Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-08-07

A DEFENCE OF THE RIVER AND
HARBOR BILL.
In the vote on the River and Harbor bill
after the Presidents veto the Massachusetts,
delegation in Congress made a surprising ex-
hibition. The bill had the support of both
the Massachusetts Senators and of six of her
representatives in the House, two only op-
posing it and three being absent or not vot-
ing. The newspapers of Massachusetts, are
after those who voted for the bill with sharp
pens, and have evidently succeeded in max
ing their criticism felt, for those against
whom it is directed have made through the
Washington correspondent of tho Boston
Adoertiser defence of their action. AS this
defence is probably as good as any that can
be made, give the main points of it, in
order that our readers may see what can be
said for what is, in the general opinion, a
| bad thing.
The gentlemen from Massachusetts declare
| that the common Characterization of the bill
as "a stear' is grossly unjust; that it is as hon
| est a bill as any that has been before Con-
gress; and while there may be items in it
| concerning the Importance and urgency of
which men may fairly differ, there is no iusti-
fication for the opinion that it is, as a
whole, or in detail, corrupt. Nobody
they say, has yet specified any of the
items In the appropriation which are not
supported by sound and cogent reasons, and
will not, when the improvements contem-
plated are carried out, result in public ad-
vantage and profit. The two things which
have seemed most doubtful in their constitu-
tional and legal aspects to congressnen-the
mi rSv
tomac flats improvsment-and which to-
sether comprise nearly third of the appro-
priation, have been most favorably received
by the public. Taking out these there is left
about $14, 900, 600, Or between two and three
million dollars more than the bill of last year,
which all seem to take for granted was rea-
sonable and unobjectionable one. They say
also that this bill is by far the best bill in
the sense of being the most thoroughly scrusi-
nized, and having the fewest Objectionable
| matters in it, that has ever passed Congress-
/ and that it is mistake of ignorance to argue
| that, because some river, harbor or creek
has no important commerce justifying such
| an improvement. There is not an item for
improvements in the bill which has not been
recommended by army engineers who made
| the surveys and recommended it, not only in
general terms, but by precise statistics of the
business interests affected, and of the public
| economy of the improvement, if made and
nobody in either house or anywhere
| else has successfully refutsd the hg-
ures the conclusions of the engineers,
| rs honest and disinterestsd a class of men as
| are in the public service, with regard to any
| item of the bill. All the members of the
| delegation assert that the major part of all
| the influence brought to bear in Washington
/ to defeat the bill has come from the railroad
| interests with which these improvements of
| waterways establish a competition which is
wholly in the Interest of the people of the
| localities affected, and is frequently their
| only protection against grinding monopoly,
| and the only effectual protection it is in the
power of Congress to afford them.
This is interesting and plausible Against
it is the judgment of the President, of many
of the best men in Congress, of the best part
of the press, and of large part of the read
ing and thinking "public."