Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-13
MORGAN MUCH IN EVIDENCE An Amendment to the Pacific
 .E Railroad Bill w s fl MEANS MILLIONS s z to the Government in the Pacific Rail-
 2. road Natter : Jul
 .1 R0DUCED BY THE ALABAMlAN
: a00UCED BY THE ALABAMlAN
fciency Bill Discussed in the Senate House Adjourns for a Day Out of
 Respect to Senator Harris.

Respect to Senator Harris. | Washington, July 12.-A discussion of
 Union Pacific railroad affairs occupied
 the attention of the senate today The | deficiency appropriation bill was taken | up early in the day, and MT. Morgan | proposed an amendment designed to pre- vent the consummation of an agreement
 made some time since for the settlement l of the government claims against the | road.
 | MT. Morgan spoke throughout the day, severely arraignlng the Pacific railroad msGagens. IJ3,er in the day the entire | subject was disposed of by withdrawing
 the entire paragraph to which Mir. Nor | gan had offered his amendment.
 The deficiency appropriation bill was | no. completed up to the time of adjourn- | mant-
 Before the deficiency bill was taken
 up resolution by MT. Butler. of Nolth
 Carolina, was agreed to directing ehe sec | retary of state to secure from diplomatic
 representatives from abroad full inform | ation as to the operation of postal tele- graphs, telephones and postal savings | banks
 The expediency of atta ching privare
 claims to the defici ncy bin was discussed
 at length.
 INIT. r fOTdkpT, DI ono, 1l4Q OISTeu all
 amendmenn covering the insurance claims
 adjudicated under the Bowman act.
 MT. Hale, of Maine. made point of or-
 der against -he amendment Ths vice-president, in deciding the point held thait private" referred to
 such measures as were for the benefit of | individuals, without application 70 the | general public. For this reason the For- | aker amendment was ruled out as cov- | ering privae claims not to be attached eta,tai. ion, | rules of the senate. The decision operated to exclude large | number of priXaite claims which were to be offered as amendments to the deicien- l cy, bill.
 | In view of this exclusion of private | claims, MT. Hale secured the adoption | of am amendment appropriating $1 900 for l extra labor 60 enable the comm 4s:tee pa claims to examine fully all pending claims and to report comprehensive bill, cov- er4ng all meritorioue claims, to tthe next session of congress. MT. Gear, of Iowa offered an amend menf for the payment of the judgment of the court of claims for $1310 APT in favor of the Southern Pacific Railroad com pany but withdrew + when he saw the amendment would lead to protracted debate. '-.-. ,t-- .--.4 MT. Morgan of Alabama, offered an- other amendment on the Pacific railroad providing that no part of the sinking fund of the Union Pacific Railroad com pany, held in the treasury, shall be used :. in pursuance of any agreement between the president of the United States or any officer of the United States and Louis Fitzgerald, chairman of the re-orgardza- tion committee of the Union Pacific Rail- road company or any other company or corporation.
 Mir. Morgan spoke at length on the amendment saying that the pend ng agreement between the executive branch Of the government and the Union Pacific Railroad company was in fragrant dis regard of law, amounting to robbery, which, when fully understood would cause amazement among the American
 people.
 At one stage c.s his remarks MT. Nor
 gan referred to the house not being in
 session and was reminded by Mir. Gear
 that the house would be in session tomor- row.
 q am delighted to hear that congress VIII not be running on one wheel" pro ceeded Mr. Morgan, "and I invite the at- tention of the house to the fact that by adcDting this amendment it can save $30 GOO GOO to the government which othe-- wise the government will ba robbed of These are strong words. but I use them Knowing what they mean. Let congress adjourn without taking hold of tn s trars-
 action and the Uriited States gevernment will lose $30, 900 and the people will Vose God knows how much in tha future' MT. Morgan severely criticised the rP0rQ1a l committed.
 At another point Mir. Thurstan. of Ne braska, demnrred to MT. Morgl ms ref
 ererce to him as counsel for tha receivers
 of the Pacific railway. spying he had not acted in that capacity since December 1895, and whale his service might not in- volve arv question of pronriety yet it was desirable to have the facts set forth correctly
 These receivers and their counsel were
 officers of tbp MT Thurston said.
 Mr Morgan made an extended legal ar gument to show that the Union Pacific railroad property could not be sold with out the consent of congress.
 Mir Thurs nn took exc rltion to Mr Morgan's claim that the governments Ten was not confined to the aided r,roD- erty of the road. but embraced all its property whether aided or not
 MT. Thurston contended ths. the Uni ed Si.ateis couit had h;ld the lien of tha gov errment to extend only to the mileage of the railroad aided by the issue of the subsidy bonds
 MT. Morgan spoke for over three hours appealing TO his aSsoci iates ito support the amenfln mt and prevent the consumma- tion of what he regarded as a serious mernce Fo the government
 MT. Thnrston briefly controverted the points of Mir. Morganis argument. saving the ps7ding propositicn was destined 10 prevent ths taking the Union Pacific question out of the politics of the wee,. ard also to endanger settlement on a most advantageous basis
 MT. Fllle. in charge of The bill claimed that the Morgan amendment was nev legislation. He withdrew the paragraph. To which MT. Morgans proposition was am amendment thus disposing of the en- tire subject.
 The bill was then laid aside. and at 4:55 ?. m, the senate held an executive session and then adjourned.
 HOUSE.
 The house. on account of the death of Senator Hurlfs, as soon as thts journal had been read, or motion of Mir. Moon, of Tennessee, as a mark of respect to Lae