Evening star., 1897-01-13
A COMMISSION PROPOSED
May Be an Attempt to Put Through An
other Pacific Railroad Bill.
What is Said on the Subject by Rep
resentatives Powers and
Hubbard.

The probable course of President Cleve-
land in beginning foreclosure proceedings
against the Central and Union Pacific rail-
roads will not, 1t is said today by members
Of the House, deter the Pacific railroads
committee of that body from formulating
a new bill for presentation to Congress. as
intimated in The Star yesterday. meet
ing of the committee is expected to be
called at almost any time.
Chairman Powers would not be surprised
to see President Cleveland instruct the
Attorney General to institute proceedings
at any time, but he has no knowledge of
what the President may or may not do
Those who have talked with the President
feel that there is no doubt that he will
begin foreclosure proceedings. The roads
now eve tn. government some money.
which fell due a good While ago. A still
larger amount will be due next January.
Chairman Powers wants to see something
dore, and he does not feel like waiting TO
ascertain the attitude of the President He
thinks a new bill could he prepared which
would suit the House. The California men,
bers of the House do not think there will
be any further action on the question.
while / will not commit myself to it,
said Chairman Powers to a Star reporter
this morning. Il have thought that there
were some good points in the proposition
for commission to settle this question
majority of the committee thought the
government would be better protected un-
der the bill which was defeated. The House
is too large body to handle a question of
this kind commission of not over five
members, to be appointed by the President
and confirmed by the Senate, might settle
the whole thing sooner than 1t looks as
though it would be settled" Mr.. Powers
expressed the belief that the bill was de-
feated because many members of the House
were afraid their constituents would hold
them responsible if they voted for the bill.
Chances of a New Bill.
Doubt is expressed whether new bill
can be prepared and pushed through Con-
gress at this session, but number of
members of the House committee think
that one could be put through if 1t met the
wishes Of the House. Mr.. Hubbard, who
defeated, thinks that a bill might be put
through at this session IL 1t was for the
appointment of a commission. That is his
idea CT a settlement of the matter, and he
so stated to a Star reporter today. THE
appointment of a commission having full
power to act is the logical way out of this
matter" said Mr.. Hubbard, who has made
a name for hin self since the fight began.
Mr.. Hubbard is the man who defea ted Mr..
Rland two years ago, and who was defeat
ed by Bland last fall. That commission"
he continued, must be made in such 4
way as to be acceptable to Congress. 1
be arranged or what its powers should be.
except that it shoud be composed of men
from the different sections of the country,
who viii, be fair and Just to the govern
ment and to the railroads. The commission
should have power to summon witnesses
and to hear all the testimony"
Mr.. Hubbard said he had no idea whether
a commission would be acceptable to the
President. He said 1t is at the option Of
President Cleveland whether he begins
foreclosure proceedings now or not The
present law, he said, is operative until ii
is repealed, and has been so decided by the
Supreme Court. Under that law the gov
ernment can retain 30 per cent out of the
let earnings of the roads. 1t can retain all
the transportation and mail charges.
That, said Mr.. Hubbard 'is $SOOO0 a
year more than the government could have
gotten under the present bili."
Representative Harrison, whose substi-
feated, expects meeting of the Pacific
railroads committee to be called at an
early date. He looks for further action.
Some of those who voted for the Harrison
substitute say that 1t would have been
stronger had 1t stood on its own merits, but
the opponents of the funding bill were de-
termined to defeat 1t, and to do so they de-
feated every substitute and every PROPOSE
tion offered.
There is a strong element which asserts
that no new bill can be got through this
session. This element is composed of the
men who want to force the government 70
begin foreclosure. They do not want any
thing else, because they think the govern
ment can get all that is coming 10 ii by
this method.
While the House committee is consider
ing what 1t will do, the Senate committee
may also be debating the question. 1t
knows now that there is no use to push the
t.ll defeated by the House, and il will pos
sibly report another bill. 1t is not impos-
sible that Chairman Powers and the House
members of the committee may confer with
the Senate committee and determine what
will be best to do. If this is done the two
committees can report similar bills, as they
did in the bill just defeated.