The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-10-26


IIDa JahAihA1 Chac-. ~ao sHs unsni'
,aoasiy re .aoniss,rd fof Congress IN the
second Rhode Island disiric, lasi week,
made speech al the Convention defending
the lAsi session OF Congress from some Of
the charges ,ha, have been made against Il,
We copy portion Of bis speech:
"It has been charged that We were an IN
aoIent Congress. wasting the peoples time
and the peoples money. ! declare With
ont fear Of sucoefsfnl criticism that nc
.ong session since reconstruction times has
accomplished more. better, OF more i'm
portant work. Let us see what some Of
lie important acts Of the session have
lecn.
We have passed after long aud earnest
debate and after Rejecting the fret bill re-
ported by the committee, just and equit
able bill fe-apportionine tho representa-
ton among the states. The last Congress
wrestled With il in vain and the matter
came over TO us. A bill was passed TO dis
tribute the balance remaining 10 the Tress
nry. OF the money awarded TO US by the
Geneva Tribunal. Ii was shame and q
disgrace that II bad not been done before.
Either the money should be returned ia
England, or paid TO those who have more
just claim TO IL.
We put . seton in that lecherons ulcer
upon the body polite, the polygamy Of
Utah, which for nearly two generations
has wantonly Haunted its crime in the
mids, Of our Christian civilization.
The navigation interests, which for years
have been demanding modification OF
our ancient and superannnated navigation
laws. have received substantial aid by the
adoption Of the Danubian system Of meas
nrement OF vessels.
The hyes and skies have been refunded,
saving twelve millions year IN interest
A bill was passed to extend the bank
charters.
The Tariff Commission bill was passed.
Ihieh will bear good fruit. From It
look for wise revision Of the tariff which
shall protect and foster the industries OF
the country A bill providing for the ed.
ueation OF the Indians, one OF the wisest
and best laws regarding the Indians ever
placed on the statute book. We spent a
solid month seating men who were fairly
elected aud unseating those who wrong.
fully held their seats. Applause. The
House passed upon a legion Of pension
cases. The House passed a law relieving
the country OF twenty five millions Of tax.
es. II failed 10 become o law because
Bayard, Beck a. Co. Of the Senate wanted
the tax kept on matches and taken of from
wbiskey. The moonshiner OF Kentucky
aud the Carolinas must he relieved. and let
the business Of the country bear the bur
den. A record, so far as the House is con-
cerned, to be pointed at with inst pride.
We passed also, as yon have heard, riv.
er and harbor bill. propose to evsde no
issues, to dodge no responsibilities. In 1t
we're some items which ought not TO have
passed, and to which we of Rhode Island
opposed by our votes in committee OF the
whole, the one opportunity which oc-
Cured for such opposition; but the great
mass Of provisions in the bill are wise. jn-
dicial and OF essential interest 10 the coun-
try. We were TO decide whether for the 5
per cent that was bad we would reject the
90 per cent which the great business inter-
ests Of the country demanded at our hands
We decided as we then thought was right
and still believe it right. Delegations
OF business men came down to urge it.
Resolutions Of Councils and Boards Of
Trade were showered upon us. Men Of
the highest probity and business character
wrote us urging letters. What occurred
here occurred all over the country, and
yet certain newspapers denounce this bill
as steal. The sceptre Of political power
rests today in the region drained by the
Mississippi and its tributaries.
That wonderful basin, extending from
the British possessions on the north to the
Gulf OF Mexico in the south, from the AL
leghanys in the east to the Rocky noun
iains in the west, OF one and three-fourths
millions square miles, comprising twenty
three states and territories, each an empire
in itself. containing population OF more
than 80. 000, 900, doing vast traffic on its
IA, 900 miles OF navigable rivers, and who
mean TO have these rivers improved. The
State OF Michigan alone has longer coast
line than the whole OF England. The
commerce that passes over the St. Clair
flats in front Of the city of Detroit Is more
than the foreign commerce OF Liverpool.
The improvement in lake navigation has
reduced the freight on barrel of -four be-
iweer Chicago and the East one half.
Shall we quarrel with our own bread and
but,erg France has spent more on her
non.tilal rivers than all our river and har-
Dor bills put together. and besides that
spends eighteen millions year on her har
bors. Compared with what England has
done and is doing in this way, this bill
sinks into insigniiicance. The little gov
ernmeut Of Holland spent in 1879 nine
millions with population Of only $780,.
600. In that proportion we should spend
one hundred aud fifty millions, and yet all
these nations find their profit in il. Gen
tlemcn. when we in this hall shall have
pa. sed away, the people OF this country
will continue to appropriate money for
the improvement Of the rivers and harbors
OF this country