The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-12
RURIED UNDER AN ADVERSE MA
JORITY OF SIXTY-SIX IN
THE HOUSE.
VOTE PROVED A SURPRISE.
UP TO THE LAST FRIENDS OF THE
ACT PREDICTED IT'S PAS
SAGE.
MINNESOTA AGAINST THE MEASURE
The Solid Vote of the Delegation
From This State Cast in the
Negative

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Pacific
railroad funding bill went to it's doom
in the house today under an adverse
majority of &c. The friends of the
measure who had predicted it's passage
up to the last moment were surprised
by the decisive character of their de-
feat. They had been led to hope, from
the votes on the substitutes, that the
bill had more than an even chance of
passage. The Bell substitute provided
that if the Union Pacific and Central
Pacific would clear off the first mort
gage and advance the governments,
the government would extend the in
debtedneSS at per cent. 1t was de-
feated, 110 to 158. The Harrison sub
Sdtute provided for a commission to
negotiate a settlement of the debt 1t
was rejected by the house by a vote
OF 55-214. Many of the members were
as opposed to these substitutes as to
the Powers bill. The California and
middle West members voted almost
solidly against them When the vote
came on the main proposition, the
whole opposition swung into line and
crushed it by the adverse vote of 1853
to 1902. 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, the
subject of hard contests, are usually
brought to q final test before 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
IS the fourth funding bill killed in the
house in ten years. An analysis of the
votes to6say shows that SO Republicans
and 16 Democrats voted for tne bill
and SO Republicans, So Democrats and
Populists and 5 Independents against
it. Mr.. Powers, the chairman of the
Pacific railroad committee, entered a
motion to recOmTntt the bill today
after he had recovered from the shock
of his defeat, saying that the mem
bers of the house were all in favor Of
settlement, but evidently opposed to
the principle Of the measure his COM
mittee had brought in. He thought his
committee should have an opportunity
to formulate another bill in the hope
that it would prove acceptable A
point of order was made against Mr..
Powers motion, but at the suggestion
Of the speaker, the point was not ruled
upon today, but will be when the house
cOnVenes tomorrow. 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
opponents of the bill, on the other
ha 5Nd Toll H.
today settles the fate Of all schemes
to fund the debt at this session. After
the bill was disposed Of the army ap-
preparation bill and several other bills,
were passed. The army bill carried
$23, 126, 344, or $155,55S less than that
for the current year.
Intense interest was manifested in
the outcome of the battle royal over
the Pacific funding bill, Before the
house convened, the floor was crowded
with friends and opponents of the mea-
sure and members were standing about
in groups arguing the merits Of the bill
Such scene of bustling activity has
not been seen on the floor this session.
The galleries also were we'll filled with
interested spectators.
STATUS STATED.
1t required some time to straighten
out the parliamentary situation. Speak
SI IlSOu SldISQ HIS uuQ6TSCduO1HR
the status. There were, he said, no
pending amendments to the bill. There
were, however, two substitutes, that Of
Mr.. Harrison, of Alabama, to provide
for a commission of three cabinet Of
fcers to negotiate a settlement Of the
debts with the two roads, and the Bell
substitute, providing that if the roads
would clear off the first mortgage SO
as to advance the governments lien
to the position of a first mortgage,
the government would agree to an ey-
tension of the period for the payment
OF the debt at per cent interest To
the former substitute there was pend
ing an amendment, proposed by Mr.
Northway, of Ohio, providing that the
commission created should be appoint
ed by the secretary Of the treasury,
secretary of the interior and attorney
general instead of consisting of these
three cabinet officers. The Northway
amendment, he said, was to be voted
On first, then the substitutes in their
order. If either of the substitutes were
adopted it would. he said, take the
place of the original bill.
After some wrangling the speakers
statement of the situation was ac-
cepted by the house. The NorthWay
amendment to the Harrison substitute
was defeated on viva voce vote after
which the Bell substitute was submit
author Of the substitute, demanded a
record-making vote. His demand was
sustained by seventy odd members,
mostly on the democratic side, and
/ the roll was called. AS the voting pro-
ceeded it was evident that the substi-
tute would fail, and the friends Of the
bill were correspondingly jubilant
Senator White, of California, Sena-
tor Daniel and other senators from the
north end Of the capitol were present
at various stages of the proceedings,
and watched the progress of the strug-
gle with keen interest. There was a
furry when the speaker announced
the defeat of the Bell substitute, 110 to
$50. The opposition appeared some
what staggered, but it was pointed out
that the California members and others
known to be opposed to the measure
voted against the substitute. The Har-
rison substitute was then submitted
on a viva voce vote. The volume of
sound was distinctly against the sub
Stitute, and the speaker was about 20
declare it defeated when Mr.. Harrison
(dem., Ala.) demanded theh ayes and
noes.
OVERWHELMINGLY DEFEATED.
There were cries of mo no." but he
he succeeded in securing forty-seven
members to back his demand. This
was not one-ffth of the preceding
vote, but the other side was unable to
muster more than 129, so the speaker
| ordered the roll called.
This substitute was overwhelmingly
defeated, 55-214
The opposition then decided to test
their strength by securing roll call
OH the usually formal motion to en-