Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-12
HOUSE DEFEATED IT BY A DECISIVE
MAJORITY YESTERDAY.
ALL SUBSTITUTES VOTED DOWN
FOURTH FUNDING BILL THE HOUSE
HAS KILLED IN TEN YEARS.
Representative Powers Asks to Have
the Bill RecOmmitted-Two Kan
sans and Two Missourians
Voted for the BiIl-Mr.
Hubbard's Victory.

Washington JAN 1.-THE Pacific railway
funding bill went to its doom in the house
to-day under an adverse majority of 66.
The friends OF the measure. who had pre-
dicted its passage up to the last moment,
were surprised by the decisive character of
their defeat They had been led to hope,
from the votes on the substitutes, that the
bill had more than an even chance of pas
sage.
The Bell substitute provided that if the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific would
clear off the first mortgage and advance
the government lien the government would
extend the indebtedness at per cent. 1t
was defeated, 40 to 15S. The Harrison sub
stitute provided for a commission to nego-
tiate Il settlement of the debt. 1t was re-
jected by the house by a vote of so to PA.
Many of the members were as much op-
posed to these substitutes as TO the Powers
bill. The California and middle West men,
bers voted almost solidly against them.
When the vote came on the main propo-
sition, the whole opposition swung into line
and crushed it by an adverse vote of l02
to 16S.
The vote was not taken directly on the
passage of the bill, but on the preliminary
motion to engross and read the bill a third
time.
Bills which are the subject of hard con-
fore the last parliamentary stage is
reached.
The Reilly Pacific funding bill, two years
ago was defeated in the same manner, on
the same motion. This was the fourth
funding bill killed in the house in ten
years.
eighty-six Republicans and sixteen Demo-
Gratis voted for the bill and ninety-nine Re
pubiicans, tfty-eight Democrats and six
PopulistS and five independents against 1t.
MT. Powers, the chairman of the Pacific
railroad committee, presented motion to
reconmit the bill to-day, after he had re-
SAYING that the members of the house were
all in favor of a settlement. but evidently
hie; committee had brought in. He thought
his committee should have an opportunity
to formulate another bill, in the hope that
1t would prove acceptable. point OF
order was made against Mr.. Powers mo-
tion, but at the suggestion of the speaker
the POINT was not ruled upon to-day, bat
will be when the house conVeneS to-mor-
row. .Gr..
Mr.. Powers said tonight that he did not
know what would be done, but expressed
the opinion that another effort should be
made to pass an acceptable bill. The OPP
poncnts of the bill. on the other, hand, are
rejoicing. and say the vote to-day settles
the fate of all schemes to fund the debt at
this session.
After the bill was disposed of, the army
appropriation bill and several other bills
We're passed The army bill carried S2S,-
1884, $l55,55S less than that for the cur
With the exception of Calderhead and
Long of Kansas, and Raney and MoZeley,
of Missouri, the entire Kansas and Mis-
souri, delegations to-day present in their
seats voted against the Pacific funding bill,
Representative Miller being absent. 1t re
m;lined for q Missourian, however, to
garner the chief glory growing out OF the
victory Of the 9BgoSifon The srTaaa man is Rsp bo
| pr;tcticed medicine In Morgan county until
elected county clerk in 1886. With. practi-
| cally no experience in public life, he beat
silver Dick Bland for congress, and,
| though serving his first term In the house:
| led the opposition to the funding bill and
! defeated 1t by decisive majority. He
made the minority report of the committee
| on Pacific roads. of which he is a member,
and delivered an exhaustive speech against
| the hill in last weeks debate. Hubbard is
| only SO years old.
| What action the government VIII take
since the Pacific funding bill has been
| defeated in congress cannot be stated. The
attorney general is out of town. and no
| one in his department is willing to speak
| ieved that it is the Intention to take
some step looking to the settlement in the
| courts. If necessary, of this long pending
question.
! uary 10. the net amount due to the United
| States b. the bond-aided roads, after de-
| ducting the amounts credited on account
| of transportation services, is $l2l, $40 SIG,
| 2,5l2. In addition to the amount owing
| to the United States, the companies under
| the authority granted by the act of 1864
| issued bonds amounting to 646l3. 900, which
since have. by act of congress. become a
| first lien on the roads. 1t is the opinion of
| many that before the government could
| initiate foreclosure proceedings it would
| be compelled to secure the interests or the
the opinion of Assistant Attorney General
| Russell.