CONGRESS. (INTERSTATE COMMERCE.) 



177 



mission may, from time to time, make or amend such 

 general rules or orders as may be requisite for the 

 order and regulation of proceedings before it, includ- 

 ing forms of notices and the service thereof, which 

 shall conform, as nearly as may be, to those in use in 

 the courts of the United States. Anv party may ap- 

 pear before said commission and be heard, in person 

 or by attorney. Every vote and official act of the 

 commission shall he entered of record, and its pro- 

 ceedings shall be public upon the request of either 

 party interested. Said commission shall have an 

 official seal, which shall be judicially noticed. Either 

 of the members of the commission may administer 

 oaths and affirmations. 



SEC. 18. That each commissioner shall receive an 

 annual salary of $7,500, pavable in the same manner 

 as the salaries of judges of the courts of the United 

 States. The commission shall appoint a secretary, 

 who shall receive an annual salary of $3,500, payable 

 in like manner. The commission shall have authority 

 to employ and fix the compensation of such other em- 

 ployes as it may find necessary to the proper perform- 

 ance of its duties, subject to the approval of the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior. 



The commission shall be furnished by the Secretary 

 of the Interior with suitable offices and all necessary 

 office supplies. Witnesses summoned before the com- 

 mission shall be paid the same fees and mileage that 

 are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States. 

 All of the expenses of the commission, including all 

 necessary expenses for transportation incurred by the 

 commissioners, or by their employe's under their 

 orders, in making any investigation in any other 

 places than in the city of Washington, shall be al- 

 lowed and paid, on the presentation of itemized 

 vouchers therefor approved by the chairman of the 

 commission and the Secretary of the Interior. 



SEC. 19. That the principal office of the commission 

 shall be in the city of Washington, where its general 

 sessions shall be held ; but whenever the convenience 

 of the public or of the parties may be promoted or 

 delay or expense prevented thereby, the commission 

 may hold special sessions in any part of the United 

 States. It may, by one or more o"f the commissioners, 

 prosecute any' inquiry necessary to its duties, in any 

 part of the United States, into any matter or question 

 of fact pertaining to the business of any common car- 

 rier subject to the provisions of this act. 



SEC. 20. That the commission is hereby authorized 

 to require annual reports from all common carriers 

 subject to the provisions of this act, to fix the time and 

 prescribe the manner in which such reports shall be 

 made, and to require from such carriers specific 

 answers to all questions upon which the commission 

 may need information. Saeh annual reports shall 

 show in detail the amount of capital stock issued, the 

 amounts paid therefor, and the manner of payment 

 for the same; the dividends paid, the surplus fund, 

 if any, and the number of stockholders; the funded 

 and floating debts, and the interest paid thereon the 

 cost and value of the carrier's property, franchises, 

 and equipment ; the number 01 employes, and the 

 salary paid each class ; the amounts expended for im- 

 provements each year, how expended, and the char- 

 acter of such improvements ; the earnings and receipts 

 from each branch of business and from all sources ; 

 the operating and other expenses ; the balances of 

 profit and loss ; and a complete exhibit of the financial 

 operations of tiie carrier each year, including an an- 

 nual balance-sheet. Such reports shall also contain 

 such information in relation to rates or regulations, 

 concerning fares or freights, or agreements, arrange- 

 ments, or contracts with other common carriers, as 

 the commission may require ; and the said commis- 

 sion may, within its discretion, for the purpose of en- 

 abling it the better to carry out the purposes of this 

 act, prescribe (if in the opinion of the commission it 

 is practicable to prescribe such uniformity and methods 

 of keeping accounts) a period of time'within which 

 all common carriers subject to the provisions of this 



VOL. XXTII. 12 A 



act shall have, as near as may be, a uniform system of 

 accounts, and the manner in which such accounts 

 shall be kept. 



SEC. 21. That the commission shall, on or before 

 the 1st day of December in each year, make a report 

 to the Secretary of the Interior, which shall be by him 

 transmitted to Congress, and copies of which shall bo 

 distributed as are the other reports issued from the 

 Interior Department. This report shall contain such 

 information and data collected by the commission as 

 may be considered of value in the determination of 

 questions connected with the regulation of commerce, 

 together with such recommendations as to additional 

 legislation relating thereto as the commission may 

 deem necessary. 



SEC. 22. That nothing in this act shall apply to the 

 carriage, storage, or handling of property tree or at 

 reduced rates for the United States, State, or munici- 

 pal governments, or for charitable purposes, or to or 

 from fairs and expositions for exhibition thereat, or 

 the issuance of mileage^ excursion, or commutation 

 passenger tickets ; nothing in this act shall be con- 

 strued to prohibit any common carrier from giving 

 reduced rates to ministers of religion : nothing in this 

 act shall be construed to prevent railroads from giv- 

 ing free carriage to their own officers and employes, or 

 to prevent the principal officers of any railroad com- 

 pany or companies from exchanging passes or tickets 

 witfi other railroad companies for their officers and 

 employe's : and nothing m this act contained shall in 

 any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at 

 common law or by statute, but the provisions of this 

 act are in addition to such remedies : Provided, That 

 no pending litigation shall in any way be affected by 

 this act. 



SEC. 23. That the sum of $100,000 is hereby appro- 

 priated for the use and purposes of this act for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, \. D. 1888, Und the inter- 

 . vening time anterior thereto. 



SEC. 24. That the provisions of sections 11 and 18 

 of this act, relating to the appointment and organiza- 

 tion of the commission herein provided for shall take 

 effect immediately, and the remaining provisions of 

 this act shall take effect sixty days after its passage. 



After extended discussion, the Senate agreed 

 to the Conference Committee's report, Jan. 14, 

 1887, by the following vote : 



YEAS Allison, Beck, Berry, Blackburn, Bowen, 

 Cockrell, Coke, Colcjuitt, Conger, Cullom, Dolph, 

 Edmunds, Eustis, Fair, Frye, George, Gibson, Gor- 

 man, Gray, Hale, Harris, Hawley. Ingalls, Jones of 

 Arkansas, Jones of Nevada, McMillan, Manderson, 

 Mitchell of Oregon, Palmer, Plumb, Pugh, Sabin, 

 Saulsbury, Sawyer, Sewell, Sherman, Spooner. Teller, 

 Vance, Vest Walthall, Whitthorue, Wilson of Iowa 

 43. 



NATS Aldrich, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Chacc, 

 Cheney, Evarts, Hampton, Hoar, Mahone } Mitchell of 

 Pennsylvania, Morrill, Payne, Platt, Williams 15. 



ABSENT Butler, Call, Camden, Dawes Harrison, 

 Jones of Florida, Kenna, McPherson, Maxey, Miller, 

 Morgan, Kansom, Kiddleberger, Stanford, Van Wyck, 

 Voorhees, Wilson of Maryland 17. 



Just previous to the final vote, a motion to 

 recommit was lost, as follows : 



YEAS Aldrich, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Chace, 

 Chenev, Evarts, Fryo, Gray, Hale, Hampton, Hawley, 

 Hoar, Mahone, Mitchell of Oregon, Mitchell of Pcnn- 

 svlvania, Morgan, Morrill, Payne, Platt, Sawyer, Sew- 

 ell, Sherman, Spooner, Williams 25. 



NAYS Allison, Beck, Berry, Blackburn, Bowen, 

 Call, Cockrell, Coke, Colquitt, Conger, Cullom, 

 Dolph, Edmunds, Eustis, Fair, George, Gibson, Gor- 

 man, Harris, Ingalls, Jones of Arkansas, Jones of 

 Nevada, McMillan, Manderson, Palmer, Plumb, 

 Pugh, Sabin, Saulsbury, Teller, Vance, Vest, Wal- 

 thall, Whitthorne, Wilson of Iowa, Wilson of Mary- 

 land 36. 



