The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-18


of Indiana, declaring the senate's op-
position to the sale of the Kansas Pa
cific. After the disposition of the reso-
luton the Corbett case was discussed
by Mr.. Pettus of Alabama, and Mr.
Hoar of Massachusetts an agreement
having first been reached to take final
vote on the case on Monday, Feb. Is.
MAINE DISASTER.
At the opening of the session the
blind chaplain delivered a touching in
vocation in reference to the disaster to
the Maine.
The only reference thus far made to
the Maine disaster was in the form of a
resolution introduced by Mr.. Allen of
Nebraska:
Resolved, That the committee on
naval affairs be directed to make an
immediate and thorough investigation
into the cause of the disaster to the
battleship Maine in the harbor of Ha-
vana on the 18th, and to report to the
senate"
If the matter was taken up by the
naval affairs committee, Mr.. Hale said,
the best the committee could do was to
act through the navy department. He
was satisfied that as soon as the sec
rotary of the navy obtained definite in
formation concerning the explosion and
its details he would communicate the
facts to congress.
Mr.. Allen objected to have the resolu-
ton sent to the committee on naval
affairs. I'VE of u.s. said he, who are
not members of the naval affairs COM
mittee, or of the foreign relations COM
mittee, cannot get information from the
departments about these things. We
are shut out as completely as if we
were private citizens. 1 think I ought
to get my information. and 1 am deeply
interested in this matter, through the
committee on naval affairs of this SEN
ate. / do not care to debate this mat
ter or to indulge in any extended dis
cussion of it. What I want is action by
the committee that viii give US infor-
nation"
Mr Chandler IN. h objected to the
resolution, and it went over until to-
morrow.
KANSAS PACIFIC SALE.
Mr.. Turpie's resolution declaring that
the sale of the Kansas Pacific ought
not to be confirmed unless the govern
ment received not only principal, but
also the interest OF its claim, was laid
before the senate, and Mr.. Thurston re-
sumed his remarks on it. He pointed out
that the entire debt of the Union Pa
cific, which included the Kansas Pa
cific branch. to the government, was
about 81 600 900. The sale of the main
and branch lines would return to the
government SOS, 000. 600, or 81 per cent of
the roads Indebtedness. TO the United
States. principal and interest. This
Nr. Thurston held. was a piece of good
financiering on the part of the presi-
dent. who, he said, was better informed
upon the value of the road and all the
details bearing upon that value than
any other official of the government in
congress or out. He pointed out that if
the sale of the Kansas Pacific were not
confirmed, the president would have no
other alternative than TO redeem the
first mortgage bonds, instead of hav-
ing in the treasury more than S6,0OO,000
as the result of the sale.
Mr.. Thurston regarded the settlement
effected by the administration of the
whole Pacific railroad business as emf
nently satisfactory far better settle
ment better by nearly $50, 900. 900 than
that proposed to have been made by the
Cleveland administration. This bust
ness is in the hands of the president,
and the country may be well satisfied
with the discretion, the business saga
city and the craftsmanship of William
Mckinley.
HASTE OF PURCHASERS.
Replying to Mr.. Thurston. MI Harris
of Kansas read a telegram he had re-
ceived last night from Topeka, Kan,
as follows:
Government lien sold here. Special
messenger sent to St Louis to have
Sanborn approve sale in the morning"
Mr. Harris said he did not know what
practical effect the passage of the pend
ing resolution might have. but il was
evident that the purchasers were mani
Testing remarkable haste to secure the
confirmation of the sale.
RAWLINS FOR RESOLUTION.
Remarks in favor of the resolution
were made by Mr.. Rawlins of Utah,
and in opposition by Mr.. Gear of Iowa
While Mr.. Warren of Wyoming was
speaking, the morning hour expired,
and the resolution, its privilege having
been lost, went to the calendar.
Mr. German of Maryland suggested
that the Corbett case be voted on Mon
day, Feb. 2S at p. m. This was
agreed to.
The Corbett case was temporarily
laid aside and Mr.. Turpie moved to
take up his resolution relating to the
agreed to.
The vote was then taken on Mr..
Hales motion 10 refer the resolution
to the committee, the motion being lost.
RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
The motion was then adopted, 80 to
29, as follows:
.Yeas-Allen, Baker, Bates, Berry,
Cannon, Chiffon, Clay, Davis, German,
Harris, Heitfeld, Jones (Ark.), Kenny,
Kyle. Mallory. Mantle, Martin, Mills,
Mitchell, Money, Morgan, Nelson, Pas
coe, Perkins, Pettus, Rawlins, Roach,
Teller, Tillman, Turley, Turner. Turpie,
Vest Total, "a.
Nays-Carter, Chandler, Clark. De-
Doe. Elkins, Fairbanks, Foraker, Frye,
Gallinger, Gear, Gray, Hanna, Hans
brough. Hoar. Lindsay, Lodge. Nc
Bride, Mcmillan, Mason, Morrill,, Plat
Comm. Proctor, Quay. Sewell,
Stewart. Thurston, Warren, Wilson
and Wolcott. Total, 29.
The resolution, as agreed to, was as
follows:
Resolved. as the opinion of the SEN
ate, that the sale of the Kansas Pacific
division of the Union Pacific railroads,
made today ought not to be confirmed,
except upon the terms that the original
claims and the interest thereon due to
the United States from said railroad
company Of the Kansas Pacific division
be paid in full by the bidders"
CORBETT CASE.
The Corbett case was laid before the
senate and Mr.. Pettus of Alabama con-
cluded his speech in support Of the re-
solution. declaring Mr.. Corbett not to
be entitled TO his seat.
MIR. Hoar followed Mr.. Pettus with an
extended legal and constitutional argu-
ment in favor of the seating Of Mr..
Corbett.
The. senate then. at 4:1O p m, went
into executive session, and five minutes
afterward adjourned.