Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-02-26
AN IMPORTANT AMENDMENT TO
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.

THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
Representative Conger succeeded in
getting an important amendment added
to the river and harbor bill. in the house,
Notwithstanding the fact that there
seemed to be disposition to vote down
all amendments to that bill. His amend
ments provides:
That sufficient amount of money is
hereby appropriated out of any money
in the treasury not otherwise apprOpria-
ted for the operating and repairs of the
Des MOines Rapids canal and the ST.
Mary's Falls canal and the Louisville
and Portland canal; and the Secretary
of War is hereby authorized from time
to draw his warrant upon the treasury
for such amounts as are necessary for
the operation and repairs of said canals.
Mr.. COnger spoke in support of this
amendment. which was subsequently
adopted, and the bill as amended passed
by the House, as follows:
Congress has heretofore made a gen.
eral appropriation, or intended to, for
the Portland and Louisville canal, which,
when presented to the comptroller for
payment of the operating expenses this
year. was found not to have in it the
words "Out of any money in the treasury
not otherwise appropriated" so that the
appropriation was not defined and the
money could not be paid for that and
the other canals. Shipping men on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers apprehend
this difficulty under the annual apprO-
priati0n-that, if for any cause the riv-
er and harbor bill should fail to become
law, there would be no money to Op-
crate or repair these canals, and no Of
ficer of the government would have any
right to use any money for the purpose
of such operation or repairs upon the
canals, unless such appropriation had
been heretofore made by law, and the
whole commerce of these rivers and
lakes might be stopped by an accident
requiring repairs, or by lack of force to
operate the canal. After consultation
with several gentlemen interested i'm
these canals, and with some members of
the Committee on Commerce, / find that
this is the usual form of an apprOpria-
tiOn for that class of works and is the
proper one to secure sufficient sum for
operating the canals and for their re-
pairs, and that it will not depend on the
chance of passage OF lack of passage of
a river and harbOr bill if such mis-
fortune should occur. as it did once be-
FORE. We cannot tell at what time, for
some cause. river and harbOr bill NAV
fail to pass, and every gentleman may
realize how great misfortune to the
commerce of these great highways of the
country itwOuld be, if by any chance there
was no money appropriated, while the
lawmakes it penal Offense for any Of
ficer of the government to use any money
! to open, operate and repair these canals.
This amendment was submitted to the
first comptroller of the treasury, and by
him was supposed to cover entirely the
case. In communication on this sub
ject the comptroller says:
eff Congress will amend the statute
so as to provide without any question of
doubt for continuing appropriation to
operate and keep the canal in repair, it
will be preferable to the re-establish-
ment of tolls because it will save to
commerce the amount of the toll and the
government the salary of the toll col
collector. If any break or accident should
then occur in the canal there would be
nothing in statute properly wOrded to
prevent the Secretary of War from draw
ing his warrant on the Secretary
of the Treasury for the amount
amount necessary to repair said break
or accident. Under this continuing ap-
preparation the state Of Michigan can
consistently turn over control of the
canal operation and shipping interests
will be relieved of apprehension regard
ing the future care and prosecution of
that commercial highway.