The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-12-09
The River and HarbOr Bill.
Extract from President. Nss..re

bill entitled "An act making ap.
preparations for the construction
repairs and preservation of Ger
tain works on river and harbors. =
which became a law near the close
OF your last session prompt me to
express the hope that no measure
will be deemed necessary during
the present session of Congress
Indeed, such q measure would now
be open to serious objection in
addition to that which was lately
urged upon your serious attention
| am informed by the Secretary OF
War that the greater portion OI
the sum appropriated for the va
rious items specified in that act
remains unexpended. OF the new
works which were authorized ex
penses have been incurred upon
two only, for which the total ap
preparation was 100000. The
present available balance is dis
closed by the following: Amount
of appropriation by act of August
10th, 1882, $lS,737,S75 amount OI
appropriation by act of June 10Th
1882, $4,000; amount of appro
priations for payments to j. b
Eads, s3Oi, 600; mexpended by
balance of former appropriations
s4,73S,263; total, 500, 19l, ,l3S. Less
amounts drawn from treasury be
tween July l4th, 1882, and Novem
bcr 3Oth, 1882, s6,O56,l94. Total
S11,I3i,9i4. 1t is apparent by this
exhibit that so far as concerns
most of the items to which the act
of August, 1882, relates, there cal
be no need of further appropria
tions until after the close of the
present session. III, however. any
action seems to be necessary IL
respect to particular objects, il
will be entirely possible to proyid,
for those objects by appropriate
legislation. 1t is possible, for ex
ample, that to delay until the as
sembling of the next Congress tt
make additional provisions for th,
Mississippi river Improvement
might be attended with serious
consequences. If such should ap
pear to be the case, just bill re
lating to that subject would com
mand my approval. This lead'
me to offer a suggestion whicl,
trust will commend itself to tn,
attention of Congress. Is it no
advisable that grants of consider
able sums of money for diverse
and Independent schemes of inter
nal Improvement should be made
the subjects of separate and dis
tinct legislative enactments' j
will scarcely he gainsaid even b,
those who favor the most lbera
expenditures for such purposes al
are sought to he accomplished b,
what is commonly called the River
and Harbor Bill, the practice o
grouping in such o bill appropria
tions for n great diversity of oh
ieets widely separate either il
their nature or the locality witt
which they are concerned, or both
as ono which is much to be depre
Gated, unless il is rcmediable. |
vitably tends to secure the sue
cess of the bill as whole, thougl
many of the items, if separated,
considered. could scarcely fail o
rejection.
BY the adoption of the course
have recommended, every membe
of Congress, whenever opportu
nifty should arise for giving his in
fluence and vote for meritOriou
appropriations, would be enabled
to do so without being called upol
to sanction others by his approval
SO also would the Executive b.
afforded full opportunity to eS
Iercise his constitutional prer0ga
tive of opposing whatever appro
priation seemed to him objection
able without imperiling the sue
cess of others which comment
themselves TO his Judgment. |
may be urged in opposition Il
these suggestions that the nunbe
of works of internal improvement
which are justly entitled to go,
ernment aid is so great as to reu
der impractlcable separate appro
priation bills therefor, or even fO
such comparatively limited numbe
as to make disposition of larg
sums of money. This objection
may be well founded, aud whethe
or not the advantage which woul
be likely to cnsue from the adoI
ton of the course | have recon
mended, and may perhaps be NOR
effcctuall attained by another
which | respectfully submit t
Congress as all alternative prOpt
4. A