Mr. FTHOMAS. I would rather have the subject disposed of by the House, and I hope the House will allow me to respond to what has been said by the Gentfrom Pennsylvania. I suppose there is no necessity for any fas tidiousuess in making further reference to what occurred in committee. There has nothing extraordinary occurred in the committee at all according to my information, and I have had some 30 years ofexperienee in public affairs, and some little experience in the proceedings of the Congress of the U.S. It is true the House has had under consideration and advisementabill, and has passed an opinion upon that subject, that it should be referred to a select committee which should be friendly to the object proposed. But when the House refers either a motion, a resolution, or a bill in the usual way to a select committee, all that is required by parliamentary law is that there shal be a majority of members on the committee friendly to the object. I never before heard that a committee was bound to be friendly to the instrumentality which had been devised by a particular member for the purpose of carrying out the purpose of the House. Of what earthly use wouTd be the organization of a committee, or the investigation of a committee, if they were to take a bill brought in by an individual, make that the guide, and report it back to the House? Now, as one of the members of the committee has been referred to, who is absent. it is perhaps properthat I should say that Mr. fiBASDEGEE was placed on the committee under j the supposition that he was favorable, not to this bill, but to the purpose of having a line of communicationhetweeu the 2 cities if the public interest demanded it. Having examined the phraseology and object of this particular bill with great candor and frankness, he said that since the war had terminated he had come to a different opinion as to the propriety of the project. In the presence of the Gentfrom Pennsylvania [Mr. Sravsss] he addressed aquestion to the president of the Baltimore an Ohio railroad, and received an answer that removed all difficulty out of his way. Mr. BasVENSu entertains the theory that there may be a combination of circumstances that would justify the Government of the U.S. in exercising the high pre rogative and power of disregarding State legislation in every respect, and making a great thoroughfare from one point to another within our national boundaries; but he believes that that must be a case of stern necessity or very nearly approximating to that state of affairs; that the power is only to be exercised under circumstances of very great emergency, or great, palpable public inconvenience. It was with a view to ascertain whether such a state of affairs existed Mr. BRANDEGEE asked the resident of the Baltimore and Ohio rail roa what power they had been usin on that road during the last 4 years for reightin purposes. Mr. Garrett answered, 1,000 cars daily with all the necessary motive power. He then asked what power they required now, and the president answered that only 30 cars dail with the necessary power were necessary. So it appears that there has been a reduction from 1000 to 30. It seems that this improvement is recommended by the War Dept. New, I want nothing more than this declaration of this officer of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to show that there is no necessity, so far as the war power of this Government is concerned, for this proposed improvement. Mr. Bamvnsoss voted, therefore, with the majority, to report this bill with the recommendation that it do not pass. Gentlemen have the power ofine ving any other report as a substitute that they may think proper. Now, what I protest against is this: that it should be assumed, according to parliamentary law, that this committeewas not at liberty, when it took this subject under advisement, to change the instrumentality by which a given public improvement was proposed to be made, or to modify that mode, the expediency of which they were organized and appointed to inquire into. I come back again to the position with which I started, and I move that the rules be suspended so that the House may reconsider the proposition addin 2 more members to the committee and a low it to come before the House again.