Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-08-11
River and Harbor improvements.

VOtlOu u Auo pIIuuIplSs VI luuu TetOFu.
River and Harbor Improvements.
The subjec, Of River and Harbor i'm.
provements has been the principal theme
upon which the whigs have descanted for
the last few years, and they designed 10
make it their principal capital in the pres.
ent Presidential contest. They have been
mos. noisy in their efforts to show that
they were the especial friends Of these inn
provements, while they have insisted that
the Democrats were their sworn enemies.
On the 29th ult., the Democratic House Of
Representatives showed up heartless hy-
pocricy and demagoguism of these croak-
ers, by the passage Of the River aud Har.
Dor bill, in spite Of the factious opposition of
whiggery, by vote of 1os to rs. This
bill appropriates to these improvements the
sum 81 1000, and contains nearly all the
appropriations recommended by the pres.
ent whig admin istraton. The passage of this
of bill by Democratic House, and in the
very face Of the factious opposition which
it encountered from theswhig members, has
destroyed their thunder upon this question.
For brief account Of the manner in
which whiggery scaled lis devotion to Riv.
er and Harbor Improvements and to West.
ern interests, we refer the render to the fol.
lowing letter Of Hon. J. R. Giddings to
the Cleveland 7rus Democrat:
From the True Democrat
The Lake-FactiOns Opposition and
CAUSES Of it-Home Recreants Out
rage.
WASHINGTON, July 81. -
EDS. DEMocRAT:-I write under feel,
ing of vexation.
The factious proceedings of yesterday
were well characterized by DR.. Chandler,
who, although an ardent partizan, respects
the dignity which should belong to States
men: 1t was the lowest attempt to manu>
facture political capital that | have seen Of
late.
The present administration is Whig.-
The Typographical Bureau possesses the
only officially ascertained facts in relation
10 The wants of our harbors and rivers.
That recommended the appropriations Of
such amounts to the rivers, lakes and At>
lan,ic coasts, ns its officers thought advisa-
BILE. The committee reported for the West
eru and Souih-W estern rivers the aDhole
amount recommended By the Wing ad~
msnistrdtion. .ss-zz.
For the lakes and Atlantic coast the
amount wos cut down. On our lake, the
harbor at Huron, at VermillioD, at Gun.
ningham's Creek, at Connenut and Catar>
angus, were omitted. This should not have
been, and was not disposed to censure the
committee for it.
But, could you believe il; Western and
Southern Wings united in attacking the
committee on Commerce, composed of
wings and Democrats, in denouncing it,
them with megzectimg the riuers,
(ulthougb they gave every dollar recom-
mended by the Department. and Of par.
tinlity to the lakes, particularly an your
district; although the amount recommend.
ed there was cut down at least twenty thou
sand dollars. They appear to have reite-
rated these charges until they believed them,
and then they became desperate, putting
forth every possible effor. to defeat the
bill.
will not mention names, but wings
from our own State, led on by Ward and
Of KY; Johnson Of Georgia,
and other Southern wings, exerted their
influence TO delay and defeat the measure,
which was finally saved by the magnanim-
ity Of Southern Democrats, who are in
principle opposed to all internal improve.
ments, and who will doubtless vote against
the bill on its final passage, but who are
willing to meet the question like men, and
not to break down the bill by indirect op.
position.
This action succeeded in fastening upon
lhe bill an appropriation of forty thousand
dollars for James river and the Appomat>
tax, although not dollar was recommend
ed, and still another appropriation giving
10 North Carolinapower to levy Tonnage
on all shipping aohich shall enter certain
harbors Of that State, principle ABHoR-
RENT to every man who desires the inns
provement of harbors. This was done,
too, knowing that nearly the whole delega.
tion from those States would vote against
the bill. Thus amendments made votes
against it, vet was passed today by a vote
of l03 to Is.
And here will take occasion to say that
it is useless and unnecessary expenditures,
such as the above, which constitute nine
tenths Of the hostility to harbor appropria-
lions. There are not thirty members of
the House who oppose them on principle.
Yours.
The Governor Of New Hampshire has