The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-18
House of Representatives.

House of Representatives.
WASHINGTON CITY, TUESDAY night, 10th Jan.
Appromiations for The Navy-,Pos Once Ger
tracts-7he Snag Boats on the MisslSs,ppi-1he
Western Waters once more.
The first question that came up before the House
to-day, was motion by Mr. G. lNGERsoLL to Of
fer some reports from the Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
Mr.. DAVIS (of INDY suggested that they be de-
ferred till the reports come up In regular order from
the Standing Committees.
Mr.. INGERsoLL-At that rate they wouldn't be
reached for at least month to come, sir; Judging
from the present aspect OF affairs before the House
The rules were then suspended to allow the pre-
sentatlon of reports from the, various Standing
Committees, which were called over in regular o.
der Several unimportant reports were presented.
Mr.. Mckay presented the report from the ways
and Means, appropriatng 49, $50 600 tor the support
of the Navy during the next fiscal year.
Mr. INGERsoLL reported a Bill to allow extra pay
to Consuls and Secretaries of Legation abloadSo
extra services
Mr.. HARDIN, of Illinois, from the Post Office
Committee presented a resolution allowing the
Postmaster General to make contracts With rail-
roads without advertising for bids. He advocated
this resolution with great earnestness and great
ability, and placed the subject in clear light be-
fore the House, showing that this movement was
necessary in order to give the Postmaster General
certain discretionary powers, and prevent HIM from
being so completely at the mercy OF the railroad
companies as he now Mr. Hardin added much
to the reputation of the Illinois delegation, which
is one c the best that ever came from that State;
Mr. HARRISON moved to recommlt the resolu.
ton as to compel the Postmaster General on all
occasions to accept the lowest offer where two
railroads ran to the same point.
Mr.. HARDIN explained that all this had been pro-
vided for by the Committee;
The resolution was passed.
Mr. ApAMs-What are the orders Of the day,
Sir?
SrEAKER-The motion to reconsider the rescll-
ion relating to the snag boats on the Mississippi
River.
Mr. BowLlN of Missouri, (haviny the floor on
this subect) said MIR. Speaker. am surprised
that the gentleman from Tennessee wishes to have
this subject Of the snag boats on the great western
those boats should remain on those rivers, recent
events have dstressingy shown. They should re-
main there and be constantly employed, and the
result would be the saving of hundreds of lives and
millions of property in very short space of time.
Sir, we have been charged with trying to make
political capital out of this subject of the western
waters, and with having discussed it here SO much
with a view to President making. Sir, deny
hese charges, which are as base as they are false.
We are earnest and anxious about the matter, II ID
true and why, sir! Why, look at the late GALA
which many of the citizens from dozen States OF
the Union have been hurried into a watery grave.
Sir the heart sickens with the recital OF these dis
asters And here we have one where boat
crowded with human beings arrives in sight OF
her destination, when she strikes Of those
snags and in few minutes, women, children,
wives, daughters, mothers, are swallowed up IN
he boiling stream, or reach the shore only to be
frozen to death on its banks And yet, gentlemen
sit here calmly, enjoying their ease and all the
uxures of life, and talk about the philosophy and
legality of interfering to prevent these rghtful dis
asers; while others doubt II we nave me conssl.u
of the Ohio and Mississippi. Why, sir, you appro-
pirate millions for harbors light houses, breakwa-
tiers, and on, to protect your foreign commerce
that traverses the ocean, because you say that is
the great highway for ships. Well, sir, the Ohio
md Mississippi belongs to the Union, not TO the
States-and is the great highway for ships also. A
foreign vessel can sail up those rivers and land
cargo at ST. Louis or Pittsburgh. Nine States in
the Union and two territories completely depend
on the navigation Of those rivers, and so does all
the western part of Virginia and Pennsylvania
improve your shores and bays than you have to
improve those rivers. ! cannot see how gentlemen
can draw such nice distinctions.
Strange that such difference there should be
Twixt tweedledum and tweedledee !"
Already 100000 square miles of that western terri
tory, with the richest soil in the world, is popua
| ted and improved The amount OF commerce up
and down those rivers 1t is almost impossible to de-
scribe Four hundred and fifty steamboats, ran on
| them a year ago, amounting to $1,000 tons, and
| The gross amount of tonnage entering New Orleans
ia one year from these two rlverswas over 600 600
| From St. Louis to New Orleans and back, 2lO0
miles, our best boats make two trips month; and
| our worst boats make sixteen or eighteen trips
| year Some of our boats run the 1900 miles against
| a five knot current, with heavy cargo IN Jour
| days and seven hours The amount OF loss annu-
ally on this river is enormous In 1899, there were
| IL steamboats, lost that were owned at 81. LOUIS,
and ran there; in 1910 no less than 40 steamboats,
were lost: and in lSl1, there were % lost. These
% were only insured for two thirds of their value,
and this came to 1884 600 for the hulls alone, and
| the cargoes TO five or six times that sum. The
amount of cargoes lost by snags in four years, must
save been over $5,0O0,OO0. For 81 ,036, 900 were
| insured thereon in st. Louis alone. The history
| of the world presents example OF the loss OF
boats cargoes and lives annually these rivers!
| QIere he read accounts of recent losses from va
| rious newspapers) We come before Congress tor
assistance with a ten fold right over the atlantic
| cities-our commerce-our peope-our extent Oh
| country-our losses in goods-the loss OF lte-are
ten times more than we lose annually on the At
lantic. You expend $37O,MO year on light houses
alone for the sea coast. We require that sum as
much as any. The little improvement already
made on these rivers has already reduced the an
nua losses on boats from 81 per cent to less IMAM
! Is per cent And $250O0O a year would remove
ali the snags in both rivers and prevent all these
accidents In 1917, there were only2l rowboafs on
the Mississippi, amounting to 900 tons, and they
made but one trip year. Now there are 6OO
steamboats, reaching 100000 tons, or an aggregate
of two million tons year. This shows, Sir, that
"Westward the star of Empire points its way"
| The banks of our rivers are crowded win tomb
| stones over those who have persisted there. The
| beds of those rivers are filled with monuments
| made from the wrecks OF steamboats,. AT one
| point in the Mississippi, called the Grave
Yard, lie the ruins OF seven large steamboats,
| that cost over three hundred thousand dollars.
These are monuments Of the neglect Of Congress- where
as the poorest boat aoa would alone have paid for clear
ing out that spot Sir, il will not do to talk to western
about your having the power to clear out those
rivers when their time comes TO hold the reins OF
don't say they'll violate The constitution; but do say
ibev nit n stop 10 these oaamitias While they