The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-04-03
CONFER ON RATE BILL
Friends Of Measure Gather at
White House to Discuss 1t
With the President.
AGREE ON AN AMENDMENT.

Senators Favor Addition Of Provision
to Permit Appeal From Order Of
Commission to Federal Circuit Court.
House Favors Reduction of Printing
Of Public Documents.
Friends Of the railroad rate bill, in
conference with the president at the
White House, agreed upon an amend
ment providing specifically for judicial
review of orders of the interstate com
merce commission by the federal cir
cult courts
Senators Allison, Cullom, Deliver,
Clapp and Long Attorney General
Moody and Interstate Commerce Com
missioners Knapp and Prouty were
called to the White House.
The president maintained that in
Difference to the large number of sena-
tors who honestly believed that the
bill without such a feature would be
unconstitutional the bill should be
amended if it could be done without
a surrender of the purposes of the leg
islation
Senators who took part in the con
ference believe that twenty-nine Re
publicans and the entire minority will
support this amendment
Some sentiment has developed among
lawyers that the proposed amendment
h unconstitutional and will destroy the
vitality Of the Hepburn bill
Senators Knox and Spooner. agree on
pronouncing the amendment suggested
fatal to the bill They reason that its
limitations deprive common carriers Of
the statutory rights given them by
other sections OF the bill that rates
shall be just and reasonable.
Senator Tillman, who has charge OF
the railway rate bill In the senate, said
that he was not satisfied with the
amendment. The senator said he would
oppose it on the floor of the senate,
and he expressed the opinion that not
half a dozen Of his Democratic col
leagues would support it. Senators
Knox and Spooner oppose the amend
ment
The bill was supported in a speech
by Senator Fulton (Ore), who said that
it is not necessary to the validity of
the bill that it contain specific pro
vision for a court review.
The house passed the railway en-
ployees' personal liability bill max
Ing railroad corporations liable for
damages to employees even when the
latter have been guilty Of contributory
negligence.
The house passed the legislative, ex-
acutive and judicial appropriation bill,
carrying $30,000,000, after considering
the measure two weeks. The feature
of the days proceedings was the elm
ination of the age limit OF clerks, a
provision which has created much dis
cnssion.
The senate listened to speeches on the
rate bill by Messrs. Clay, Carmack and
Newlands and then debated and passed
a bill which provides for the reorgani
zatlon Of the medical department OF
the army by authorizing the appoint
ment of officers to take the place OF
contract surgeons.
The house witnessed a most unusual
scene. the speaker rising on the floor in
the midst of a spirited discussion on
reciprocity and tariff revision and dis
claiming responsibility for differences
between minority members Mr. Can
non replied to Mr.. Shackleford (Mo.),
who charged the speaker with holding
up bill
Following the presidents suggestion
the house passed resolutions to correct
the useless printing of public docu-
ments. 1t was asserted that this action
would result in saving the government
upward of $1,0O0,Oo0 annually.