was entitled, he said,
to full financial statement, and that had
not been given.
Arnold (R.) of Pennsylvania, discussing
some figures circulated by Hubbard (R.)
OF Missouri relating to the several propo-
sitions purporung to have been made in
the past by the railroad com panles, warned
the committee that the defeat of the bill
ton of $50, 600 600 of bonds to pay first
liens upon the property or the abandon
ment of the claim of the Government.
Hiborn r. of California, opposing the
wicked bill" called attention to the fact
that the Central Pacific Company would
not be required by the bill to give the
Government mortgage upon the present
land, but the Government would get
mortgage upon the old Western Pacific
line, abandoned long ago except for
purely local purposes. The ferry privileges
and property, of which the majority re-
port made so much, had, since the railroad
officials appeared before the committee,
been transferred to another corporation,
and of course the railroad company could
not now mortgage them. In support OF
this he read telegram from the City
Assessor of San Francisco.
Powers (R. OF Vermont, chairman of
the Pacific Railroads Committee, denied
the truthfulness of the statement just
made, and said it was a sample of the
manner in which the opposition to the
say that the railroad company had not
for two years at least disposed of any of
Its property, but that it had all been con-
sohdated into the possession OF the COM
pany, and the Government would get
mortgage on it in its entirety.
Hlborn 1aunted the Assessor telegram,
but Powers, waving it aside, said: Il
from an interested party-as interested as
the gentleman himself"
Hlborn-It comes from a city official
and an honorable man.
Powers (scornfully)-A city official? So
is Mayor Adolph Sutro city official, and
they are all engaged in a conspiracy to
force the Government to take the road
and operate it in the interest of the
State of California and at the expense of
all the other States. The man who sent
the telegram, undertake to say, does not
tell the truth.
Mcguire Cd of California said the pend
ing bill was the worst ever offered to Con-
gress for the settlement of the Paciti rail-
road debts. Two years ago the House
voted down an infinitely better PROPOSE
ton, the Reilly bill, for the reason that it
did not sufficiently protect the interests OF
the Government.
Judge Mcguire said:
'Mr. Chairman: The bill under consider
alton is decidedly the worst bill for the
settlement of the Pacific railroad debt ever
offered to Congress-the worst proposition
that has ever come from these companies.
Two years ago, in the Fifty-third Con-
gress, the Reilly bill, an infinitely better
bill than this, was voted down because of
its viciousness, yet it was far more favor
able to the Government than this bill
Here are the differences between the two:
The Reilly bill extended the period for
the payment of these debts for fifty years
at per cent interest per annum, while
tubs bill extends the debts for elghty-six
years at per cent interest per annum.
gage on each of the roads to secure the
Government lien; this bill provides for a
second mortgage to secure the Govern
ment. The Reilly bill put no mortgage
ahead OF the hen OF the Government ex-
cept those now superior to it; this bill
puts other mortgages, amounting, In the
case OF the Central Pacific Railroad, to at