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Show TUo Union 1'acific Railrond Washington, 27. In the supremo court to-day the government appeal from the decision of the court in the Union Pacific railroad case came up for argument. The substantial question ques-tion presented by this caBe is whether by the true construction act of 1862 incorporating the Union Pacific company, com-pany, as amended by the act of lStil, the United States, whenever it pays interest upon tho bonds issued to aid in the construction of the road, it is entitled to enforce the immediate paymeut thereof from the company by suitor otherwise, or whether such reimbursement can be obtained only by tho application of one-half the comoensation due the company tor services rendered to the government and 5 per cent, of the net earnings of the road after its completion. The company insist that tbe latter construction con-struction is obvious and just, consequently conse-quently that it ia entitled to recover the amount herein claimed, being one-half the sum due for compensation compensa-tion as stated. The government does not pretend, as asserted by the company, that it may withhold this half by force by virtue of any authority to that effect expressed iu the Btatutes, but solely upon tho ground that upon the payment of interest in-terest on the bonds it thereupon becomes be-comes to that extent a creditor of the company, entitled to immediate reimbursement reim-bursement of the sum paid recoverable recovera-ble by suit or offset. The company contend.that the charter Bets forth the finally the increase of the public aid promised by the act of 18(H, when it was found that the requisite capital could not be obtained under the act of 1862. All, it is urged, concur that to establish that wort was deemed by the government of such paramount national importance, that only by a narrow, illiberal and strained constuc-tion constuc-tion can it now bo contended that any of the government aid afforded, whether oi bonds or land, should bo regarded as donations to the company. compa-ny. Plainly, it is said, they were not such, but are to be viewed as reasonable reason-able national contributions to aid in the construction of a great national highway along the public domain, connecting the east with the far west by telegraph and railway. It is then contended by the provisions of tho charter, which are examined at length, that the company was not bound, either expressly or hy implication, implica-tion, immediately to reimburso tho government for the interest it should pay on tho bonds till maturity. The attorney general submits that the meaning and intent of congress is apparent from all tho statutes when construed together, that the United States are entitled under tho charter accepted by the company to retain the whole value of the services rendered to the United States toward the payment of interest advanced by I the government on the bonds loaned to the company. Tho attorney gen-;eraliays: gen-;eraliays: If the judgment below in favor of tho company is sustained, $200,000,000 will bo transferred to the stockholders of these roads, and if this judgment be sustained, before a Bingle generation shall have punned the government will have paid for the dillerent Pacific companiea,$318,-0H6.714 companiea,$318,-0H6.714 in interest alone, less only half tlio charges for services, the other half being paid by the government. |