The Greenville times., 1882-12-16
4 Decided FietoTs lor the River and
Harbor iaforaies.

House and Senate to-day over rriy.
er and harbor matters. The House
commerce committee reported
their resolution, adopted hy the
committee yesterday, and asked
for its immediate consideration.
The resolution was a criticism Of
the President for vetoIng the river
aud harbor bill last session and for
what he said in his message about
river and harbor appropriations.
Il was also a criticism of the Sec
retary Of War for refusing to send
in the estimates for rivers and
harbOrs.
OF course. all Of those who sup
ported the river and harbor BIZ
last session came to the support OF
the resolution. while the few who
opposed IL undertook TO defend
the President aud Secretary OF
War. The latter faction were led
by kasson, of Iowa, aud they made
but - poor fight against the great
majority who had been SO severely
belabored by the press last fall
for passing the bill over the veto.
The majority were so anxious to
get in word that the House was
soon in confusion aud "a half dozen
were sometimes talking at once.
Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, a member
Of the commerce committee, want.
ed the demagogues shown up who
had been charging that millions
had been squandered on streams
that had no commercial import.
ancc. He wanted somebody to
name those creeks aud paddles on
which the treasure of the country
had been 30 eXtrayagantly wasted.
Mr.. Cox undertook to show this,
but he was soon silenced by the
statement that New York for years
had been the most persistent In
her demands for appropriations for
rivers aud harbors, including the
Hell Gate improvements, until she
had all she wanted.
Robeson waddled his flt form to
the front and declared that the
howl of the press against the river
and barbor bill had been melted by
the great trunk railways, which
for the past eight years had fought
against the Improvement of the
waterways with all the money.pow.
or they possessed. They don't
want the rivers improved, said
Robcson, because they don't wnnl
cheap transportation. They mean
to kill OF river competition il they
can. The New York newspapers
stand in with the railways, and
blackguard all public men who
fight the railways, because they
want the railways to bring the
trade of the country to New York.
Cox, kasson and the others
could not stand out against the
vigorous attacks Of the majority.
They got into the background ms
soon rs they saw what the senti.
mont of the House was. The res.
olutios went through with a
hurrah, aud the Secretary of War
will now have u chance to show
whoro the public money has been
misspcnt on the rivers.
In the Senate when the estimates
for the Mississippi river, in re.
sponse to Jonas resolution, came
IN there was n tilt about the com.
mittee to which they should be re-.
ferred. Conger wanted them to
30 to the commerce committee.
while Jonas, Frye and others PIE
ferred the committee on llissis.
sippl improvements. There was
some lively talk, but before Il con.
clnsion was reached the matter
went over under the rules.
The estimates for the river be.
low Cairo are Si,j.3,00O, to be an.
piled to contracting the bed of the
river and protecting caving banks
in nix reaches, aggregatiug lsi
miles; also for improving the har.
bors of New Orleans, Memphis.
Nicksburg and Natchez, and for
making the Plaquemine lock.
The scene in the House to day
showed that the friends of the
water ways are strong enough to
put through Il river and harbor bill
this session.
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