Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-18

| WASHINGTON. April 16.-The hearing yester-
day before the House Committee on Commerce
was matter Of peculiar and particular in
terest. The outline of the hearing was tele-
graphed to the News. There are some details.
however, which, owing TO the Importance OF
the matter, will bear the slight remembrance
of repetition which I give Them All the
members of the Congressional delegation in
the House. except Messrs. Stephens and
Black, were present. Those two gentlemen
were kept away by illness. Never has any Con-
gressional delegation received like support
from committee as that accorded the Geor-
gia delegation And never has delegation
from a State received such consideration as
was accorded Mayor Wheaton and Colonel
| Warren The intelligence of these two gentle
men was recognized at the start by the Com.
merce Committee Their time for talking was
| extended, and even the Republican members
| of the committee had TO admit that they were
| hearing business men. and did not care how
| long they talked. All the members of the
| Commerce Committee were present. The fol-
lowing letter from Representative Stepheas to
Chairman Page was cad by Colonel Winter
| smith, the clerk of the committee:
HOUSE OF REPREsE NATIVES, WASHINGTON.
d. O., April 14.-You~ very courteous and
polite note of Yesterday was duly received,
and while hereby return you and the COM
mittee my sincere thanks for the privilege ex-
tended to me to appea. this morning before
them in behalf Of preparation asked for the
Savannah river by me and my colleagues in
the House. deeply regret to say the condition
OF my health will not permit me to avail my
self of jt this morning. can only cite you to
the bill introduced by ME and Mr. Black and
referred to your commi tee. In my bill there
is not a dollar asked for that Is not abso-
lutely necessary for the commercial needs
of that great river The amount asked for the
improvement of the river is greatly below the
estimate submitted two years ago, but &c NAV
suffice for the present year. That asked for for
the improvements below Augusta and down To
tidewater is equally important and necessary,
and is respectfully submitted to you and the
members OF the committee"
Representative Hammond addressed the
committee, He spoke specially of Savannah
and Brunswick harbors He gave their needs
and urged the committee to give to them as
large an appropriation as possible He said
that there could not be given una0visedlv more
money than was asked for. General Gilmore
had in hand his report He did more than urge
what he recommended in that report He de-
picted in a professional way the needs of Sa-
vannah in the matter of improvements. He
said as good a word for the Improvement OF
Savannah and Brunswick as could be said In
advocating 100000 for Savannah, and S3S, 900
for Bruins wick he spoke in manner that could
leave no doubt OF the sincerity OF meaning,
and then he had the figures to show that he was
not simply talking.
The speech OF Mayor Wheaton was a very
neat one. He spoke from memorandum card,
and spoke well. He gave the figures showing
Savannah.
that her necessities for Improvement were
urged not upon local but national grounds.
His detail of the business Of Savannah satisfied
many members OF the committee who looked
upon the report as a sort of One-hOrse affair.
Colonel Warren spoke OF the marvellous
growth of the South and Of the great growth
OF the business of Savannah, the development
or trade and industry. He referred to the fact
that Savannah had already spent out of her
own pocket $250,000 for the Improvement of
her harbor, and was now only asking what had
been granted to many other cties-a little gov
ernment aid. Mayor Wheaton and Colonel
Warren made very good impression as prac-
tical business men.
Representative Buchanan spoke in favor of
Improvement work from Columbus down the
Apalachicola river He wanted S37 GOO for q
dredge boat and the cost of using il for a year
Mr.. Turner advocated the improvement of the
inland channel and Brunswick harbor He
also spoke in favor of the further improve
ment of Car shoals in the Oconee river He
cited the fact that since the present improve
ment at Car shoals the business at that place
had more than doubled. Represent ative Speer
went in on generalities-he generally goes in
on generalitieS lie announced himself
In supposedly facetous way as in favor Of
the "old flag and an appropriation" That fig
ure of speech is. by the way, somewhat worn
Speer referred also to the great prosperity of
Georgia, and even condescended to say that he
wanted all for the State that he could get
Mr. Clements urged in terse terms the i'm
provement of the Coosa river below Rome.
General Gilmore coDcluded the hearing before
OF S35u, 900 for Charleston harbOr.
The general understanding is that the COM
mittee will give $3.50 600 for the Improvement
of Savannah harbor Mayor Wheaton and Col
Warren are confident of these figures. They
base their confidence on good grounds That
will very likely be the amount that Savannah
will get. Success will be much to the credit Of
Wheaton and Warren They have worked
hard. Their presence has impre ssed the Com
merce Committee as much their facts and
hard sense. They will remain here another
week looking after this matter and also after
the matter of new post Office for Savannah.
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