The evening times., 1897-01-28
MR.. ALIENS RESOLUTION
he Wants to Know IL the Executive
Department Has Authority to
Forecl0se the Union Pacific Mort
gage-Mr. ChandIer's Long ExpIa-
nation.

ting $4,000 for the purchase and main
tenance until July, 1898, of the quarantine
station on House Island, in Portland
harbor, Me, was passed
MIR. Allen offered resolution instruct
ing the Committee ON Pacific Railroads
| TO inquire and report whether under ex-
! listing law, the executive department has
| authority TO foreclose the government
mortgage on the Union Pacific Railroad
and 10 sell the property without additional
! legislation; also as to the authority Of
| the President or the Attorney General
| to contract, in advance of sale, for the
| amount that is to be bid; also whether
it is not the duty OF the President and of
the Secretary OF the Treasury to redeem,
or otherwise clear off, all the paramount
| liens by paying the same; and directing
| the Attorney General in the meantime to
refrain from entering into further stipu-
| lat:ons or agreem ents respecting the sale
! of the property.
Mr.. Allen proceeded to explain and ad-
| vocate his resolution. He said that the
reorganization committee would be- by
| virtue of the purchase .subrOgated toaIl the
| rights and propertie Of the Union Pacific
| Company, including a sinking fund OF 81 a.
900 900 or 81 8 ,0O0, goo, and a land grant
of about l 8 100000 acres. 1t was neces.
sary, he said, that Congress should
| have fun information, so as 70 be able TO
act intelligently on the subject.
He argued that it was the duty Of the
President, under the law, not TO direct fore
closure, but to pay off all paran cunt liens
and take possession the property. There
was no pretence, he said that any effort
had been made by the President TO redeem
the property. The right TO foTeclOse was
a secondary right, dependent on the failure
OF the primary right of redemption
Mr.. Clark asked Mr.. Allen whether he
took the position that 10 foreclosure could
be attempted until the government had
first paid in full the proper liens upon the
road.
Either paid in full or have made an hon
est attempt to pay in full. That is my
position" Mr.. Allen replied.
Certainly" said Mr.. Clark, 'the govern
ment would pay in full, if 1t made the at
tempt. l cannot believe that the Senator
from Nebraska wants the government to
pay out of the Treasury all the money due on
the prior liens, because l know that the
Senator is an eminent jurst and friend
of the people
Mr. Platt asked Mr. Allen whether, un-
der the statute, the President had to use
both remedies, or whether they were aI-
tentative remedies
Mr. Allen replied that the language OF the
statute was not couched 50 as to make the
remedies alternative The President, he
added, could not gnore the provision of the
statute.
He might declare that he would not do
So and he might and say, in the language
OF boss Tweed, what are you going TO
do about it?'' The price fixed, Mr.. Allen
asserted, was not equal to so per cent
OF the value of the property; in his tudg-
ment it was not equal to 80 per cent.
He complained that the property worth
81 10, 900, goo should be taken from the
control of Congress by an executive order,
and said it was bad enough to have the
Cuban affair and other foreign matters
withdrawn from the control OF the Senate,
without having domestic matters also with
drawn.
Mr. Thurston said that he desired to
address the Senate on the subject, and he
asked that the resolution go over until
tomorrow 1t was so ordered.
Tie Senate bill to provide for the repre-
sentation of the United States by commits
sions at any international monetary con-
ference was taken up, and Mr. Chandler
addressed the Senate in support Of it. He
said:
'This bill represents new movement
beginning in the United States for the es-
tablishment of binetallism; the unlimited
coinage Of silver and gold as standard
money.
THE provisions of the bill are in the
form desired by its friends; substantially
in the language OF three previous au-
thoriZations, under which United states
delegates were appointed to international
monetary conferences, and of one under
which no action was taken.
1T simply Authorizes the coming Presi-
dent to appoint delegates to any con-
ference which may be called by the United
States or any other nation, and provides
for paying their expenses.
ut does not compel the President to
initiate aninternationaI conference, whether
the time has arrived and due preparations
have been made for it or not and it is not
desirable that such compulsion should
be ordered. The responsibility for action
or non-action will be his, and there need be
no desire to take it from him, in view
of his utterance upon accepting the NOM
inatiou of his party, namely:
"'The Republican party has declared in
favor of an international agreement, andif
elected President it will be my duty to
employ all proper means to promote it, -
have fun information, so as to be able to
act intelhgently on the subject.
1.-The bill does not name the place where
a conference must be held, but leaves that
question to be settled according to tile
preferences of the nations which are to
participate in it, and to the convenience Of
the greater number of the delegates. II
would be exceedingly unwise to absolute
Iy require that the conference shall be held
in the United States.
1.-THE bill does not undertake to declare
what the action of this government will be
in case the conference shall fail to estab-
lish bimetallisrn. To insert a legislative
provision that in sach an event the United
States alone will proceed to the free coin
age of silver would necessarily prevent
outcome of the conference, il
one eDsues, and, moreover, would certainly
defeat the passage of this bill through both
houses and it's signature by the President.
It would be as complete a rejection OF
the bill as would be vote of the Senate to
indefinitely postpone it; and the RESPONSE
bility for the first defeat Of the new move
ment for bimetallism would fatally rest
upon those who claim to be the special
champions of silver.
AR .re&ent, this bill for an interna-
tional bimetallic conference has been de-
presented in a body majority
of whose members are in favor of the free