Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-11
THE ENQUIRER.
RICH OND, VA.
saturday Morning, March s. 1s45.
THE HARBoR AND RIVER BILL.
49, 80. N,na Ia Mc Senat.,s SESSION.

THE HARBOR AND RIVER BILL.
The Last Night Of The .Scndt's Session.
The few last DAYS satisfy us that she danger
is mol orcr." If We mistake not The signs OF lhe
times, the time is approaching when we shall re-
ouire that indomitable spirit and mistaken deVo-
lion TO The true, limited principles OF the Consltu-
tion, which distinguished The Republicans oil Vir-
einia in 1929. The man OF the "iron nerve" then
step, 10 our rescue and by his veto arrested that
tremendous flood OF Internal improvement, which
would have swept like torrent over the Constl-
tuition. and subjected the United States TO an ex-
pense of more than one hundred millions OF dol
lars. -,
The passage of the Harbor Bill, on the last
nieht of the Senate's session, warns us, IN parl,
of what we are TO expect. For one, we say
again in the fullness of our heart, thanks 10 John
TYLER, for the energy he has shown in "p0ekefinS
! hnt Till, and thus arrcsling the immense system
of expenditure and encIoachment, OF when u
was about 10 Law the foundation. We feel our
selves 10 he fighting almost upon the same ground,
| on which we battled with few editorial associates,
in 1929. when the Hero Of The Hermitage came
10 the relief of the Virginia doctrines. The last
| ACT OF John Tyler, is in The spirit Of the Repub-
licans OF 1899. We thank him for H. The fol-
| lowing extracts from The debate in the Senate on
Monday night, the 81 March, will explain the
character of this transaction:
| IN SENATE.-N,eM Session Of lMarch ), 1918.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs &c.
! The Military Appropriation Bill from the
/ House of Representatives being before The senate
| as in Committee OF the Whole :,
| MIR. Cri,lenden moved an amendment to the oil
appropriating $4,000 for the improvement OF
! The navigation of the Ohio, Mississippi, NILSSON.
/ r; and Arkansas rivers; one hundred thousand
| dollars of the amount TO be expended on the ONO
above the falls. a..
AIR C.. said he was aware that an item like
This had been inserted by The other House IN the
/ horbor bill which was now on the Secreary's
table and ready 10 be taken up IN lis iurn, puI
! This item for the great rivers of the West had
usually been inserted in the military bill, and he
was not willing that lis safety should be leopard
/ ed by having il mixed up in the miscellaneous
matters contained in the hlrbor bill-a huge ON
/ minus loaded down with all sorts of appropria-
/ lions. amounting 10 some TWO millions OF dol
lars
Mr.. Porter expressed himself as very friendly
| 10 the object moved BY The Senator from Ken
lucky but he greatly feared that, should an appro-
priation like this be removed from The harbor bill,
I il would render almost certain the defeat Of that
/ bill. Ii was well known that the harbor bill had
Y
and lis passage, which was not Obtained without
great difficulty, might in part be attributed 10 The
! incorporation in il OF measure commanding the
snnnort of so large Western interest. The ap-
nropralon more properly belonged 10 that bill,
where it had its natural place.
This motion of Mr.. Crillenden gave rise TO
much debate. Mr. Sewer advocated the amend
ment-he was clear for improving the Arkansas
river. Messrs. Porter and Woodbridge (of Mi.
chiaan) were afraid, if these items were taken
ont Of The Harbor Bill, where they were provi-
det for, il would greatly cndanger that bill
Nessrs Dix and Dickinson (OfN. York; insist
ed if this amendment passed, they would pass
one for the improvement Of the Hudson. Mr.
Archer said, thai he had once believed that The
General Government could mol conslutionalls
engage in works of internal improvement, bu
further reflection had since convinced him no
only that Congress had the power but was under
The strongest obligations OF duty 10 remove lhC
distractions from the great Mediterranean OF Tho
West. and To facilitate hy every means iii il
power the navigation Of our Western waters b,
The immense internal trade OF this country. NJ
harbor in the country was equal in Importance
70 the national well being with these great arteries
in the interior Of our land. Unfortunately, how.
ever, they were full Of distractions, the remova
of which was very practicable, and demanded
was willing 10 insert in this bill appropriations fol
the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, an6
Arkansas rivers; but there he would stop.
MIR. Evans regretted The amendment. II woult
cnGanser the Harbor bill
MIR. Morehead said that 4 close examination d
This subject, into which be had gone years ago
had satisfied him that the gentlemen who opposed
this amendment were in the wrong The barber
appropriations had last year been separated
into Two bills, called The Eastern and The Yves
tern harbor bills the former OF which had been vc-
,ocd but the Other passed Now, perhaps with q
view 10 prevent similar result, both bills had
been united into one. As friend 10 the ap
preparation now proposed, MIR. Nj. had regretted
This. For years pas, this appropriation for West
eTn rivers had always had its place in the army
bill: for ten years this had been case, and NJ
doubt il would have been continued under the
Jackson and Van Buren, administrations, had moi
the whole system been suspended. Why shonld
the former course be now departed from! The
army bill was the proper place Tor these appro-
prialions, because the whole application oil the
money was referred TO The Secretary of War, and
belonged 10 the jurisdiction of that Department
Mr.. NJ. disclaimed all opposition 10 the objects
contained in the harbor bill; but would the friends
Of those measures contend that, because they
could not get all their harbors into the army bill,
that therefore gentlemen from The West must be
deprived Of The opportunity of securing The I'M
provemen; of the great rivers in The valley? He
hoped not Let those gentlemen RELY upon him
and his iriends-lct them suffer this amendment
| 10 pass-and then see whether their own objects
would not in turn receive hearty support.
Mr. Woodbury. said that the argument OF the
honorable Senator from Kentucky would apply
| Just as well 10 all the other items OF internal i'm
| provemenl as 10 these Western rivers, because
lhcy were all referred TO the Secretary of War
and all belonged 10 the jurisdiction OF The war
Department. What time had gentlemen now to
argue the merits Of all lie items in The harbor
| bill? Ii was out of the question: and those who
desired that bill 10 pass had but one question before
ihem--eilher 10 put all IFS items INTO TINS nlIlfaryt
bill or 10 put none OF them.
After conversation between Messrs. Dickin-
son and Hannegan, The former was understood as
conserving that The question should hrst De pu
on Mr.. Hanne.an's amendment, proposing an ap
preparation for the Cumberland Road. II was Ia
ken accordingly by yeas and nays, and resulted as
follows: Yeas Q, nays 35.
So The amendment was rejected.
MIR. Dickinson now renewed his amendment,
appropriaing 100000 for Improvements in The
Hudson river; but il was rejected without count
Mr.. Atchson moved an amendment Tor
Iue Improvement OF the leiilcSSec ilsel pc,om
Knoxville; which was in like manner rejected.
Whereupon Mr. Criltcndcn, observing that he
was unwilling 10 press measure which il was
commended would be the certain destruction OF the
harbor bill, consented 10 withdraw his amendment
| Tor the Western waters
After the proposal of sundry other amend
ments, all of which were rejected, the bill was re-
ported 10 the Senate, read a third time, passed,
and sent 10 The President for his signature.
The HARBoR Bill then came up. Mr.. Wood:
bridge, on the part OF the Committee of Commerce,
proposed several amendments.
Mr.. Buchanan reminded the Senate, that it
was now a quarter past len o'clock; The harbor
bill contained many items of great importance 10
The country, and he trnstcL that his worthy friend
from Michigan would not risk its safely for a
mere 'Sn's fdauus. He had much better consent
TO wait till next year when perha ps the same df-