Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-12

On Monday last, Mr.. Reagan, of
Texas, moved to suspend the rules and
pass the river and harbor appropriation
bill in the House, but the motion was
lost, not the necessary two-thirds voting.
This was feared at the time to virtually
amount to total defeat of the bill, mas
much as the regular appropriation bills
would stand in the way Of its further
consideration, and the session Is rapidly
drawing to a close. Mr.. Reagan has
worked persistently, however, to get it
once more before the House, and on
Thursday he succeeded IN having it
considered in committee Of the whole
After q lengthy discussion, in which
considerable opposition expressed to the
bill as it stands, was developed, the
House adjourned without final action
thereon.
Advices from Washington state that
the cause of the unexpected opposition
to this measure arises from the fact that
a feeling prevails in Congress that
thorough reform in this matter of sppro-
priating money for rivers and harbors
is needed. 1t seems to have become to
be regarded as the surest means of max
ing political capital for member to OBJ
tain ''plum" from the National Treas
ury for the improvement Of some stream
known only to his constituents, and in
order that every one may be permitted
to make this amount Of capital, it
has become customary for members to
enter into regular bargains with each
other to vote for their respective streams.
In this way appropriations have fire.
quently been obtained for obscure and
unknown creeks and running brooks,
which all the money in the Treasury
could rot make navigable, and SO large
sums have been really squandered to no
purpose to the neglect of rivers and har-
bors, such as that Of Savannah for in
stance, which are really important
to the welfare of the Federal Govern
ment and the commerce of the world.
In brief, it is beginning to be
realized by the National Legislature
that the demands Of those waters which
it is imperative should be helped gener-
ously, should not be mixed up with the
smaller and unimportant streams for
which appropriations are sought, more
for the private benefit of politicians than
for the public good.
We see it stated in Washington spe-
cial that this state of feeling has undoubt-
edly been largely brought about by the
discussion of the proposed Improvements
of the Mississippi river. There is no Sc
rious opposition to the schemes for i'm
proving that river nor the large harbors
of the seacoast, but it is thought, very
generally. that Congress should not go
on making absurd appropriations for RI
diculous streams. AS Pennsylvania
Congressman who voted against the bill
said on Tuesday, philadelphia ought to
have the 100000 appropriated for its
harbor, but it is not right to throw away
six hundred thousand other dollars in
order to secure it." That is the whole
animus of the opposition. 1t is unfortu-
nate, however, that worthy enterprises
should be slaughtered in order to kill
those that are unworthy, but many Con-
gressmen evidently think they can no
longer afford to help along aspirants for
Congressional honors by throwing pub
lie money into the little brooks of the
country.
Every indication at present points to
the fact that the river and harbor bill
cannot pass in the shape in which it
now stands 1t is thought, however,
that if the Commerce Committee would
reconstruct the measure and confne the
appropriations to improvements of ma
tional importance there would yet be no
difficulty in passing it this session. This
the committee may decide to do finally.