The times., 1898-06-09
FOUR BILLS WERE PASSED
The Eexed Street Railway QueS-
tiOn Finally Settled.
AMOUNT OF STOCK LIMITED
Charters of the EcLiEg gton and
Maryland and Washington Com
Extended - Underground System
on the North Capital Railroad.

The Senate yesterday passed four Dis
trict of Columbia railway extension bills.
Mr.. Mcmillan, the Chairman OF the
Committee on The District OF Columbia
has been endeavoring for some time to
secure action on these bills, and under
an agreement made on Tuesday he was
enabled to call them up yesterday.
The first one taken up was the bill 70
amend the charter of the lexington and
Soldiers Home Railway Company and
the Maryland and Washington Railway
Company. The pending amendment was
that of MIR. Petugrew, which limited the
franchise granted to twenty years. but
after some discussion Mr.. Pettigrew ex-
tended his proposed limitation 10 twenty
five years.
In a short speech Mr.. Pettigrew attacked
the practice as he termed it, Of granting
absolute control of the streets TO corPor-
ations Congress ought, he said. to retain
control of all streets. There were few
States that permitted the granting Of per-
petual charters TO street railway COM
panies and yet. at the National Capital,
the streets were freely turned over to
these corporations.
Mr.. Mcmillan. chairman of the com
mittee. antagonized the amendment and
Mr.. Hoar made a brief speech in its ia
vor
Mr.. GalIinger opposed the amendment.
There were he said, two bankrupt street
ear companies in Washington now. and
senator's riding on electric cars that were
frequently delayed by old cars on the
same track pulled by dilapidated beasts
that ought TO BE- retired by the humane
society, had an object lesson presented to
them. 1t was TO cure this sort of thing
that the committee had brought in this
bill 1t was fair and just and enabled
the company. which needed money, TO
borrow capital and equip its route with
modern rapid transit. The committee was
endeavoring to replace the horse cars
on other roads with systems like that
used by the Capital Traction and the
Metropo itan Companie-, which were mod
els of their kind.
Mr. Pettigrew's amendment was reject
ed by the following vote:
Yeas-Berry. Butler. Cannon. Chandler,
Chiffon. Harris, Heitfsld, Mason, Mills,
Pettigrew. Teller. Thurston, and Tillman-
Nays-Burrows, Carter, Coekrell, Cul
lom. Davis, Deboe, Fairbanks, Faulkner,
Fora Aer, Frye. Gallinger, Gear, German,
Hale. Hawley, Kyle. Lindsay, McEnery,
McLaurin. Mcmillan. Morgan, Morrill,.
Nelson, Perkins. Pettus. Platt of New
York, Pritchard, Quay, Roach, Sewell.
Shoup, Turpie, White and WOlcott.
Mr.. Pettigrew then moved TO repeal the
right which had been given to other
roads in the District of Columbia 10 con-
solidate The amendment was not agreed
&c.
The amount of stock and bonds TO be
issued was limited to Sl50,oOo mile. This
amendment was proposed by Mr.. Cor
man and agreed to by the Senate.
Mr. Mcmillan proposed an amendment
for the committee providing that the
North Capital Street extension shall be
completed to the Soldiers Home with the
underground system within one year after
the passage of this act. The amendment
was agreed to by the Senate.
Mr.. Mcmillan then offered an amendment
for the committee providing that an ex-
tension shall be made within one year
from the passage of this bill from
Thirteenth Street east TO Fifteenth Street
east on Street: thence north on Fiji
eenth Street east to Fl Street northeast.
The bill was then passed.
After the passage of the lexington bill.
Mr.. Mcmillan Immediately called up the
bill for the purchase of the Belt Railway
Company, and that bill was also passed.
The amount of stock 10 be issued was
limited to $159000 per mile by an amend
ment offered by Mr.. Mcmillan and agreed
to by the Senate.
Mr.. German offered the following adj
ditional section. which was agreed to:
"That the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia shall be and are hereby
directed TO require watchmen to be sta
toned at each crossing or intersection of
railway tracks within the District of Co
lumbia; and, further. that every car shall
stop before crossing.
A fine of fifty dollars Is imposed for
every violation of the above section
A bill authorizing the extension east