The record-union., 1898-08-15
SAID NOT A WORD.
MAGUIRE COULD HAVE KILLED
THE RAILROAD BILL.
Congressman Barham Tells the
Story Of the Bill in Plain
English.
(F'rom the San Francisco Chronicle,
August IA

Congressman John A. Barham of the
First District, upon whom Mcguire in
his first address in the State laid the
burden of responsibility for the pas
sage of the railroad legislation Of the
last Congress, was in the city yester-
day, loaded for bear.
After fortifying himself from the
| records, Barham said in reply to the
charges Of the candidate for the nomi-
| nation by the Democratic Convention:
In order to understand any question
we must first know the facts.
The facts which relate to the pass
| age Of the Pacific railroad bill will
state and shall refer to the pages OF
the Congressional Record for verifica-
| ton.
| The Pacific railroad bill which was
| passed at the last session of Congress
was offered by Senator Morgan OF AL
ALBANIA as an amendment to the general
deficiency bill. (Con. Rec. page {, 249)
To prevent debate Senator Hale Of
Maine, who had charge of the bill re-
served the point of order (p. Z, 249), and,
| it appearing to him that the deficiency
| bill would be delayed by debate, he
sisted on his point of order (p. {, 2o4,
which was sustained, and the railroad
| bill was thus killed
Senator White of California, a few
moments later assured the Senate that
no debate (p. Z, 300 would follow if an
| amendment was agreed to which he
would offer and which had been agreed
to by himself and his colleague, Sen
ator Perkins.
| The bill as thus amended passed the
| Senate by unanimous consent (p. Z, 2o0.
1t could not pass in any other way
| The bill, SO passed, came to the House.
| As it came from the Senate / was OPP
| posed to it. / saw Senators Perkins
| and White and said the bill must be
amended, or l, with many other Repub-
| licans would vote against it. While
| they did not think my amendment
| necessary, yet they said the Senate
| would accept the bill with my amend
ment. Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, Chair
| man of the Committee on Appropria-
| tions had charge of the bill in the
House (p. T. 1860, and in order to get a
vote in the House on my amendment
| it required unanimous consent. l
naturally sought Mr. Cannon first, but
he declined to have it considered, and
not until many members in the House
| and Senator Perkins and others had
assured him of the certain defeat of
the bill unless my amendment was con-
sented to, did he yield and ask for
unanimous consent for vote upon
| the bill with my amendment Opp. 7514,
1850
The foregoing facts are necessary in
order that the matter may be properly
| understood and considered.
In my judgment the bill settles the
question and no further legislation is
necessary. AS said by Senator Nor
gan: Never before has the Pacific
railroad question been in such good
| shape. As it now stands, all necessity
| for further legislation has passed"
| The terms of the bill must be accept
| ed by the railroad or the mortgage
| will be foreclosed The bill provides
for the payment Of all the principal and
| interest, at no less than three per cent
| the whole amount $50 OOO,00O) within
ten years in equal semi-annual Install
| ments, and that in the event of de-
| fault in the payment of either principal
| or interest, or any part thereof, then
the whole sum, and all the installments
principal and interest, shall Immediate
| ly become due and payable, notwith-
standing any other stipulation in the
| settlement
The commission to effect this set
tlement is composed of the Secretary
of the Treasury, the Secretary of the
Interior and the Attorney General, and
their acts must be approved by the
| President of the United States
have full confidence in President Nc
Kinley and his Secretaries
My amendment to the bill is as fol-
| lows:
Provided, further, that unless the
settlement herein authorized be per-
| fected within one year after the pass
| age Of this Act, the President Of the
United States shall at once proceed to
| foreclose all liens now held by the
United States against said railroad
companies, and to collect the indebted
ness herein sought to be settled. and
nothing in this Act contained shall be
| held to waive or release any right, lien
or cause of action already held by the
United States"
| The terms of the settlement I believe
| to be just and based upon common
| sense and business principles l have
| read Mr. Maguire's speech, as published
August 10th. The bill passed the
| Senate by unanimous consent as above
stated. Anyone in the Senate could
have killed the amendment to the bill
by saying, II object" this being
rule in the Senate al that stage of any
bill. In the House, but for my amend
ment, the bill would have been defeated.
Any member of the House could have
killed my amendment by saying, II
object"
Mr.. Mcguire spoke against the bill
as it came from the Senate, but when
unanimous consent was asked to vote
upon the bill with my amendment
there was no objection. Mr. Mcguire
the objection. He or any one else could
have prevented the vote being taken
by simply saying Il object" Mr.. Ma
guire did not, nor did anyone else use
those two words which might have de-
feated my amendment, and this would
have resulted in defeating the bill
/ have much confidence in the fidelity
of Mr.. Mcguire upon this subject, but,
for some reason which he will doubtless
lection to my action, which he failed to
make when it would have been effec-
tive.
Everybody knows-at least everybody
who knew what was going on in the
House knew-that unless my amend
| ment was adopted, from twenty to
twenty-five Republicans would vote
with me against the bill.
Mr.. Mcguire said that Barham's)
or al 1Nc he 1f ID