The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-11
HANGING IN The BALANCE
Culminution Of the Struggle Ovss
Pacific Funding Bill.
WEEKS CONGRESSIONAL FORECAST.
Free Homestead nil IL Expected q
Reach Vote In che senate. 81
Appropriation Hills.

Washington. January 1o.-lrhc course "
tho senate this week will depend larssIy
upon whether the Pacific railway fundins
bill passes the house and whether Senator
Cameron Will call up his Cuban resolution.
MIR. Cameron's friends expect that be
VIII be In his seat Monday and that when
hc returns he will indicate his desire a. "a
the resolutions on the Cuban question. II
no decides to press the resolutions there
VIII be determined effort to antagonists
him In this direction. but In that event
there are liable to he few speeches on Cuba.
Senator Mills has announced his purpose
to address tho senate on the question TO.
morrow. and II In understood that Senator
Davis is preparing Cuban speech.
Tho pettgrcw FREQ homestead bill q
expected to reach a vote Monday or Tues-
day. and 1t is to be followed by tho Pa
cihc railway bill n the latter bill passes
the house.
Senator Cullom. who will have charge
OF the legislative. executive and Judiciary
appropriation bill, said today that no OK.
pccted to be able TO report that measure
bv the middle OF the week and that no
would ask tho senate to consider II a.
soon as reported. 81
The House
Washington, January 10--'rhe fate OF the
Pacific railway funding bill. which was
debated three days In tho house last week,
viii BIO decided tomorrow, when the meas
urc with the pending amendments will
come to vote under the special order,
under which tho house liz proceeding. The
Dill Involves the settlement OF the Stt2,.
100000 OF Indebtedness OF the Union aud
Central Pacific on the basis of the extern
sion OF over eighty years at 2 per cent,
with an annual extinsuishmcnt payment
on the principal al tho rate of 1855. 900
for the first ten years. SbS0.000 for the
second ten years and s7a0.o00 for the re-
naming years, II involves as the alter
native OF It's defeat the probable imme-
diate foreclosure OF the governments lien
and tho sale OF tho property. 1t ls tho
elimination OF tho struggle which hns
| gone on In congress- for dozen years 70
secure some sort Of nm adjustment OF tho
| Pacific railway indebtedness on tho basis
OF an extension, as II has been apparent
| for a long period that the roads would de-
fault when the bonds maturcd. The inter-
| ests at stake are gigantic and tho friends
| OF the bill are still straining every nerve.
Tho opponents OF the measure are also
active and tho result Ia awaited with in-
tense interest Each side tonight claims
| u VIII DC NiVtoIiVNs tOTiOTTuW. DOM blu10
| have made polls OF tho members upon
which they predict their claims. Before
tho final vote II taken on the bill the
| BELL and Harrison substitutes, both OF
which are pending. will he voted upon.
The former provides that II tho Unioa
Pacific and Central Pacific will discharge
the first mortgage indebtedness of SAL
100000 no IN to advance the governments
lien to a first mortgage the government
will agree to mn extension Of the debt At
a low rate of interest The Harrison sub
stltutc provides for tho creation OF a COM
mission, consisting Of the secretary Of the
| treasury, tho secretary OF tho In
| terlor and the attorney general. for the
settlement Of the debt on basis fair
to tho roads and Just to the government.
| After the funding hill is disposed Of,
the house Will proceed with tho consid-
Grafton OF the appropriation bills until
Saturday, which Will be given up to eu-
lories on the life and character and public
service of the late cx-Spcaker Crisp. Tho
| Indian and military appropriation bills
arc on the calendar and before they ere
disposed OF the agricultural bill will b.
| hroupht