The herald., 1898-02-18
IN TILE SENATE
Members Insist on Payment Of Rail-
road Indebtedness

ciated Press) After a spirited debate oc-
cupying more than two hours, the senate
today, by vote of 81 to 20, agreed to the
resolution of Mr.. Turpie of Indiana, de-
claring the senates opposition to the con-
f1rmation of the sale of the Kansas Pacific
| railroad. After the disposition of the res
olution, the Corbett case was discussed
by Pettus of Alabama and Hoar of Massa-
chusetts, an agreement having first been
reached to take a final vote upon the case
on Monday, February %.
At the opening of the session the blind
chaplain delivered touching invocation
with reference to the awful disaster OF the
Maine. The only refernece thus far made
to the disaster to the battleship Maine
was in the form of the following resolution,
introduced by Allen of Nebraska:
Resolved, That the committee on naval
and thorough investigation into the cause
of the disaster to the battleship Maine in
the harbor of Havana on the 18th instant.
and report to the senate.
II the matter were taken up by the ma
val affairs committee, Mr.. Hale said, the
best the committee could do would be to
satisfied that as soon as the secretary of
the navy obtained definite information con-
cerning the explosion and it's details, he
would communicate the facts to congress.
sent to the committee on naval affairs.
"We," said he, who are not members of
the naval affairs committee or of the for
eign relations committee cannot get in
formation from the departments about
these things. We are shut out as COM
pletely as if we were private citizens.
think I ought to get my information, and
am deeply interested in this matter,
through the committee on naval affairs of
this senate. l do not care to debate this
matter or to indulge In any extended dis
cussion of 1t. What / want is action by
the committee that will give us informa-
| tion.''
| Chandler of New Hampshire objected to
| the resolution, and it went over until to-
morrow.
Turpie's resolution, declaring that the
sale of the Kansas Pacific ought not to be
confirmed unless the government received
not only the principal. but also the inter-
est of it's claim, was laid before the senate.
and Senator Thurston resumed his re-
marks upon it. He pointed out that the
entire debt of the Union Pacific railway,
which included the Kansas Pacific branch,
to the government was about $71 600, 900.
The sale of the main and branch lines
would return to the government S65 900. 900,
or 81 pei cent of the roads indebtedness to
the United States, principal and interest.
This, Thurston held, was q piece of good
financiering on the part of the president,
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 was not confirmed, the
president would have no other alternative
than to redeem the first mortgage bonds,
and thus, instead of having in the treas
ury more than $6,000.000 as a result of the
sale, the government would have to invest
about 81 600, 900 in cash to redeem the first
mortgage bonds, and then would have on
| Its hands property that was of SO little
value as compared with what some sena-
| tors imagined that not single one of the
great railroads centering in Kansas City
| thought enough Of it to venture a bid on
the sale yesterday. Thurston regarded
the settlement effected by the adminis-
| tration of the whole Pacific railroad bust
| ness as eminently satisfactory-a far bet
| ter settlement, 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 sagacity, the
judgment and the statesmanship of Will
| liam Mckinley.
| Replying to Thurston, Harris of Kansas
| read a telegram he had received last night
from Topeka, Kan, as follows:
| Government lien sold here. Special mes
senger sent to St. Louis to have Sanborn
approve sale in the morning."
Harris said he did not know what prac-
tical effect the passage of the pending res
olution might have, but 1t was evident that
the purchasers were manifesting remark
able haste to secure the confirmation OF
the sale.
Remarks in favor of the resolution were
made by Rawlins Of Utah, and In opposi.
tion by Gear Of Iowa. While 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 upon Monday
February 2Sth, 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 Kansas sale
The motion was agreed to-24 to 23.
The vote was then taken on Mr.. Hale's
motion to refer the resolution to the com.
mittee. the motion being lost-a1 to &c. The
resolution was then adopted, "a to 20, the
detailed vote being as follows:
Yeas-Allen, Baker. Bate, Berry, Cannon
Chiffon. Clay, Davis, German, Harris
| Heitfeid. Jones or Arkansas, Kenny, Kyle
Mallory. Mantle, Martin. Mills, Mitchell
Money, Morgan, Nelson, Pascoe, Perkins
Pettigrew, Pettus Rawlins, Roach, Teller
Tillman. Turley, Turney, Turpie, vest-si
Nays-Carter, Chandler. Clark, Deboe
Elkins. Fairbanks, Foraker. Frye, Gal
linger. Geary. Gray, Hanna. Hansbrough
Lindsay Lodge. Mcbride, Mcmillan, Ma
son, Morrill,. Platt of Connecticut, Proctor
Quay. Sewell. Stewart. Thurston, Warren
Wilson and Wolcott-29.
The resolution as agreed to was as fol
| lows:
Resolved. as the opinion of the Senate
/ 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 claim and interest
| thereon, due the United States from III,
4 said Kansas Pacific division Of the Unior
| Pacific Railroad company, be paid In full
i The Corbett case was laid before ths
senate. and Mr.. Pettus Of Alabama con
cluded his speech IN support Of the resolu'
4 tion declaring Mr.. Corbett not to be en-
| titled to his seat.
Gr Hoar followed Mr.. Pettus with an ex'
4 tonded legal and constitutional arrumtn
n ~ favor Of the seating OF NJ Corbe<t