Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-29
FORECLOSURE PROCEEDINGS
Against the Union Pacific Des-
tined to Be Blocked
BY ALIENS RESOLUTION
Instructing the Senate Committee to inquire
Into and Report Authority.
BloCToRs POSTMASTER CONFIRMED
q. O. Collier the Man-Senate Executive
Observation-Disclosures Name Figures
Prominently in the House
Morton Gets Basting.

Washington, JAM 2S.-The proposed
sale of the property of the Union Pacific
railroad under foreclosure proceedings
instituted by the attorney general, is
sought to be impeded and prevented by
a resolution offered in the senate today
by Mr.. Allen, the populist senator from
Nebraska. 1t instructs the Pacific rail-
road committee to inquire and report
whether under existing law the executive
department has the authority to fore
close the lien and to sell the property
without additional legislation and wheth-
er 1t is not the duty of the president to
redeem and pay off the paramount liens
and take possession of the property; and
1t directs the attorney general to refrain
from entering into further stipulations
or agreements pending the inquiry. In
a speech in support of the resolution Mr.
Allen insisted that under existing law 1t
was the duty of the president not to di-
rect foreclosure, but to pay off all para
mount liens and take possession of the
property. To an inquiry by Mr.. Platt
(rep. of ConnecticuD, whether the reme-
dies provided in the statute were cumua-
tive or We're alternative, Mr.. Allen re-
piled that the language was such as to
shut out the idea of the remedies be-
ing alternative. He also declared that
the price named in the agreement with
the reorganization committee was not
equal to 35 per cent. of the value of the
property. The resolution went over with
out action, Mr.. Thurston, (rep. of Ne
braska), stating his desire to speak upon
it tomorrow.
The bill for a commission to an in
ternational monetary conference was
taken up and Mr.. Chandler, (rep. of New
Hampshire) made a short statement
in favor NJ If a sol hot nf
compel the president to initiate the con-
ference and that such compulsion was
not desirable. He had no desire to take
from the president-e1ect his responsible
ty for action or no-action in view of Mr..
McKinley's letter of acceptance stating
that the republican party had declared in
favor of an international agreement and
that 1t would be his duty IL elected to
employ all proper neans to promote it.
He subsequently, however. accepted an
ar endment offered by MIR. Bacon, dem
of Georgia), giving the president authori-
ty specifically to call an International
conference at such point as NAV be
agreed upon. All the rest of the time
that was left of the morning hour, to
which the consideration of the bill was
limited, was occunpied by Mr.. Stewart
(pop. of Nevada), in a speech recount
| ing the ills inflicted upon the poor by the
gold standard, but declaring in the end
that he would allow the bill to pass in
any form that its friends desired.
Notice of a desire to speak on the
|, measure was given by Mr.. Pettigrew
(silverite of South Dakota), and then the
bill went over, Mr. Chandler stating that
he would ask the senate to vote on it toI
morrow.
The senate then went into executive
session and remained in 1t until 4:30
O'Clock when legisla tive business was
resumed. Several bills were taken from
the calendar and passed and at 515 the
senate adjourned until tomorrow
IN THE HOUSE.
Several interesting, and at times. hu-
morous and acrimonious political speeches
We're unexpectedly precipitated upon the
house today just at the close of an other
wise dull session, during which the com
sid7ration of the Indian appropriation
bill, began on Monday last, was conclud-
ed, and the bill passed, with some mate
rial changes, all reducing the scope of
the measure. Mr.. Wadsworth (rep. N
/ YDs chairman of the committee on agri-
culture, had called up the bill making
appropriations for the agricultural de-
partment for the year 1S97-98, and fol-
lowing Mr.. Sherman's course in the man
agement OF the Indian bill, yielded the
floor to Mr.. Groswenor (rep o.. That
gentleman used the opportunities thus
accorded him to defend the state of Ohio
from what he termed the false charges
/ of ex-Gov. Altgeld, made in the latter's
speech at the banquet given him last
week to mark the close of his guberna-
torfal term. These related to the great
increase in the votes Of several states, at
the November election, Ohio being one
/ which Altgeld said was largely fraudu-
lent and which had defrauded Bryan of
I a victory which he had fairly won.
Mrl Grosvenor said the increase was in
both the republican, and democratic votes
and had no taint of fraud in it.
Mr.. Grosvenor was followed in the same
line by other republicans, and then Mr.
Dearmond dem. MOI took the floor
After briefly adverting to ex-Gov. Alt
geld's charges, he read from newspaper
publications shortly after the election.
to show that there was some ground for
them, so far as Ohio was concerned. He
intifnated that Altgeld would soon have
the privilege of replying to the speeches
of the Athenian representative (Grosve.
npro on the floor. He turned his atten-
tion to Secretary Morton, using as basis
for his remarks the recent bulletin issued
by the agricultural department, showing
the illiteracy and poverty of She states
which voted for Bryan, as compared with
those of the Mckinney states, and de-
nounced 1t as a slander upon the men
whom the department of agriculture
was supposed to particularly represent.
He appealed to the republicans to find a
place for the secretary in ths museum as
a curiosity of modern political life and
administration. In conclusion he par
o1ied Gray's lines:
9"Fpll many a whim of purest ray serene,
The dark. unfathomed dreams of Morton
Full many wheel Is formed to whir unseen,
!. And waste its fieetness meath ]. Sterling's
hair
" This being ended, the committee rose.
and at $40 o'clock the house adjourned
During the day Mr.. Grout (rep. Vt.)
reported the appropriation bill for the
District of Columbia; Mr. Thomas (rep.
,Mtch) gave notice that on Wednesday
next he would ask the house to consider
the report of elections committee No. 3 on
the contest of Cornell VS.. Swanson, from
the Fifth Virginia district, and Mr., Pow
rers (rep. VII presented the report OF the
conference on thenbin to enable pur-