New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-10
THREE DAYS BATTLE ENDED
PACIFIC RAILROAD FUNDING BILL
PASSES THE COMMITTEE STAGE.

PACIFIC RAILROAD FUNDING BILL
PASSES THE COMMITTEE STAGE.
vrvo AMENDMENTS ADOPTED AND THE MEASURE
REPORTED TO THE HOUSE AFTER AN IN
rrRrsrINo AND LIVELY DEBATE
Under THE FlvE-MINuTE RULE
x..h,ngton Ian. s-The text Of the bill 10 re.
fund the Indebtedness OF the Union anu -.
pac,ac Railroads to the United States was pee S,.
I'd to-day so far the Committee vi .ne ,
,Iou.e Is concerned and the measure WIN CERTAIN
49, .,ar,onts reported to the House. a
- or a.. massage will be taken on MONDAY LII
Tho course OF the debate. which TO-DAY wa" 80, ~"
durtcd under the fve-mnute ruie' MI 80 -, .u,
rox, proposed a substitute for the comm,'ee '"'
fixing the of interest on the eN',n's .,n,,es
= nor cent instead of per cent as '"e eo .,.
,,,soa Mr. Harrison (Dem.. Ala.) also suo"'.'-
"a suhstitute constituting the Secretaries Oh '"o
rrreasurv and the Interior ana tue A"o."..
oral n commission to settle the oeo' wiz, w
vrova, 81 the President. To this Mr.. Nor'"~a', "
oh,o ,ronosed an amendment making the co'i"''
sion consist Of three persons one ~ o0 r'
nv each Of the officials named ,
rna committee of the Whole adopted TWO ame"u-
men,s offered by Mr.. Parker dtep'' ~. -
snecify more clearly and comprehensiVei! '"e ply
cr,v and assets of the Union Pacific TO be covereo
nv no
ond the o,her TO forbid the company TO dispose VI
any OF its assets without the consent OF the oecte
,arv of the Treasury. Many members spoNe w.
dav and the discussion was interesting AT ""eS'
Mr. Northway evoked an outourst OF app'auo ~, ~
declaring that rather than submit TO comPus'o" y.
,hs debtors of the Government In the settlement
~ the debt he would advocate foreclosure anu .ne
purchase Of the road by the United states. i"'S
outburst his colleague. Mr. Grosvenor. saio cams
from those who believed in the doctrines OF 'he
al
association with Government ownership OF ran
roads and also against the referring OF the ques-
tion Zee settlement to the incoming Administrator"
BEGINNING THE DEBATE.
Mr. johnson Rep.. ~ d. said; Le' no MA" "e
ceye himself with the delusion that these roaus
were built by the private fortunes OF any persons
The roads had been built out of the proceeds OF
subsidy and mortgage bonds andN safes OF 'nc IAN"
gran, netting a profit of over $l0000o,0oe. To say
nothing of what had been done for these corpora
lions Mr.. johnson asked what excuse members
could make TO their constituents by now ADDING 10
that magnificent gift the sum Of sl2so"o"'9 more
which was what bill practically proposed TO DO
Mr. Daniels (Rep.. n. W urged the passage OF
the bill as a reasonable and fair business propo-
sition. When the roads we're first constructed inc
country thought 1t had in them received 1alr
equivalent for the expenditure and aid given MT
Daniels did not conclude within five minutes ana
unanimous consent was asked that he might eN-
tend his remarks three minutes
Mr. Mcguire dem, Cal)-I have no objection
10 the gentleman continuing his remarks. but want
TO say that every member from the Pacihc 'oasl
opposed 10 the bill shut out Of the general de-
bate yesterday. and / shall consent only on con-
dition that at least some OF us on 'nis sue nave
our time extended.
Mr. Hepburn Rep.. Iowa)-There will be no con-
sent given to that If you stayed out OF the de-
bate Yesterday 1t was by your own election. ana
the time to-day Is not TO be consumed IN mat way
Mr. Grosvenor (Rep. Ohio) without attempting
TO add anything TO the argument on the aHrma-
tive side of the question briefly gave the reasons
rrbv he should support the bill. The question
should be settled in the interests OF the Govern
ment and OF the roads and the present proposition
he believed to be the best that could be oDtained
although 1t might not be all that equity demanded
Mr. Dockery Dem. Mo- said he should vote
AGAINST the bill for the reason that adequate In
formation respecting the condition OF the corpora
tons had not been furnished. Congress was en-
titled. he said to a full financial statement and
that had not been given
Mr. Arnold (Rep. PENN, discussing some hgures
circulated by Mr. Hubbard Rep.. Mo, relating to
the several propositions purporting 10 have been
made in the past by the railroad companies warned
The committee that the defeat OF the Dill meant
the issue by the next Administration of s0"ooW
Of bonds TO pay first liens the property. or the
Abandonment of the claim Of the Government
OPPOSITION FROM CALIFORNIA
bill" called attention to the fact that the Central
Pacific Company would not be required by the Dill
to give a mortgage on the present overland hne Oh
the road from Sacramento 10 Oakland 10 the Gov
eminent but the Government would get mort
gage on the old Western Pacific line abandoned
long ago. except for purely local purposes. The
ferry privileges and property of which the majority
report made so much had. since the railroad o.
hcials had appeared before the committee been
transferred to another corporation and. OF course
the railroad company could not now mortgage
them. In support OF this he read Telegram i'om
the City Assessor OF San Francisco
Mr. Powers (Rep., VT, chairman OF the Pacihc
Railroads Committee. denied the truthfulnes3 OF
the statement just made and said 1t was sample
of the manner in which the opposition TO the Dill
had been carried He undertook 10 say that
the railroad company had not for two years at
least disposed of any property but that 1t had all
been consolidated into the possession Of the COM
pany and the Government would get mortgage
on II in It's entirety.
Mr.. Hilborn Haunted the assessors telegram. but
Mr.. Powers. waving it aside. said; i don't care
for your telegram. 1t comes from an Interested
party as interested the gentleman himself
Mr. Hiiborn--It comes from city official and an
MI. Powers (scornfully)-A. city official? SO is
Mayor Adoph suro city Official Sorcs And Se He oye ae
STATE Of as t a"d no the
man who sent the telegram; ! undertake to say
docs not try to tell the truth.
Mr. Mcguire Dem Call said that the pendi IN,
the settlement OF the Pacific Railroad debts Two
wears ago the House voted down an INFINITELY pei.
Ter proposition Reilly bill for the reason ina
II dd not sufficiently protect the interests OF the
Mr. Hepburn Rep.. Iowa. made good his notice
given earlier in the session by Directing TO PER pr
hitting Mr. Mcguire to continue In general S SisI
cussion OF the. subject after his nve minutes mao
been exhausted. ,..a..a ,ho ,os
.src of the bill because II nothing were done ore
closure, must follow. with toa loss vi w. 80 ~
srnmant's claim This at least an eilor' 10
West A@St.
,.~.. <RTHfI> 1907.