Evening star., 1898-12-05

unqualified approval There can be no ques-
tion that at this time. and probably for
some time in the future, one hundred thous-
and men will be none too many to meet the
necessities of the situation. At all events.
whether that number shall be required per-
manently or not, the power should be given
to the President to enlist that force If in
his discretion it should be necessary; and
the further discretion should be given him
to recruit for the Army within the above
limit from the inhabitants of the islands
with the government of which we are
charged.
1t is my purpose to muster out the entire
Volunteer Army as soon as the Congress
shall provide for the increase of the regu-
lar establishment This will be only act
of justice and will be much appreciated by
the brave men who left their homes and
employments to help the country in Its
emergency.
Pacific Railways.
In my last annual message l stated: THE
Union Pacific Railway, Main Line. was
sold under the decree of the United States
court for the district of Nebraska on the
1st and I'd of November of this year. The
amount due the Government consisted of
the principal of the subsidy bonds. 81 ,236,-
512. and the accrued interest thereon. S31-
211. .711.75, making the total Indebtedness
$5S. AS, ,223. .75. The bid at the sale covered
the frst-mortgage lien and the entire mort
gage claim of the Government. principal
and interest
This left the Kansas Pacific case uncon-
cluded. By decree of the court in that
case an upset price for the property was
fixed at a sum which would yield to the
government only S2,JOOO0O upon its lien.
L. H.
ment was postponed first to December Il,
1897. and later upon the application of the
United States was postponed to the 10th
day of February. 1898.
Having satisfied myself that the interests
of the Government required that an effort
should be made to obtain a larger sum, 1
directed the Secretary of the Treasury. un-
der the act passed March 3. 1887, to pay
out of the Treasury to the persons entitled
to receive the same the amounts due upon
all prior mortgages upon the Eastern and
Middle Divisions of said railroad out of any
money In the Treasury not otherwise ap-
prOpriated. Whereupon the Attorney Cen
eral prepared petition to be presented to
the court offering to redeem said prior liens
In such manner as the court might direct.
and praying that thereupon the United
States might be held to be subrogated to
all the rights of said prior lien holders and
that receiver might be appointed 10 take
possession of the mortgaged premises and
maintain and operate the same until the
court or Congress otherwise direc-ed.
Thereupon the reorganization committee
agreed that if said petition was withdrawn
and the sale allowed to proceed on the 10th
of February, 1898 they would bid sum at
the sale which would realize to the Gov
ernment the entire principal of its debt
81. .503, 600
Believing that no better price could be
obtained and appreclating the difficulties
under which the Government would labor
if it should become the purchaser of the
road at the sale, in the absence of any au-
thority by Congress to take charge of and
operate the road | directed that upon the
guaranty of minimum bid which should
give the Government the principal of it's
debt the sale should proceed. BY this
transaction the Government secured an ad-
vance of 50, ,S03 900 over and above the sum
which the court had fixed as the unset
price, and which the reorganization com
mittee had declared was the maximum
which they would pay for the property
1t is gratifying fact that the result of
these proceedings against the Union Pacific
liiI AdISdS racine line Is thdt
the government has received on account of
its subsidy claim the sum of S64 7J1 223 10
an increase of SIS. s.997 1853 76 over the sum
which the reorganization committee oriei-
nally agreed to bid for the joint property,
the government receiving it's whole claim
principal and interest. on the Union Pacific
and the principal of its debt on the Kansas
Pacific railroad.
Steps had been taken to foreclOse the gov
ernment's lien upon the Central Pacific
Railroad Company, but before action was
commenced Congress passed an act ap-
proved July 9. 1898. creating a commission.
consisting of the Secretary of the Treas
ury. the Attorney General and the Secre-
tary of the Interior and their successors in
office. with full power to settle the indebt-
edness to the government growing out of
the issue of bonds in aid of the construction
of the Central Pacific and Western Pacific
bond-aided railroads, subject to the ap-
proval of the President
No report has yet been made to me by
the commission thus created. Whatever
action is had looking TO a settlement of the
indebtedness in accordance with the act re-
ferred to Will be duly submitted to the Con-
gress.
New Building for Department of
Justice.
l deem it my duty to call to the attention
of Congress the condition of the present
building occupied by the Department of
Justice. The business of that department
has increased very greatly since it was es-
tabished in its present quarters. The
building now occupied by it is neither large
enough nor of suitable arrangement for the
proper accommodation of the business of
the department. The supervising architect
has pronou1ced it unsafe and unsuted for
the use to which 1t Is put. The Attorney
General in his report states that the library
of the department is upon the fourth floor
and that all the space allotted to it Is 80
crowded with books as TO dangerously over
load the structure. The first floor is occu-
pied by the Court of Claims. The building
is of an old and dilapidated appearance. un-
suited to the dignity which should attach
TO this important department.
A proper regard for the safety, comfort
and convenience of the officers and en-
ployes would justify the expenditure of a
liberal sum of money in the erection of
new building of commodious proportions
and handsome appearance upon the very
advanta geous site already secured for that