The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-29
SESSION OF THE SENATORS.
SALE OF THE PACIFIC RAILROADS
THE THEME OF SPEECHES.

MIR. Allen of Nebraska Takes the
Government to Pay OF All Para
mount Liens and Tnkc Possession
of the PrOperty-The Bill PrOvid-
ing For the Appointment of "a Com
mission TO an International None
tary Conference Taken Up.
Washington, Jan. 2S.-The proposed sale
of the property Of the Union Pacific rail-
road under foreclosure proceedings .nsu-
tuted by the attorney general is sought to
be impeded and prevented by resolution
offered in the Senate to-day by Mr.. Allen.
the populist senator from Nebraska. 1t
instructs the Pacific railroad commission
to inquire and report whether. under the
existing law, the executive department
has the authority to foreclose the lien and
to sell the property without additional leg
islation, and whether il is not the duty
of the President to redeem and pay off
the paramount liens and take possession
of the property; and it directs the Attor-
Eey General to refrain from entering into
further stipulations or agreements pend
ing the inquiry. In a speech supporting
the resolution. Mr.. Allen insisted that I'M
der the existing law it was the duty of the
President not TO direct foreclosure, but to
pay off all paramount liens and take pos
session of the property.
TO an inquiry by Mr.. Platt rep, of Con-
necticut, whether the remedies provided in
tho statute were cumulative or were al
tentative, Mr. Allen replied that the Ian
guage was such as to shut out the idea
Of the remedies being alternative.
He also declared that the price named
in the agreement with the reorganization
committee was not equal to IS per cent of
tho value of the property
The resolution went over without ac-
tlon Mr.. Thurston. rep of Nebraska,
stating mis- desire to speak upon it to-mor-
row.
The bill for a commission TO an interna-
tonal conference was taken up and Mr..
Chandler. rep, of New HAMPSHIRE made
short statement in favor of it. He said
that it did not compel the President to
initiate the conference, and that such
compulslon was not desirable He had no
desire 10 take from the President-eect
his responsibility for action or non-action
in view of Mr.. McKinley's letter of ac-
ceptance stating that the republican party
had declared in favor of an international
agreement. and that it would be his duty
If elected to employ all proper means to
promote it. He subsequently. however.
accepted an amendment offered by Mr..
Bacon, dem, of Georgia, giving the Pres
ident authority specifically to call an in
ternational conference at such point as
may be agreed upon.
All the rest Of the time that was left of
the morning hour, to which the considera-
ton of the bill was limited, was occu-
pied by Mr.. Stewart, pop, of Nevada, in
a speech recounting the ills inflicted upon
the poor by the gold standard, but de-
caring 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 meas
ure was given by Mr. Pettigrew, sill, of
South Dakota, and then the bill went
over, Mr.. Chandler stating that he would
ask the Senate TO vote on it tomorrow.
The Senate then went into executive
session and remained in 1t until 4:30
o'clock when legislative business was re-
sumed
Several bills were taken from the cal
endar and passed, and at $40 o. clock the
Senate adjourned until tomorrow.