Mr. MORltllili. It seems to me that this is I wilL made A? N 'YS Messrs. '8 very great heat over a very little matter. In the 1st place, our law does not reach but a very small number of railroad companies and but very few in number of the gas comanics, as only a few are restricted by State awa or by charters as to the charges they shall make. The report of the committee of conference, as I understand it, merely st onesthe action of the House until next pri, in order to give these gas and railroad companies that are now prohibited by their charters from increasing their rates, time to obtain relief from the Legislatures of their res ctive States. If they do not obtain that re ief between this time and next April, then the action of the House goes into force. I think the proposition made on the part of the Senate and accepted by the conerees is a proper one. I thin it is a fair proosition, and one which ought not to meet with any opposition from any responable man in this House., Mr. DAVIS. I rise to repel the unworthy assaults made upon the corporations of this countr. I refer particularly to the assault y the Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. Ee ems'rox] representing the Cincinnati district. corporations are organized and chartered by, the lisws of the different States for the purpose of accomplishing objects for which individuals are not competent. And when individuals are thus assoeiated together for the purpose of accomplishingaparticularobject, the capitalwhich each individual ate in that corporation is just as much entitled) to the protection of this government as if it remained in every respect individual and private capital. But the gentleman gets up here and claims that these corporations, these great over towering corporations, shall be stricken down as unworthy of protection, so as to protect the people against the assaults of these co orations, even if they be destroyed. He would destroy everything of a corporate character, everything for which these corpo rations are authorized, and in which they are engaged. And the Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. Sensxcn] on my right is entirely in error, I think, in the position he has taken here, that this Government has no right to relieve the corporations from the tax imposed upon them. It Mr. HOOPER, of Massachusetts. I now call the previous question. 1