Evening star., 1898-06-08
THE LEXINGTON BILL
MIR. Pettigrew's Amendment Rejected,
l3 to 35.
THE SENATE PASSES THE MEASURE
Proposed Extension of the CoIum-
bia Railway.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Shortly after 12 o'clock today Mr.. McMil-
Ian called up in the Senate the lexington
and Soldiers Home railroad bill and asked
that it be disposed of by the Senate.
The pending amendment was one offered
by Mr.. Pettigrew limiting the length of the
franchise granted by the bill to the rail-
way company to twenty years.
Mr.. Hoar said he did not wish to interfere
with the committee, but he thought 1t
| would be wise to limit the length of the
franchise, and to allow 1t to be acquired by
| the public with a reasonable compensa ton
to the company.
Mr.. Mcmillan said Congress would have
the right to take possession of this road
any time it sees fit to do so. He said the
committee was endeavoring to get these
| roads (the lexington and BeiD out Of the
courts, to enable them to install proper
railway facilities on their lines. He said
the present was poor time to insert such
ton of the bill which reserves to Congress
the right to alter, amend or repeal this act
Mr.. PettigreW said such provision would
allow Congress to do no more than to con-
| troll these railroad companies and would not
| allow their purchase.
Need of Prompt Action.
Mr.. Gallinger urged the necessity of
prompt action on the pending bill to get
| rid of the old horse cars. He said the con-
ditions which Mr.. Pettigrew wished put in
this bill were not in the Capital Traction or
| the Metropolitan companys bills.
Before voting on Mr. Pettigrew's amend
ment he changed it to make the duration
OF the charter granted by the bill twenty
five instead of twenty years, to conform, he
Wi hn 10 in Narr nrfy
Amendment Defeated.
A vote on this amendment resulted in its
defeat by vote of 13 to 35 those voting
in the affirmative being Messrs. Berry, But
ler. Cannon, Chandler Chiffon, Harris,
Heitfeldt, Mason, Mills Pettgrew, Teller,
Thurston and Tfllman.
Mr.. Pettigrew then offered an amendment
to strike out the provision giving the Eek
ingtcn and Soldiers Home Railway Com
pany the right to purchase or lease inter-
secting roads and to repeal such authority
given the Rock Creek railroad.
The amendment was lost. Mr.. Pettigraw
a4so sought to have retained the House
p1oNisiop giving the Commissioners au-
thor1ty to fix the amount of stock the
con pany may issue. The Senate voted to
strike out the House provision and retain
the committee amendment allowing the
amount Of stock and bonds to be determin-
GU ny tHe majority stockholders OF the
road, but the additional issue of such
| bonds and stock shall not in the aggregate
exceed the amount necessary for effecting
any such purchase, lease or acquisition.
and for the construction, reconstruction
ard equipment of the road.
1hls provision was amended SO that such
amount for construction shall not exceed
SlJ0,OOU a single track mile.
Mr.. Mcmillan offered amendments pro-
Viding that the underground system on
North Capitol street should be extended to
L street, and that an extension shall be
constructed within one year from the pass
age Of this act from 18th street east to
10th street east on street, thence north
on 10Th street to II street. These amend
montS were adopted.
Mr.. Hansbrough offered an amendment
which was adopted providing that the cleo
tric conduits should not be used for any
electric lighting purposes other than for
the company's use.
Two Bills Passed.
With these amendments the bill was
passed.
The Belt railway bill was then passed as
reported from the committee with amend
ments requiring the placing of watchmen
at intersection of tracks of the company
and providing that stock and bonds for con-
struction purposes should not be issued
for sum exceeding s15o,OO0 per mile of
sii.gle track.
Immediately after the passage of the
above House bills conferees on the part
OF the Senate were asked for by Mr.. Nc
MILAN.
Columbia Railway Extension,
The Senate then passed without amend
ment House bill 9205, to authorize the ex-
tension eastwardly Of the Columbia rail-
way. and House bill 5I49, to amend the
charter Of the Capital Railway Company.
The Columbia railway bill allows that
company to extend it's road eastwa,dly
from 10Th street east along the north side
OF Benning road to the western edge or
shore-line of the Eastern brancn; thence
over the branch by wooden trestie.
thence to point at or near the interssc-
tlon OF the Benning road with Race Course
read; thence along the Race Course road
to the AEacostia road; thence aIons, rhe
Aracostia road to Watts creek; thence 10
point at or near the eastern corner of the
District of Columbia, with a branch from
the intersection of Watts creek and Ana
costa road, along Anacostia road to its
Intersection with the eastern. boundary line
of the District of Columbia:
The Capital Railway Charter.
The Capital railway bill authorizes that
company to use the double overhead troll
ley system on the Navy Yard bridge, and
extends the time for constructing its road
under the act of May %, 1896, one year
from the passage of this act.