The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-04-05
DOINGS in CONGRESS
What is Being Done Day by Day BY
the National House and Senate.
Rate Bill Honest.


as II came from the House The let.
ter WAS accompanied by letter from
,. H. towan, attorney for the asso-
citation, in which he said that the rail-
roads have in the past six years IN
creased rates on cattle shipments to
the extent of S18 a ear, causing a
total outlay of $4,000, 900 above the.
amount that it would have been nee
cessary to pay under the old prices.
The petition urged the Senate TO re-
sist efforts 10 seriously amend the bill
as mere subterfuges on part OF op-
ponents Of the bill
The following bills were passed:
Amending the Law requiring lights
Oh RATS so as TO make it apply TO
RATS in tow.
Authorizing the erection Of dam
ac-oss the Choctaw Hatele river. in
Dale county, Ala.
The conference report on the con-
sular reorganization bill was agreed
to without discussion.
All in Publics Interest.
When the railroad rate bill was
taken up, Mr.. Clay addressed the
Senate, saying that he not consider
the principle point Of controversy a
serious one. He had heard charges
that both the House and the Knox
bills were drawn III the interest Of
the railroad, but the facts, he de-
clared, were convincing that such was
not the case. He then traced the his
tory Of the House bill, saying that it
owed its origin to the Interstate
commerce commission and had been
accepted by the entire membership of
the House committee, Republican and
Democrats alike had passed the
House with practical unanimity. The
bill might not be perfect, but he was
satisfied that it had received only
honest consideration. SO, too, he was
satisfied that the Knox, the Tillman
and Culbertson bills had all been
drawn III the interest Of the people.
He discussed the question of a court
review of the orders Of the inter-
State commerce commission, saying
that If under the House bill the regu-
larity of the commissions s orders only
was contested, the carrier woald be
deprived of the right to contesting a
rate fixed.
Should Concede Review.
Mr.. Clay declared that of it was
the intention to permit review of
the commissions finding, the right
should be conceded in the bill.
why not say so directly in the
bill and get over the controversy"
he said 81 believe that review ought
to be permitted, but believe that the
review ought to be confined to the
question as to whether the rate fixed
Is constitutional. The court should
not be authorized to go into the whole
case.''
Mr.. Tillman and Mr.. Fulton asked
why, if the review privilege was to be
confined to the constitutional privi-
lege, any provision of the kind was
necessary, and Mr.. Clay replied that
he would agree with them if there
were nothing in the bill as it stands
on the subject of review, but that in
view Of the text of the bill he thought
it should be amended so as to author
ize the courts to say whether the
rates fixed were confscatory.
Mr.. Clay referred to the differences
of opinion between eminent lawyers
when the income tax measure was be-
fore Congress.
Mr.. Tillman said it was no wonder
lawyers we're befuddled' on that
measure, because the Supreme Court
had been on both sides.
In the House.
The House adopted the conference
report on the consular reform bill.
April 10 was agreed upon as the
date when debate on the pure food
bill shall commence, to continue at
least two days.
Consideration Of the legislative, ex-
executive and judicial bill was resum-
ed, and when an amendment was Of
fered to the amount appropriated for
travelling and other expenses Of conf
Dental agents Of the Department of
the Interior, Mr.. Tawney Of Mime
sofa, said he was opposed to creating
a secret service bureau for the In
terror Department.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee said it
was an outrage on the part Of the ap-
preparations committee not to give
the Secretary Of the Interior what he
needed to carry on the work of run
ming down the wilderness of land
thieves in the West.
Mr.. Mann, of Illinois, said that the
Secretary of the Interior had been
most active in ferreting land frauds.
He said (replying to an intimation of
Mr.. Tawney that Secretary Hitch
cock had "impulsively" asked for
$4,000 when he needed $20,0O0)
"Impulsively! With his blood as
cold as a fish, he could not impul-
sively reduce his just needs. The
Secretary is a cold-blooded man and
it is through this very noture of his
that he has kept the public domain
from being robbed outright. No, 1t
was the ice water that was poured
dowr. his back by the appropriations
committee that kept him from tell
ing the real needs of the service.
It would be crime not to support
the Secretary of the Interior in his
brave fight against powerful infiuen-