The New York herald., 1876-07-18

perhaps for reasons concerning the commerce o. the
country and perhaps Tor which had nothing
TO do with the ostepsibe objec,s OF the bill He then
referred to the bestowed the bill by the Com
mittss on Commerce and the Committee on Appropria-
tons OF the Senate and said OF the amendments
put on by the Senate werc incurxby vicious What
comment was this bill upon those innrm processes OF
legislation about which Thomas Jefferson wrole Al
uding to the power Of Congress to make
sass he said .as saso
she expended SO many millions oi her money
to dig artificial river, $50 miles long and feet
Deep leading 10 she West This River and Harbor bill
was brought here at time when the Senate was told
prosperity lay bleeding the streets and the people
patriotism could support There should be soma sub
stitute Tor this plan OF sppropratng lor rivers and
harbors; some change should be made by which each
year specific budget should be submitted by sworn
officers selected TO report the same and he hoped tho
bill would be considered the occasion for though: TO
begin and action follow He believed Il 10 be the duty
Of the House Of Representatives and the Senate 10 look
at this and every other Appropriation bill and re-
| duce them TO the lowest sum compatible with the
public interest," So long the House endeavored TO
| do that heard him charge revolution or
repud'ston but l. the House of Representatives said
TO the Senate, We will not appropriate money unless
you repeal election laws, unless you transfer tho In
dian from the Interior to the War Department.
hc believed the Senate had the right like the apostle,
to do all things that right In opposition, and then
stand He asked Senator's and especially those on the
democratic eide OF the Chamber, who just now were
taking 10 themselves such virtue the subject of
economy how they could reconcile themselves to take
a bill which contained appropriations, improper
Of the engineers; how they could make II accord with
this new evnngei OF economy and retrenchment; how
they could take IL, with all its imperfections on its
hoad, rs 1t came from subcommittee. II there was
sincerity in the idea that the appropriations were to be
reduced he hoped the Senate would show IN dealing
with bill some parts of which no Senator had At
tempted TO justify.
A pKxocRArIc RESPONSE
Mr. THURMAN dem OF Ohio, said every appropria-
ton the bill which he advocated less than tho
estimate of tho engineer. Appropriations made by
OF that II necessary to stop work In Ohio in
order to cut down appropriations he would say 'Stop
work or a. work Of more national I'M
portance than the improvement Of the hnrbor
at cleveland. Let every appropriation stand on ITS
merits. In reply to the argument Of Mr.. Maxey
he said something over So 0O00 900 had been spent IN
Ohio and harbors in nt,yonc years, while one
county in that State paid four times that amount In
taxes to the general government In single year. The
State Of ohio in the last nine years had paid to the
crred to the remarks of Mr. Morton, and said he de-
sired 70 say to his democratic friends that this bill
sort between this time and November next.
Mr.. MoRrox said tho bill, as it row stood, was as
uch the work OF the democrats as of any Others
hence end to all talk about retrenchmeni.
Mr.. THURMAN SAID it was true The bill had broken
down all party lines It broke through everything.
propratc than s. 900 900 this year for and
harbors. and IL was ialiacy to advocate exrava
were boundicss There were no people, matter how
rich. but who mighs be reduced to want BY exrava-
gance.
rnx DEMOCRATS CHARGED WITH ExrRAvAcANcE.
Mr.. LOGAN, of Illinois, quoted from the report OF the
Supervising Architect OF the Treasury show that
appropriation Of $3.50 600 required to in the
gued that the House refused 10 make the
BAT, 1S senate put " b IN tine
Conference Committee. the House insisted on having
IT struck OUT yet that House could appropriate mill
ions dollars survey creeks and places where water
never ran except whom 1t he argued that the
House had attempted to cripple the army and navy,
and Ind cut down the civil service ye at one Tell swoop
It had appropriated millions dollars to benefit certain
Congressional districts Tho people OF TINS country, he
sHd were too intelligent to be hoodwinked In any such
manner. The House had stopped the last mail trains
aud willing tho democrats should have all the
credit the country would give for that Such economy
not honest economy. He favored tho recommittal
OF the bill to the Committee Appropriations, with
instructions to reduce the amount, and II that should
be- agreed ne would vote for the substitute sub
mitted Uy the Senator from Vermont (Edmunds) ap-
popratiDg s. OOO OOO to be expended under the direc
ton OF the Secretary Of War;
Mr. MAxEY referred to the remarks OF Mr.. Conkling,
and said he (Mr Maxey) did no, speak OF New York IN
u sectional sense; he referred to New York only as a
great State without the slightest possible sectional
feeling. There such Ieeling In his State toward
New York. There were millions OF dollars in commerce.
and irade between Texas and New York, and he had
no desire to reflect upon that State
Mr. CARPENTER, tdefn) of West Va, argued that the
House Of Representatives oy two vote sus'
aud therefore, be inferred that members Of tho
House acquainted with It's provisions He did not
think it had been rushed through that body under
s.thc previous question: as had been charged
bill coming from the House. the representatives of
the people, be regarded the wishes OF the pco
pie and shouid be passed He referred the various
bills for the Improvement in rivers and harbors ap-
proved by Adams, jackson, Van Buren, and other
Presidents and argued that II was within the power Of
Congress 20 make provision for great internal improve
mcnts He referred TO the argument Of tho senator
from Maryland (Mr Whyte) on saturday last, In re-
gard to OF the River and Haroor bill by Mr..
Pierce, and said he did not agree to any such argu
ment He (Mr. Caperton) would oppose any such doc
trIue Of our foreathers laid down by the
from Maryland Ho favored tho bill as now before the
Senate.
A VITAL AMERICAN PRINCIPLE
Mr.. WALLACE, (dem) OF Pa, favored the motion to
recommt the bill with instructions, and said he re-
garded this bill in Its Present proportions as mon.
strosiiy, and he would take any parliamentary means
to reduce Its proportions Tho proposition OF the Sen
a,or from Vermont tMr. Edmunds) to appropriate
81 ooo 600 for rivers and harbor to be expended by tho
secretary Of War was wrong IN principle. He (Mr.
WaIlacc) would not lntrust such power with any one
Specific, distinct and short appropriations TO be
pended the direction oi the peoples representa-
tives vital American principle and ought not to DO
departed from. To depart from II would be confes
sion incompetency of Congress 10 do the very
thing for which they wcrc sent here He argued that
This Dill was wrong upon TWO GROUNDS uapproprlated
Tho right OF Congress to appropriate for rivers and har
bors all comes from the power in the constitution 10
regulate commerce among the Statea Commerce In
cludcd navigation. Navigation meant ascending
river as well descending it, II followed that q
stream which had ascending navigation, and was not
IN fact navIgable was under control the States
not OF the federal government In this bill there were
at least twenty Instances Of appropriations for non
nayqable streams, and he could not Tor their m-
provement Compress must recognize the decisions OF
tho Supreme Court to the power given to Congress
by the CONSTITUTION tc rosulhte commerce ana
pirate accordingly In the exercise OF just economy.
This bill too large. Tho appropriations
had increased from 100000 in 1866 to
nearly 81. 100000 IN 1876. and It must DO
reduced. He would vote reduce IL because
1t appropriated money for streams not navigable and
took the control OF rivers tho jurisdiction Of the
States 1t agents OF the Federal government into
with power to destroy the rights vested under
Sate laws IL was cxtravagaDt amount and unJusti-
fable this time. What would become Of our govern
II the great State Of Pennsy was TO say that
because the Susquehanna River connected with the
Chesapeake Bay, although there no ascending
navigation, Congress must appropriate $40 QUO 900 70
clear that rivsry He then spoke OF
the business depression throughout the coun-
try, and said large appropriations and Increased
taxation meant suffering. starvation and death In
many American homeA II meant tho father OF the
family struggling with Gcath Tor want OF proper lood
Mr. Wallace then argued that he would be fahless 10
bis people II he did not oppose tho large appropra-
tons and increased taxxtiou upon this any other
bill
Mr.. Monros said no bill had come from the House