The San Francisco call., 1897-02-23
COILS LANDS ON
HIS PINS AGAIN
The House Decides to Pay
the Southern Pacific
$1,000, 900.
An Item in the Deficiency Bill
Bitterly Fought by Sayers
of Texas.
Docksry of Missouri Scores the Rail.
road Magnate, Accusing Him of
Ma querading.

WASHINGTON, D. e., Feb. 22-Al-
though the House was in session to-day
the mem bers were not allowed to forget
its historical significance. Flags foated
from the dome of the Capitol and Chap
lain Couden in an eloquent prayer made
patriotic reference to the father of his
country.
This happened to be the day set apart
under the rules for the discussion of busi-
ness relating 10 the District of Colum bia,
but Chairman Babcock of the District
Committee graciously gave way to Chair
man Cannon of the Appropriation Com
mittee, by which arrangement District
bills were to come after the deficiency and
naval appropriation bills had been dis
posed OF.
When the deficiency bill had been taken
up in the committee of the whole the Bit
ter fight that was waged in the House
some weeks ago over the Pacific funding
bill was renewed to some extent.
Sayers CD of Texas offered amend
ments to the paragraph in the bill for the
payment of judgments to the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company, one OF them
striking oIt $1,000, 600 to pay the balance
of the judgment of the Court of Claims in
favor of the Southern Pacific Company.
Savers said with vigorous emphasis
that this was the old fight that had been
going on since the Fiftieth Congress.
Now the question was whether the COM
mlttee of the whole would reverse the &C.
tion of the House and give to the South
ern Pacific this 81, 10000 That company
mad control of the Central Pacific and all
its branch lines, and he asked should not
this be held as an offset to secure its pay
ment of Indebtedness TO the Government ?
Congress ought to see now that it was en-
gagged in death grapple with these rail-
roads; that no money was appropriated
for the settlement of the indebtedness be-
tween the Government and these COM
panies; the validity of the judgment was
omitted, and it could not be denied that
the Government owed the amount named.
But as the stockholders of the Southern
and Central Pacific companies were one
and the same and one was in a condition
of bankruptcy the House would be dere-
lict in its duty If it paid over the 81 .300,-
600 to the Southern Pacific Railroad,
which was one and the same as the Gen.
trail Pacific Railroad Company.
Northway (R.) of Ohio maintained that
the amount of the bill was a legal judg-
ment and should be paid, He quoted the
~
support of is contention.
In the course of short speech Dockery
d.. OF Missouri criticized @. p. Hunting
ton. He contended that Mr.. Huntington
had diverted from the Central Pacific
traffic which belonged 10 that line and in
that way deprived the Government OF the
amounts to which II was Justly entitled
under the Thurman law, and looked for
ward to the time when 1t could be bought
for a nominal sum.
Dockery said he appealed for even
handed justice and would not discuss
legal technicalities. The Southern Pacific
was but mask, a disguise behind which
the Central Pacific masqueraded at the
expense of the Government.
Dockerv replied somewhat testify to an
interruption by Bingham (R.) of Penn
sylyania and said dramatically: "I chal-
lenge the gentleman from Pennsylvania
to read the list of stockholders of the
Southern Pacific and OF the Central Pa
citic TO see how nearly alike they are''
He referred to this defaulting CORPORA.
tion. alias G. P. Huntington, and his
brother stockholders, and went on 10
read figures showing that on January l.
1899, Mr.. Huntington would owe the
United States over 100000, 00O. He ap-
pealed to the House not TO pay this claim
al time of widespread depression.
a vigorous defense of the judg lent was
made by Grosvenor (R.) OF Ohio, This
matter presented simple question of
law, he said. 1t was not matter of pas
sion or prejudice. He did not know c.
z. Huntington personally, but he knew of
aim as man who employed 10000 labor
ers and pal them high wages; who had
built ND a great industry at Newport
News, Va, in time of wide depression.
and against whom there had never been a
strike of laborers.
Grosvenor objected to any attempt TO
make the Southern Pacific suffer because
another company had defaulted to the
United States. Here was a railroad that
had never defaulted and was never given
dollar by the Government TO aid its con-
struction. 1t had entered into a lawful
contract with the Government and the
contract price should be paid.
Bell (R.) of Kansas spoke in favor of
paying the judgment, while Mcguire I'd. !
OF California opposed payment. The lat
ter contended that an equita BILE right had
risen in the United States sun rior 10 this
judgment and any court would suppo ri
hat rig ht in case of a conflict The cues
tion was whether the Southern Pacific was
in such relation 10 the Central Pacific as
to justify the treatment of this judgment
in law in the same way as judgments of
the Central Pacific were treated.
Hepburn (R.) of Iowa defended the
item. He asked the opposition if they
were going to refuse to pay this debt SIM
ply because they had the power to refuse