The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-29
The Proceedings.

Washington, Jan. 2S.-The senate bill
/ to extend the time for the completion
of the St. Paul. Minneapolis & Mani
/ toba railroad through Indian reserva
! tons was passed.
/ Several petitions favoring the imme
date ratification of the arbitration
treaty were presented.
1 Mr.. Allen (Pop. Neb). offered a reso-
luton instructing the committee on Pa
cific railroads TO inquire and report
whether under existing laws, the eXecu-
tive department has authority to fore
close the government mortgage on the
Union Pacific railroad and TO sell the
property without additional legislation
also To the authority of the president
or attorney general 10 contract in ad-
vance of sale for the amount that is to
be bid; also whether ii is not the duty
of the president and of the secretary
of the treasury to redeem or otherwise
clear of all the paramount liens by
paying the same. and directing the at
tOrney- general in the meantime TO re-
frain from entering into further stipu-
latiOns or agreements respecting the
sale of the property. Mr.. Allen pro-
ceeded to explain and advocate his
resolution. He said that the reorganiz-
alton committee would be by virtue
of the purchase, subrogated to all
the rights and properties of the Union
Pacific company including a sinking
fund of S1f 100, 900 or $4,000. 600 and a
land grant of about IS 600. 900 acres. 1t
was necessary, he said, that congress
should have full information so as to
be able to act intelligently on the sub
ject. He argued that it was the duty
of the president under the law not TO
direct foreclosure, but to pay off all
paramount liens and take possession
of the property. There was no pre-
tense he said, that any effort had been
made by the president TO redeem the
property. The right to foreclose was a
secondary right dependent on the fail
ure of the primary right of redemption.
Mr.. Plat (Rep. Comm, asked Mr..
Allen whether, under the statutes, the
president had to use both remedies, or
whether they were alternative rene
dies. Mr.. Allen replied that the lam
guage of the statute was not Couched
SO as to make the remedies alternative.
The president, he added, could not
ignore the provision of the statute
The price fixed, Mr.. Allen asserted.
was not equal to 80 per cent of the
value of the property; in his judgment
II was not equal 10 30 per cent. He
complained that the property worth
Sl40, 900 should be taken from the
control of congress by an executive
order, and said ii was bad enough to
have the Cuban affair and other foreign
matters Withdrawn from the control of
the senate without having domestic
matters also withdrawn.
Mr.. Thurston (Rep. Neb.), 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.
The senate bill to provide for the
Of the United States by
at any international
monetary conference was taken u.
md Mr. Chandler addressed the senate
n support of it.
Mr.. Chandler appealed to Mr.. Can |
ION (Rep. Utah), to withdraw his
amendment requiring the holding of the
conference in the United States. He
.lso appealed to Mr.. Stewart (Pop. !
Vev.). whom he spoke of as The 1
riend Uf my life time" to withdraw /
lis amendment which provides that. /
within a month after the failure and /
djOurnment of the conference gold and
liver shall be coined in the United
tates mints-the silver into standard
liver dollars.
Mr.. Stewart said that he had no dis
osition to embarrass or hinder the
assage of the bill, but ne went on to
rgue that the United States alone