The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-04-27
rofiy.sevsniD Congress,

q
pflatiOn 10 the immediate construction 0l
such leyees rs In the Judgement Oi the MIS-
slssippi river commission VIII assist IN
deepening and improving narrow channels
HOUSE.
Pursuant TO order, tie house met this
morning al II o'clock, ut which hour It's
future sessions will begin until further or
ders.
Taylor, of Ohio, chairman of the COM
mttee to audit the expenses or thcl illness
and death of President Garfield submitted
bill and report on that subject.
Blackburn, of Kentucky, presented the
report of the minority,
Both reports were referred to committee
of the whole.
The bill appropriates for the relief of
Lucy II. Garfield the sum of s5OOCJ, less
any sum paid TO the late President Gar
field on account Of salary as president OF
the United States 1t pays to DR.. Bliss,
$4,000; to Drs. Agnew and Hamilton, $l5,
600; to DR.. Susan Edson $4,000; to vii.
liam j. Crump, $3,000 to the secretary Of
the navy, $l0,Ss2; to William II. hpeare,
undertaken, $1,s35; to G. +, Jones,
of EIberSn' ,S 81 o49 and vorvb to
from 1Y So to 81 Voo Il" II provides that When
Surgeon-G General j. X. Barnes shall be re-
tired from active service, he shall be placed
on the retired list; with the rank and pay of
maior-general. 1t further provides that
there shall be added to the medical corps OF
the army one surgeon, with the rank, pay
and emoluments of lieutenant colonel and
authorizes the president to promote Joseph
Woodward to that position.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON April 20.-At 2o'clock the
senate temporarily laid aside the regular
order, the Mississippi improvement bill
and Mr.. McDill addressed the senate upon
the regulation of interstate commerce, a
bill introduced by the same. creating
board of railway commissioners being
informally taken up. Upon the conclusion
fhis remarks the bill was referred.
A message was received from the presi-
dent relative to a convention to define the
boundary line between the United States
and Mexico. Referred.
A bill appropriatng $465, 900 to supply the
deficiency ior printing for the current year
was called up and passed.
The chair then announced the Mississippi
river improvement bill as the order of bust
ness and after n statement by Miller, of Cal
aiornia. that he would defer pressing con
sideration of the Chinese bill until after
the pending order was disposed of,
Mr. George spoke in advocacy of a bill as
proposed to be amended by increasing the
apportionment to $4,000, and the applying
Of money, under supervision of the govern
ment commission to the rebuilding of
levees. He said the question was to his
constituents a most important one; that
the area covered by the recent overflow, ex
tending east and west an average of sixty
miles, was larger than the states of Massa
chusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Con-
necticut ard Rhode Island all combined
1t contained 100000 acr,s of arabic
land, of which not more than 1000 600 are
now cultivated, and it was estimated that
il the levees were rebuilt, over 100000
acres of the best land in the world would
be brought into cultivation which are not
orilt cd and which pnpit bp puIti-
waited successfully without the building of
leyees. Within this area, even in the Slip
shod way in which cultivation has pro-
ceeded in that section since the war, 25O-
000,000 pounds OF sugar would be
produced IN addition to the pres
lands would be saved, would
produce an annual yield worth about $780,
100000. Taking out the cotton and sugar
po;tlons we had still 100000 acres in Ten
nessee, Illinois and Missouri, suitable for
the production of the cereals. This much
would be added to the productive wealth of
the country by protecting this area from
overflow, and the question was whether
congress would appropriate necessary
money 10 this end or consign that country
to an eternal jungle and forest. In reply
TO the inquiry, why, If this country was
were not able to make necessary improve
ments for themselves, he said that its
wealth was not actual, but poten-
tial and, therefore, that class de-
pended upon aid from the govern
ment for its development. He said there
was nothing in the characteristics or size of
the Mississippi, or 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. lie argued that the power OF
congress to make levees results from
gn1 70 ip,rN of
the channel, but the navigation of the
river and its tributaries and then replied TO
the arguments against the measure. lie
asserted the constitutional power of con-
Cess to make Improvements, while admit
ting that it could not do this solely as
mems of protecting the lands from the
tiocs.s In this connection he cited the
option of experts and others that the
leVes have direct effect III deepening the
chalEel. The bill went over until to-mor-
rovgithout action.
v Mr.. yoke, from the committee on COM
merce. reported favorably with amend
inenis bill for the construction of street
railroad and wagon-road bridge over the
Rio Grande river.
Adjourned.
~ HOUSE.
On ,nnotion of Blackburne senate bill
- passed appropriating $l0O,0 for erecting a
public building at Frankfort, Kentucky.
Caikins, of Indiana, chairman Of the com.
mittee on elections, called up the contested
election case of Lynch VS.. Chalmers, from
the sixth district of Mississippi.
Carlisle, OF Kentucky, called atteption to
the fact that Anterior, OF Ohio, who repre-
scented the minority in the elections COM
mittee, was absent on account Of sickness,
and he hardly thought il fair ID call uS the
L case in the absence Of that gentleman.
Calkins replied that he had this morning
received a telegram from Atherton stating
n -. l.. k..l
the meantime he (Calkinsl thought the dis
cussion might run on for four days, and
that no vote should be taken until Ather-
tons return.
Finally, the house deferred action on the
Lynch Chalmers contested election case, Of
Mississippi, until Anterior, OF Ohio, who
represents the minority, returns.
The house went into committee Of the
whole on the tariff commission bill.
Among the speakers were Turner, Of
Kentucky, in opposition to the measure
Dineley, favoring Townsend, opposing and
Mckenzie, Of Kentucky, opposing Mcken-
zie, spoke at considerable length from the
stand. that congress. by the ways and
means committee, should perform the duty
which il was proposed 20 delegate 10 the
commission. but which was no better fitted
for It than the ways and means committee
ought to be.
pOwering the president 20 appoiuta commits
sion, ifcommissiOn there must be, holding
that congress was entirely competent 70
select the members Of The commission aud
should select them. His speech was full Of
hum0r and sarcasm and bore bard upon the
DO nothing policy Of the present con
gress and its ways and means committee.
Mckenzie has a fine voice and his speech
was listened 10 81 intently and enjoyed ns
much BIZ the republicans as By the demo
crates and its conclusion was received with
applause from both sides Of the house.
IL - -. .L..-. go