The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-07

CONGREGATIONAL improvements I'm tins
south-A Day Of Personal Items in ths
House.
The River and Harbor Appropriation bill
was amended in various particulars in the
Senate yesterday and passed. The new ap-
preparations were nearly all for improvements
in the South. that section of the country having
been treated with remarkable GOODNESS by the
House in making appropriations. 1t seems to
us that Congress can invent no better recon-
struction policy, now that all the Southern
States except recusant Georgia are
back in the fold politically, than
to build the South up internally
remove the physical disabilities as well as
the political root out distractions in the har-
bors and rivers and encourage railroad enter
prise; open canals and generally ''raze out
her hidden troubles" by ministering plentifully
to her diseased commerce. The amount al
lowed by the Senate certainly ought to make
the commercial heart Of the whole South re-
joice, amounting, as it does, to nearly three
hundred and fifty thousand dollars with which
some very important rivers and harbors are to
be reclaimed from the damaging distractions
placed in them during the war.
The report Of the conference committee on
the Currency bill, increasing the new currency
to fifty -four instead of forty-fve millions, was
adopted. The Oriental Steamship Company
bilan immense job, having for its ostensible
object the opening of a line Of steamers from
| some Southern port to Europe and India by
way of the Suez Canal-was discussed at some
length-all these grabs being fish in the
Senates net-and finally recommitted Then
Mr.. Sumner called up his old bill to pay
Massachusetts her extra claim for services
rendered in the war of 1912, and number of
democratic members-with whom that war;
probably, was the only one worth paying for,
and, for that matter, the only one we have
had since the revolution-ready agreed with
Mr. Sumner as to the justice of the bill, which
was passed.
The House was engaged altogether on per-
sonal and private bills. Personal land claims,
personal patent claims personal requests for
free duties were all disposed of, mostly by &C
quiescence, with marvellous rapidty. Several
personal claims of the owners of British ships
for damage incurred through illegal seizure by
our cruisers during the war were also disposed
OF, all in the same way, with equally marvellous
rapidity. The aggregate sum disposed of
within an hour or two to these shipowners
alone amounted to $685., 8S2, with Interest,
which certainly appears to be large sum to
give to British shipowners at this time, when
the Alabama claims are 80 very far from a
satisfactory settlement, and a number of Ameri-
can ships have just been illegally seized by
British cruisers on the Canadian fishing
grounds. To be sure, as Mr.. Dawes said, we
must do right whether England does so or not,
but there does not seem to be any necessity
for haste in paying her a small bill when she
owes us larger one long overdue. Why not
simplify the arrangement by dedncting our
little debt from the amount England owes us
and crediting her with it in the final settle
ment?
Pat Woods was one OF the personal items
discussed by the House--the famous Pat
Woods, who unluckily mistook Congressman
for an ordinary mortal and knocked him down.
No final decision was rendered in Pats case,
nearly all the members, except John Morris
sey, evidently deeming the question of the
right of Congressman to sacred immunity
everywhere from the assaults of drunken men
a matter that might affect them personally
some day, and therefore worthy Of very deep
consideration.