The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-16
PRICE OF THE KANSAS PACIFIC
SENATE AGAIN DISCUSSES THE
HARRIS RESoLETION.

Has Earned 4 Per Cent. On That
Nmount-Can See No Reason There
fore Why the Government Should
Lose $7,OOO,OOO the Property.
inquiry Concerning the killing of
nm American in Cuba.
Washington, Feb. 25.-In the Senate TO-
d5v Mr.. Pettus. Dem, of Alabama.
ofered and secured The passage of res
olution requesting the President, if not
Incompatible with the public interest, TO
inform the Senate what action had been
talen in reference to the killing of Sc
euudo N. Lopez, a citizen OF the United
States. on April Il, 1896. in the Santiago
del Valla, Maguerrilla, Cuba, by armed
soldiers of SPAIN commanded by Col Es-
truch.
The resolution introduced yesterday by
MI. Harris, Pop, OF Kansas, directing
the attorney general to furnish the Senate
Information as to the agreement reached
by the government with the reorganiza-
ton committee of the Union Pacific Rail-
Hav concerning the Kansas Pacific
branch, was laid before the Senate.
Mr.. Chandler, Rep, of New iIamp-
shire. said he had no objection to the res
nIution. but did not approve of the pream-
bic which included press dispatch.
Mr.. Harris replied that he might not in
sist upon the preamble. The Union Pa
cific. he said, for a long time had attempt
ed to influence Congress and officials of
the administra ton to scale down the debt
of that company to the government about
30 per cent Until year ago last jan
uary the company had been unsuccess-
full. AT that time they made an arrange
ment with Mr. Cleveland's administration
nv which that road was to be disposed of
with a loss to the government of about
$2o6,O0o,OoO,
Mr.. Harris then outlined the reasons
why that arrangement had not been car
ried into effect. Public sentiment was
aroused from Maine to California, the de-
mand of the people, hessaid, being that
they should not be swindled out of the
enormous sum mentioned. When this adj
ministration came into power this ques-
ton was grappled with and the govern
ment finally obtained every cent due from
the Union Pacific on the main line.
we we've all very glad said Mr.. Har-
ris, that the government received its
just due, and nobody has more cordially
congratulated the present administration
than l upon the successful negotiation of
that transaction"
1t was also hoped, Mr.. Harris said
that the government would get the full
value of the debt due from the Kansas
Pacific branch In case the reorganza-
ton committee should decline to pay the
full amount due about $13,000,O0Q it was
no 1af ha COY
would redeem the first mortgage bonds
and have the road operated by a receiver.
competent receiver would show the
value of the property, which. Mr. Har
ris believed, was quite $300O0,000. The re-
organization committee, said Mr.. Harris,
had evidently succeeded in obtaining from
the Attorney General such concessions as
had been outlined in the Associated Press
dispatches, and the government is to
stand and see the enormous sum of S.
100000 of interest sacrificed. The value of
the property, Mr.. Harris thought was an
important consideration. BY the reorgan-
tzation committee and by the Union Pa
ciic officials an effort had been made to
minimize the value of the road. at is
particularly significant" said Mr.. Harris,
that the statements of the reorganiza-
ton committee and the officials of the
Union Pacific regarding the value of the
main lines have been proved by subse-
quent events to be untrue"
AS was said once by the senator from Mis-
souri, (dr. VesD When they speak they
lie; and when they are silent they steal
Mr. Harris then discussed the value of
the Kansas Pacific road and said that hav-
ing been a civil engineer on the line, he
was somewhat of an expert. He said that
during the eleven years the line had earn
Cd an amount equal to per cent. on $780,
OIOOO. He further said that the Attorney
General had agreed to redeem the first
mortgage bonds and have the road oper-
ated by a receiver. This arrangement Mr..
Harris said, was perfectly satisfactory to
those for whom we speak, but the inten-
uon of the Attorney General to let the
road go with a loss of $7,00O000 TO the gov
efnment was not only a surprise to him
ana others, but absolutely unsatisfactory.
Ar. Harris maintained that the Kansas
Pacific road was worth the last cent of the
governments claim, and it ought to be de-
manded by Che Attorney General.
Mr. Morgan, referring TO the effort to
pass bill in The Senate TO give power to
the administration to become a bidder
OF the Union Pacific Railway, said he
thought the Senate ought to take that
measure up and pass it. 1t would be
possible thus to demonstrate whether
there was a power in the House of Rep
fesentatves which would stand in the
way of the proposed measure intended to
save the people OF the country nearly
@'''4V'VvV. IOllticdl partleS Will SOME
tHles permit robberies; they will swallow
inc consequences of those robberies with
Que a strain; but the people will not al
10" themselves to be juggied with what
EVER political parties may do" concluded
Mr.. Morgan.
Mr. Foraker of Ohio discussed the situ-
auon as it had been viewed by the Pres
i'ent. The President had asked Congress
to give him authority to enter the sale
OF the Kansas Pacific as a bidder, but
congress had taken no action. The final
oHer made by the Reorganization commit
zee the President had evidently regard
"a as reasonably satisfactory
senators might differ from the President
as to the value of the property, but he
MAD consulted many well informed persons
ana felt that in receiving the full amount
vi me Kansas Pacific debt, he was doing
Very we'll
mr. Gear moved that the resolution be
.lerred 10 the committee on Pacific rail-
Ioads. The motion was defeated by a vote
bl I9 to "a and thp resolution ryas then