Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-16
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Private Raids on the Treasury
RenOvat1ng she White House
Bridge Liquidation for Georgia.

/
Bridge Liquidation for Georgia.
WASHINGTON, August 15-A rush is being
made on the Treasury. The last session of
Congress made many appropriations which
personally benefited many people. This
class of appropriations were not in auy sense
public. They were what might be called
individual appropriations. The benefciaries
of this class are loud in their wall. They
haunt the Treasury Department and cry
aloud for their money. They are outraged
because the ducats are not forthwith
handed to them as soon as they
appear at the counter of the cash room.
They will not listen to the explanation that
It takes time for an appropriation to 20
| through an official routine before It becomes
| payable. They fume and fret-I may even
| say swear-because there is delay in placing
their hands upon this money. Such delay
is unavoidable, but the Treasury officers
have to suffer from it. They are bounded
and grOwled at by the people who are to get
money and want to get it
right away, as much as the most
| impecunious debtor In the country. The
/ average citizen thinks that If money is ap-
| propriated there is no difficulty in Just
scooping 1t out of the Treasury. There are,
however, numerous delays in the nature of
safeguards, which must be encountered. AS
the number of individuals benefited by leg
islation at the last session was very large
the callers for money manage to keep alive
| to certain extent our usually dead sum
mer. The people after money only fall
second to the Republican mob In the House
| in largeness. They are not quite as hungry
for their gold as the Republican legislators
were anxious to give it to them.
THE WHITE HOUSE.
During the absense OF President Arthur a
| good many improvements are being made
at the White House. New carpets and fur
nishings are being laid down and put 10.
The whole house is being gone over. In
fact, the whole building, though already
wonderfully improved over what it was
under Hayes and Garfield, is being put in a
condition In keeping with the high-toned
| ideas of the present executive incumbent.
| A good deal of the aesthetic is even crop
| ping into the White House adornment.
| Arthur cares nothing for Republican sim
| plicity." He has been accustomed to
having his residence Furnished in style,"
and does not propose to deviate from that
habit. He is certainly having the
| old pile called the White House fitted out In
| a manner never before dreamed of, and at
the same time Of these improvements so pro-
| pOIblOndlly Is tue puUllC 5uub OIL ITOm q
view of the house when It goes there sight
| seeing.
GEORGIA BRIDGE LEGISLATION.
Among the bills which passed in the last
| hours of the session was the following Of
| peculiar Georgia interest:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives ofthe United STAGES of AnaericG
| t9s Congress assembled, That the Savannah
and Pacific Snort Line Railway Company be.
| and it is hereby authorized to construct
/ bridges over the Ogeechee river, in the
! county of Chatham; over the Oconee, in the
| county of Montgomery; over the Ocmulgee,
in the county of Pulaski; over the Flint
river, in the county of DoOly; and over the
| Chattahoochee river, in Stewart or Musco-
gee counties. or such other county as said
railroad company may desire or find most
| practicable in the final location of said road.
Sec. 2. That said bridges shall be so con-
strueted. either by draw, span, or otherwise,
so that free and dunobstructed passage may
be secured to all vessels aud other water
craft navigating said rivers.
Sec. B. That any bridge built under this
act and subject to its limitations shall
be lawful structure, and shall be recog-
| niZed and known as a post route, upon
| which also no higher charge shall be made
for the transmission over the same of the
mails, e troops, and the munitions of war
| Vi bu6 Oulbcu ObdltS3 Ut passengers OT If6lgUG
passing over said bridges, than the rate per
mile paid for the transportation over the
railroad or public highways leading TO the
said bridges; and it shall enjoy the rights
aud privileges of other post roads in the
| United Sta es.
Sec. That If any of the said bridges
| authorized, to be constructed by this act shall
be constructed as a draw bridge, the draw
sball be opened promptly upon reasonable
| signals for the passage Of boats; and said
| company or corporation shall maintain, at
It's own expense, from sunset till sunrise,
such lights OF other signals on said bridge or
| bridges as the Light House Board shall pre-
scribe. No bridge shall be erected or main
tanned under the authority of this act which
81 all at any time substantially or materially
obstruct the free navigation of said river;
and If any bridge erected uoder such au-
thority shall In the opinion Of the Secretary
of War, obstruct such navigation, he is
| hereby authorized to cause such change or
alteration of said bridge to be made as will
effectually obviate such obstruction ;
and all such Instructions shall be
removed and alterations made at the
expense of the owner or owners Of
said bridge: Provided That nothing in this
| act shall be so construed as to repeal or
| modify any of the provisions of law now
existing in reference to the protection Of
the navigation Of rivers, or to exempt this
bridge erected under This act from the
| operations of the same.
Sec. S. That all railroad companies
desiring the use of said bridge shall have and
be entitled to equal rights and privileges
relative to the passage of rail-
way trains or cars over the same, and
over the approaches thereto, upon payment
of a reasonable compensation for such use;
and in case the owner or owners of said
| bridge and the several railroad companies,
/ IF cho1
fail to agree upon the sum or sums to be
| paid, and upon rules and conditions to
| which each shall conform In useing said
bridge, all matters at issue between them
shall be decided by the Secretary of War,
upon hearing of the alleg cations and proofs
| of the parties.
Sec. 6. That any bridge authorized to be
constructed under this act shall be built and
located under and subject to such regula-
tions for the security of navigation of said
| rivers as the Secretary OF War shall pre-
scribe; and to secure that object said COM
pany or corporation shall submit to the
Secretary Of War design and drawings of
said bridges to be erected, for his examina-
ton and approval, and a map Of
| other information as may be required
for full and satisfactory understanding of
the subject, and In all things shall be sub
ject to such rules and regulations as may
be prescribed by the Secretary of War; and
until said plan and location of said bridge
or bridges are approved by the Secretary Of
War, said bridge or bridges shall not be
built; and should any change be made in
the plan Of any bridge authorized to be con-
structed by this act, during the progress of
the work of construction, such change shall
be subject to the approval of the Secretary
of War.
Sec. z. That the right to alter, amend, or
repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved;
and the right to require any changes in said
structures, or their entire removal, at the
expense Of the owners thereof, whenever
Congress shall decide that the public inter
est requires 1t, is also expressly reserved.
CHARGED WITH THEFT.