Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-02-24
THURSDAY, FEB, q, 1881.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

LETTER EROM w AShlNG ICN.
During the last week the following
petitions from the citizens Of Wiseon-
sin have been presented in the House
of Representatives.:
BY Hon. II. L. Humphry, from I
W. Richards, Job Bassett and others
against the passage of the sixty-sur-
geon bill.
BY II. Watterson and others of Ono.
for the passage of an income-tax law.
BY Geo. Harris and others of Ono.
that tie Bureau of Agriculture be
made department.
BY A. W. Oglevie and others Of
Ono for the amendment of the pa
tent laws.
BY Edwine Van Shoonhover and
others of Ono. for legislation regulat,
ing interstate commerce
Also the Memorial of the Chamber
Of Commerce OF Milwaukee, for the
repeal Of the tax on bank deposits.
BY Hon. Chas. G. Williams from
the Woman's Temperance Alliance
for a commission Of enquiry concern
ing the alcoholic liquor traffic.
In the debate on the River and
Harbor bill. Hon. S. S. Cox charged
that the members of the Committee
had taken special care of their own
States. Hon. Il. L. Humphrey de-
Tended his colleague Hon. Peter Y.
Deuster) from this charge in the fol-
lowing remarks.
"Mr. Chairman, the whole opposi-
ton that has developed to this bill
since it come before the House and
before the Committee of the Whole.
seems to arise from the fact, that the
localities represented by the gentle
men opposing it, have not received
the full amount which they claim
should be appropriated. But Mr..
chairman desire to say word in
reply to what seems to be an unjust
criticism by the gentleman from New
York City (Mr. Cox upon my eel
league { Mr.. Deustcr). | wish to say
that Superior Bay is one of the finest
harbors in the world, a harbor which
when sufficiently developed will open
an empire in the far west and bring to
its shores that tidal wave of commerce
that will go to the countries of the
east Yet for that harbor this bill
makes an appropriation of only $4,000
while the harbor at Duluth has an APP
preparation of SIS, eco. [ say that
the criticism of the gentleman from
New York was unjust to my colleague,
who has secured only $4,000. for one
of the finest harboIs in the world,
where twenty-five years hence there
may be city of two hundred and
fifty thousand inhabitants, situation
which has as grand prospects as Chi
eago and the central cities had twenty
five or thirty years ago. L speak OF
this because Wisconsin is almost sur
rounded by water. She is surrounded
upon the west by the Mississippi Ri
yer and on the north and east, by lake
Superior and Michigan Yet the ap-
preparations which she receives in this
bill are not equal to these which she
received in former years when the
Fox and Wisconsin Rivers engaged
the whole attention of that western
country. Though gentlemen may
complain that in some instances APP
preparations are not put in places where
they are most needed. yet SO far as
Wisconsin is concerned not one dollar
has been given improperly for the pro-
posed expenditure in that State will
greatly benefit the whole commerce OF
the United States. The Mississippi is
not an inland river; like Lake Michi-
gan and Lake Superior; it belongs to
the whole of this continental country
and every dollar of the appropriation
for Wisconsin goes to the Mississippi
and its tributaries and to Lake Michl-
gan and Superior.
1t is we'll known fact that this
committee is selected with reterance to
the river and harbor interests being
properly represented thereon. Con-
scquently, in properly estimating the
wants of the country in this regard,
the committee should make such APP
preparations as are most needed and
without regard to locality; and | be
lieye they have tried to do so, Fur
shermore, l desire to say that the
people of the great West have not
and never had to my knowledge, and
l know that they have not for four