The record-union., 1897-01-29
By Resolution Offered in the Senate
by Allen of Nebraska.
Instructs the Pacific Railroads COM
mittee to Inquire and Report
Whether the Executive Depart
ment Has the Authority to Fore
close the Lien, and Directs the
Attorney General to Refrain From
Further Proceedings, Pending Such
Inquiry.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-The pro-
posed sale of the property of the Union
Pacific Railroad under foreclosure pro-
ceedings instituted by the Attorney
General is sought to be impeded and
prevented by a resolution offered in the
Senate to-day by Allen, the Populist
Senator from Nebraska. 1t instructs the
Pacific Railroad Committee to inquire
and report whether under existing law
the Executive Department has the au-
thOrity to fOrecloSe the lien and sell the
property without additional legislation,
and whether it 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-
ey-General to refrain from entering
into further stipulations or agreements
pending the injury. In a speech in sup
port of the resolution Allen insisted
that under existing law it was the duty
of the President not TO direct foreclos
ure but to pay off all paramount liens
and take possession of the property.
To an inquiry by Platt R) of Con-
necticut whether the remedies provided
in the statute We're culminative or ter
minatve, 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 80 per cent.
of the value of the property.
The resolution went over without ac-
ID n -,
his desire to speak upon it tomorrow.
The bill for a commission to an an
ternational monetary conference was
taken up, and Chandler (R) of New
Hampshire made a short speech in ia
vor of it. He said it did not compel
the President to initiate the confer
ence, and that such compulsion was no.
desirable. He had no desire to take
from the President-elec his RESPONSE
bility for action or non-action, in view
of Mr.. Mckinley's letter of acceptance
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,
accepted an amendment offered by Ba-
con Cd of Georgia, giving the Presi-
dent 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
consideration of the bill was limited.
was occupied by Stewart Pop.) of Ne
vada in a speech recounting the ills
inflicted upon the poor by the gold
standard, but declaring 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
measure was given by Pettigrew So of
South Dakota, and then the bill went
over, 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,
when legislative business was resumed.
Several bills We're taken from the cal
endar and passed, and at 5:15 the SEN
ate adjourned until tomorrow.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S-Several in
teresting and at times humorous and
acriminous political speeches were un-
expectedly precipitated upon the House
to-day just at the close of an otherwise
posy and dull session, during which the
consideration of the Indian appropria-
tion bill, begun on Monday last, was
concluded, and the bill passed with some
material changes, all reducing the scope
of the measure.
Wadsworth (R.) of New York. Chair
man of the Committee on Agriculture
had called up the bill making appropria-
tions for the Agricultural Department
for the year 1878, and following Sher-
mans case in the management of the
Indian BILL yielded the floor to Gros-
yenor (R) Of Ohio. That gentleman
used the opportunity thus accorded him
to defend the State of Ohio from what he
termed the false charges of Ex-Governor
Altgeld, made in the latter's speech at
the banquet given him last week to
mark the close of his Gubernatorial
term. These related to the great in
crease in the votes of several States at
the November election. Ohio being one
which Altgeld said was largely in
creased, and which had defrauded
Bryan of a victory which he had fairly
won. Grosvenor said the increase was
III botu ii4t iNcPdDiitdIl ana IJe0OcTatlC
votes, and had no taint of fraud in it,
Grosvenor was followed in the same
line by Bromwell OF Ohio. and then
Dearmond Cd of Missouri took the
floor. After briefly reverting to Alt
geld's speech, he read from q newspaper
printed shortly after the election show
ing that there was some grounds for
them as far as Ohio was concerned. He
intimated that Altgeld would soon have
the privilege of replying to the speeches
of the Athenian Representative (Gros-
venor) on the floor. He turned his at
tention to Secretary Morton using as
basis for his remarks the recent bulletin
issued by the Agricultural Department
showing the illiteracy and poverty of the
States which voted for Bryan as COM
pared with those for Mckinley, and de-
nounced 1t as slander upon the men
whom the Department of Agriculture
was supposed particularly to represent.
He appealed to the directors to find a
place In the museum for the Secretary
as curiosity Of modern political life.