National Republican., 1882-12-11


to commerce.
Mr.. Kasson. That view would apply to
every stream in the United States.
Mr.. Horr. That lodges the question.
Mr. Kasson. Not at all.
Mr. Reagan, of Texas, asserted that there
was not an appropriation in the last river and
harbor bill so much Objected to, which had not
been made in compliance with the estimates
of the engineers, which had been made accord
ing to acts of congress. He had supposed that
n resolution calling for particulars of the ap-
preparations expended under the bill for which
congress had been arraigned by reckless news-
papers and demagogucs would be objected to.
lie wanted to pump the thunder oil the ialse-
hoods which had been set alloat.
Mr.. Kasson said that he did not want to dis
Cuss the merits of the bill. but to amend the
resolution which, in its present shape, was so
broad that il was impossible for the secretary
of war to say what works were unnecessary.
Mr. Page explained that the resolution did
not seek to reflect upon any officer of the gov
crnment or to attack anybody. 1t simply
called upon the secretary of war for certain
information and for the estimates upon which
the committee on commerce could base an
other river and harbOr bill, If one should be
found necessary. These estimates the law re-
quired the secretary of the treasury to sub
NIT to congress. The gentleman from Iowa
Mr. Kasson) wanted n legal opinion from the
secretary of war. That was question with
which the secretary has nothing to do 1t
was a question which congress was competent
to decide in the interest of navigation and
commerce.
Mr. Kasson Then why ask for information
as to what works are beneficial to commerce.
Mr. Page. Because that is u question of fact
Mr.. Anderson of Kansas. The resolution is
in the nature of n COrOncr's inquest.
Mr. Page The resolution calls for that kind
of information which some people pretend
they want and the committee ON commerce
stands before the house to-day and says, send
us your information.n [Applausc.l ,
Mr.. Cox, of New York, said that if there
was any dereliction of duty or malfeasance of
administration in the passage Of the river and
harbor BILL both sides of the house shared in
| it. 1t would not do for any one to say to him,
"you are playing the dcmagOgue and making
howl over this mattcr;' for six or eight years
| he had voted against these bills because they
violated principle of constitutional inter-
probation. That Interpretation was de-
sired by the amendment of the gentleman
| from Iowa (Mr. KassOn) Congress was en-
! titled to have the Judgment of the War de-
partment as to what was federal commerce
MS to what was the little stream which did
not bear upon its bosom any mighty COM
merce. He did not reproach any man for
voting for those river and harbor bills. God
! knew that he would pour oil into the wounds
which were green and bleeding. Laughter.
lie felt for the gentleman who had been un-
Justly reproached. He felt for the gentle
man from California (dr. Page), for there
must have been good many bowling dcma-
gOgucs" in his district Laughter. He re.
tcrred to the resolution offered by him last ses-
sion dividing the river and harbor bill into
two parts, one of which should make appro
priations for purely national purposes. Had
the committee on rules acted upon that resO
luton the people might have been content
and more members who were now listening
to his voice, would grace the assembling o.
the fOrty-eighth congress.
Mr.. RobesOn, of New Jersey, announced
himself in favor of the widest investigation o
this question, and any amendment which
would make the inquiry broader and produce
n more comprehensive answer would NEE
with his support. He was in favor of an in
vestigation because he desired that all the ev
dence on this question should be spread be
fore the American people in order that they
might understand exactly what was at thu
bottom of the opposition to the measure
and what were the motives which pro
duced that opposition. He believed that tn,
foundation motive which lay at the root o
the opposition was opposition to the gooc
parts Of the bill and not to the bad. He be
lieved that the opposition was instigate'
by the great roads of transportation
across the country against the opening of fre
water navigation down the Mississippi rive
and across the lakes, down the Eric canal {
the harbor of New York and down the 81
Lawrence to foreign nations. Applause.
He knew it to be fact that before the bill
was reported from the commerce committee
it was deliberately attacked by the grca
metropolitan newspapers, which were know
! to respond to the dictates and wishes of tn
great rulers of the aggregated capital of tht
country that was invested III transpOrtatiO
l. lines. [Applausel He knew that to be fac
8 10, la,. .-nttlI
developed by this resolution, the America
people would know who stood by their il
0 terests, and who it was that were champion
of aggregated capital, which controlled IL
:; will and sought TO control the destinies Of IL
!, country
/, Mr.. McLanc, of Maryland, wanted the hou
T, to consider what respect should be paid to u
. opposition to the river and harbor bill cOmir
I from the press of New York, or the represc
9, taton of New York. He had no more respe
= for the opposition which the press had man
T, tested than for that which the community
= New York had manifested A more prOvil
:; cal community did not exist in the Unit
p, States. Laughter Every New York
2, seemed to think that the representation
u that state, and particularly of the city of Nc
H. York, was the representation OF the who
d country. The gentleman from New Jers
y. (Mr. RObeson) had referred to the railwa
l: and their opposition to the improvement
n the Mississippi river and other great wat6
lie ways and had also referred to the local chs
e, acter of the New York press; but he desir
c, to refer to the commercial sentiment
W that state, and call attention to the fl
= that because New York had twent
i. seven feet of water in her habOr she
l. jected to the improvement Of the harbors
le Philadelphia, Baltimore, Mobile, New Orlca
Ic and Galveston, Applause She had her shI
er of public money. She had enjoyed for aim
d. forty years annual appropriations. Not OF
H.; had her representatives aud senators vol
~ for them, but every president elected ir
Of New York had been in iavorof river and h
or Dor appropriation bills.
Mr. Cox. Did the gentleman vote to sust
the veto of any democratic president on
river and harbor bill?
ar Mr.. McI.ane (emphatically). Never, ney
he never! Laughter. / never voted to sust
Il veto to river and harbOr bills lapplau
'or and if there ever was II veto which deser'
ON to be oyerriddeu, it was the veto of the h
lis 0rablc gentleman who now holds his seat
to the other end of the Avenue. That veto oil
lse you no opposition to the principle of the
ph That veto tells you that the amount is
he great Whose business is it to regulate
M amount when the principle is rightf II
for improve navigation and commerce
wise policy, must not cong
he say how much money shall
ON expended for the President to take no exc
ON tion to the bill except that we give N
.he money than he would deprive him of
led respect when our judgments ought to ren
est to him, and the moro so when he follows
on, veto with an annual message which he I
cts MS that muybe some of the objects