The Portland daily press., 1897-12-10

On objection.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Chand-
Ter and referred to the committee or
naval affairs, providing for an investiga-
ton OF the question of dry docks and
naval station.
The resolution reported by the Pacific
railroad committee. asking the attorney
general for information concerning the
Kansas Pacific was adopted
Mr.. Gallinger, chairman of the commit
tee on pensions, requested that at the con-
olusion of the morning business today
an hour be set aside for the consideration
of the private pension bills, of which he
said there were over 200 on the calendar
endorsed by the committee. Many OF
them have passed the Senate at previous
sessions, but failed in the House. Elimi-
mating duplicates Mr.. Gallinger was OF
the opinion that at least 1000 persons,
separate bills, had been presented for con.
sideration by this Congress.
am satisfied that in private pensions
matters we have gone to the extreme
limit, and that 1t is now time to call a
halt. L have always been friendly to the
soldiers, but l am constrained to feel that
we are going too far and we ought in
vatism in pension matters"
Mf. Gall1nger thought that the practice
OF Pens1onlng remarked widows and sew
eral other similar Glasses of claimants
ought to be stopped. He thought, too,
| that the recommendation of the commits
sloner OF pensions that law should be
| enacted speedily providing that no pen
sion should be granted to widow if her
marriage to the soldier had been subse-
Quent to the passage of the law under
which he was drawing pension, ought
to be enacted into law.
In response to question by Mr.. Allen
of Nebraska, Mr.. Gallinger said that he
! 10 tJ,s,e ar9ti
sions to widows of distinguished officers.
The order requested by Mr.. Gallinger
| was then made
Mr.. Mcbride of Oregon secured the pas
sage of resolution asking the Secretary
of war for such information concerning
the needs of the Alaskan miners in the
Yukon valley as he might have in his
possession.
| A few unimportant bills were passed
and then the Senate began the considera-
ton Of private PENSIONS. under the special
order.
| The special order for the consideration
Of private pensions bills continued one
hour, during which time 45 bills were
passed.
A majority of the measures provided
for the granting of increase of pensions
new received.
Mr.. Harris of Kansas moved that his
Pacific railroad resolution offered last
spring be recommended to the Pacific
railroad committee as In view of the sale
pective sale of the Kansas City branch,
he new had no desire to press the resolu-
ton.
Mr.. Gear of Iowa, chairman of the Pa
cific railroads committee, commenting
upon Mr.. Harris's motion, said that, too
much credit could not be given the pres
emit administration for the admirable
manner in which it had handled and
disposed of the Pacific railroad matters
| MIR Harris faoetitiously congratulated
his friend from Nebraska, Mr.. Thurston,
upon the change which had come over
him since the consideration of the Pa
citic railroad question last spring
| &Mr. Gear responded that as far as he
was concerned no change had been expe.
rienced and that he was just as nu6
opposed TO government ownership of rail
roads ms ever
Mr.. Thurston congratulated the coun-
try upon the results of the administra-
tion's efforts regarding the Pacific rail-
! roads. He said that if the plan proposed
BY Mr.. Harris had been adopted the
United States would not have received
anything approximating the magnificent
sum which had been paid for the main
| line of the Union Pacific railroad
He expressed the opinion that the pros
| porous business conditions brought to the
country by the advent of the present ad-
ADMINISTRATION had SO improved the main
line Of the Union Pacific railroad that it
| would now probably earn dividends up
on the full amount .of athe large price
paid for it.
Mr. Harris inquired whether Mr.. Thurs
ton thought that the same conditions
would correspondingly improve the Kan
sas Pacific branch. Mr.. Thurston said
that 1T was hardly to be expected that a
branch line would be affected in the same
manner as great transcontinental
road. The Union Pacific would now in
his opinion take it's place among the
great railroad lines of the country and
hi WAS satisfied that under its new man
agement it would vastly add to the inter-
ests of the people whom he represented.
Mr. Thurston said that he noticed in the
Presidents message that the administre-
tion is committed to the policy of pur-
chasing the Kansas Pacific branch unless
a better bid was offered. He said he did
not believe in government ownership of
railroads and he was of the opinion that
the experiment. of such ownership If it
WAS to be tried. might better be tried
with some other than the Kansas Pacific
railroad. He suggested to the Pacific rail
road committee that the authority asked
for the President to buy in the road be
coupled with full power to resell 1t. 9th
erwise the government would be placed
q
property, whatever might g the condit-
ions and it might be long time before
authority to sell it could be obtained
from Congress.
Mr.. Harris's resolution was then re-
committed.
Upon motion of Mr.. Lodge, the immi.
grafton bill was made the unfinished
business on the Senate calendar
| Mr.. Carter, chairman of the census com
mittee, secured unanimous consent for the
consideration on Monday next of his bill
providing for the taking of the federal
census in 1900, Mr.. Lodge agreeing not
to press the immigration bill ON Monday
or Tuesday in view of the anxiety of Mr..
i Carter to secure consideration OF the
census measure.
AT $40 pm. the Senate adjourned un,
til Monday. =
INDIAN APPROPRIATION BILL.
Washington, December 9.-The work
of preparation of the Indian appropriar