Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-20

Mississippi River Improvement.
WASHINGTON, March 1S.-There was but
a small attendance of members present
when the House met this morning for de-
bate only on the Chinese bill.
MIR. Speer, of Georgia, was the first
speaker and spoke in favor of the bill.
Mr.. Speer said in the contest between the
United States and China the former had no
unequal adversary. The "Little Brown
Man." eulogized by Joaquin Miller, was
born diplomatist, and tue United States
was dealing with renowned empire. This
bill was measure of self-defense, and no
other question which could be presented to
the present Congress was of more
importance. Peace had it's victories,
and the passage of this bill would be one of
the victories OF peace which would be hailed
with the acclamations of almost a unani-
nous people. When the unanimous verdict
of the entire people who had known the
Chinese since 1860 was weighed in the scale
with the eloquence of the gentleman from
Massachusetts, Mr.. Rice), or the metaphysi-
cal subtleties of the gentlemen from Ohio
(Mr. Taylor, there was no doubt as to
what way the scale would turn. He argued
that the bill was right and in literal
accordance with the treaty, but even were
that not so there were reasons which would
induce him to vote for 1t, and they were
contained in the old maxim, "Sdll6S pOp1Gli
SIprensa Lr." The safety of the people is
the supreme law. What is the strength of
numbers of the American people as COM
pared with the strength of the
Chinese, whom the opponents OF the bill
would permit to come to this coun-
try without let or hindrance? Statistics
showed that If every man, woman and child
in the world were joined In a procession
every third man, woman and child would be
a subject Of China. He took up in detail
and replied to the arguments presented by
Mr.. Taylor, stating that he would oppose
the eloquent theories Of that gentleman
with sworn testimony taken by the Nor
ton Investigating Committee, from which he
made several quotations to show that the
effect of Chinese emigration was to cheaper
labor and drive American laborers from the
Pacific coast. He would contrast the state
ments of the gentleman from Ohio, that the
Chinese were not as a class more vicious
than the rest of the people of the world,
and that they were as cleanly as an equal
number of laborers anywhere. with the de-
clarstion of the other Taylor (Bayard), that
morally they were the most debased
people on the face of the earth, and
with his expressions of disgust
at the filth of Chinese cities. He (Mr. Speer)
asserted that the American laborer. who
had built up our eountry's prosperity in
time of peace and in time of war, on the
fiery crest of battle everywhere, had fought
our country's battles, and achieved its vic
tories, was no more like the miserable Chi
nsman than 'I to Hercules, or Hyperion to
a SatYr." He compared the character
istics Of the Chinese aud the colOred
race, much to the disadvantage of the
former, and asserted that the entire
South would never rise 10 against the negro
as the entire West had risen up against the
Chinaman.
In conclusion Mr.. Speer said: 81 maintain
that it is the duty of the American Congress
to protect the home life of American labor
ing men of our country. They are the
foundation OF our society. What matters
1t to US If we get her large stores of treasure
and become as wealthy as Cresus, If the
mass of the people are miserable and unhap-
py and ground down by competition with
Chinese labor. IL the language of Oliver
Goldsmith:
"'Ill fares the land to Fastening ills prey,
Where wealth accumuiates and men 1ecay;
Princes and lords may flourish or may fade,
A breath may make them as a breath has
made,
But bold peasantry-their country's pride
When once destroyed can never be supplied :"
Applause
Messrs. Deuster, Guenther, Berry, Brumes,
Folk and Flower spoke in favor of the bill.
Messrs. Moore, Carpenter. Williams and
Skinner against it. At $40 the House ad =
iourned.
THE NICARAGUAN CANAL BILL.
The Senate Committee or Foreign Rela-
tions this afternoon completed the con-
sideration of the bill introduced by Senator
Miller, Of California, "To incorporate the
Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua" !"
The committee further perfected the phrase
OlOgy and various minor details in the pro-
visions of the bill, and also adopted an
amendment restricting the proposed United
States guarantee for twenty years and OF
3 per cent. per annum to the amount OF
capital actually expended in the construc-
tiOn of the canal, provided the amount shall
not exceed $95, ,000,0 600. Only five members
of the committee Gust a quOrum) were
present to-day, and without taking a vote
upon the merits of the bill a motion was
unanimously adopted, authorizing Mr.. Mil
Ter to report back the bill as amended to the
Senate for the action of that body without
a recommendation, either for or against 1t,
on the part of the committee, thus leaving
each member free to advocate or oppose it
as his individual judgment may dictate.
THE MONETARY CONFERENCE EXPENSES.
The bills of the delegates on the part of
the United States to the recent monetary
conference at Paris have been made mp.
The conference accomplished nothing.
Ex-Secretary Egarts, Howe, the present
Postmaster General, and ex-senator Thur
man were the delegates. Each delegate
was allowed S., 600 expenses by law. The
total amount of the bill is $50, 900, not in
Guiding salaries. AS ex Senator Thurman's
expenses are put down as only 81 200 the
two other members of the commission must
have had very good time of 1t.
THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
The House Committee on the Improve
ment of the Mississippi River agreed TO day
to recommend an appropriation of $3.50, 900,
in addition to the sum already appropriated,
and that the gross amount be devoted to
the improvement of the river from st. Paul
TO its mouth, instead of from the junction
Of the Ohio with the Mississippi, as provided
in the first appropriation. This action OF
the committee is in accord with the recon-
mendations of the Mississippi River Com
mission and the United States engineers.
THE SIXTH MISSISSIPPI CONTEST.
Before the House Committee on Elections
arguments were concluded upon the legal
points involved 10 the case of Lynch VS..
Chalmers from the Sixth District of
Mississippi.
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