Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-21
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
MORE OF GRANTS CRONIES PRO-
VIDED FOR.
The ShOestrIBg District COntest-A
KeRauckIan Leaps into Fame-Mr.
George on she Needs of the Great
Valley-0ur Mex can Boundary.


100000 for the erection OF a public build
ing at Frankfort, KY.
Mr.. Calkins. OF Indiana, Chairman of the
Committee on Elections, called up the con-
tested election case OF Lynch VS.. Chalmers,
from the Sixth district of Mississippi.
Then Mr.. Carlisle, OF Kentucky, called
attention TO the fact that Mr. Atherton, Of
Ohio, who represented the minority In the
Elections Committee, was absent on account
Of sickness, and he hardly thought It fair to
call up the case in the absence of that gen
tleman.
Mr.. Ca'kins replied that he had this morn
ing received telegram from Mr. Atherton,
stating that he would endeaver to be back
on Monday. In the meantime he (Mr. Cal
kins) thought the discussion might run on
for two dsys, and that no vote should be
taken until Mr.. Athertou's return.
Finally the House deferred action on the
Lynch- Chalmers contested election case from
Mississippi until Mr. Atherton's return.
The House went into committee of the
whole on the tariff commission bill. Among
the speakers were Messrs. Turner, of Ken
lucky, IN opposition 10 the measure, Ding
ley, Of Maine, favOring II. Townsend. of
Illinois, opposing, and McKer zie, of Ken
tucty, opposing.
Mr.. Mckenzie spoke at length from the
w
Means Committee, should perform the duty
which it was proposed to delegate to com
mission no better fitted for it then the Wavs
and Means Committee ought to be- He
further objected to the provision empower
ing the President to appoint the commits
sion (if a commission there must be) hold
ing that Congress was entirely competent to
select the members Of such a commission,
and should select 1t. His speech was full OF
humor and sarcasm, and bore hard upon the
do-nothing policy Of the present Congress
and its Wsvs ana Means Committee.
Mr. Mckenzie has q fine voice, and his
speech was listened TO as intensely and en-
jayed as much by the Republicans as by the
Democrats, and its conclusion was received
with applause from both sides of the House.
When the committee rose, Mr. King, Of
Louisiana, introduced bill appropriatiug
So 900, 600 for the improvement and con-
stTuction Of Mississippi levees. Referred.
Adjourned.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
At o'clock the Senate temporarily laid
aside the regular order (the Mississippi i'm
provement bilD and Mr.. McDnl addressed
the Senate upon the bill for the regulation
OF inter State commerce, introduced bV him,
creating board of railway commissioners,
which was informally taken up.
Upon the conclusion of his remarks the
bill was referred.
A message was read from the President
relative TO q convention to define the bouu-
day line between the United States and
Mexico. Referred.
The House bill appropriating S465, 600 TO
supply deficiency fer printing for the cur
rent year was called up ard passed.
Tae Chair then announced the Mississippi
river Improvement bil as the order of bust
ness, and, after a statement by Mr.. Miller,
of Calf rnia, that he would defer pressing
consideration Of the Chinese bill until after
the pending order was disposed Of, Mr..
George proceeded to advocate the bill as
proposed to be amended nv increasing the
appropriation to $4,000, 900, and applying
the money in the discretion of the Missis.
sjppi RIVER Commission to the rebuilding of
the levees He said the question was TO his
cor stituents he most important of the ses-
sion, and that the area covered by the recent
overflow (extcnding east and west on an
average of sixty noiles) was larger than that
of the States of Massachusetts,, New Hamp-
shire. Vermont, Connecticut and Raode
Island all combined
L. contained $4,000 000 acres Of erable
land of which not more than 600, 900 are
now cultivated, and 1t was estimated that If
the levees were built, more than 10 900 COO
acres Of the best land in the world would be
brought into cultivation, which are not now
cultivated, and which cannot be cultivated
successfully without the building of levees.
Within this area, even in the slip shod way
in which cultivation has proceed
ed In that section since the war
500, 600 pounds of sugar would
be produced iu addition to the present pre-
ducdOn. Seven and half million acres of
cotton lands, which would be saved, would
produce an annual yield worth about $780,
000 600. Taking out the cotton and sugar
portions, we had still 100000 acres in
suitable for the production of cereals. Thus
much would be added to the productive
worth of the country by protecting this
area from overflow. The question was
whether Congress would appropriate the
necessary money to this end or consign that
country to the state of an eternal jungle and
forest.
In reply to inquiry why, II this country
was capable of such production, It's inhab-
itants were not able to make the necessary
Improvements for themselves. be said that
its wealth was not actual but potential, and
therefore of that class which depeL d ID upon
aid from the government for its develop
ment He said there was nothing in the
characteristics OF or size of the Mississippi
or the nature of its bed which prevented
the successful application to it of the levee
system, which had been applied with such
satisfactory results to the Nile and Rhine.
He argued that the power OF Congress to
make levees results from the conceded
power to improve not the channel but the
navigation OF the river and its tributaries,
and then replied to the arguments against
the measure. He asserted the constitutional
power Of Congress TO make improvements,
while admitting that it could not do this
solely as means Of protecting land from
flood. In this connection he cited the
opinion of experts and others, that the levees
have a direct effect in deepening the chan
mel.
The bill went over until tomorrow with
out action.
Mr.. Coke, from the Committee on Com
merce, reported favorably, with amend
ments, the bill for the construction OF
street railroad and wagon road bridge over
the Rio Gra0de river.
Adjourned.
AMERICAN MEXICAN boundary.
The letter of the Secretary of
War, accompanying the message OF the
President in regard to the United States
and Mexican boundary, states the
views of the Chief of Engineers
as to the practicsbiliiy, duration and ex-
pense of the undertaking and estimates that
the work will require about two years, and
will cost about S173 AIS. He suggests the
propriety of making a reconnaissance
with a small party to determine upon the
details before beginning the work. The
draft of q convention on the subject
submitted by the Mexican Minister
providfs that the work shall be performed
by an international boundary commission,
each government to appoint an engineer-in- |
chief and such number OF associate en-
gineers as may be deemed necessary.
NONIINATIONs.
The President sent the following nomina-
tions to the Senate to-day: Alphonso Taft, |
of 0hio, to be Envoy Extraordinary and |
Minister 2 PenipotentisrY of the United
States to Austria; VIM. L. Dayton, of New
i Jersey, TO be Minister Resident of the
United States TO the Netherlands; Nicholas
Fish. of New York, to be Minister Resident
to Belgium; John NJ. Francis of New York,
to be Charge D'Atfsirs In Portugal; j. ?.
Wickersham, of PennSylvania, to be Charge
D'Affairs In Denmark; Adam Badeau, of
New York, to be Consul General at Havana.