Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-03
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
BOTH HOUSES AGAIN IN sEs-
SION.

sissippi Improvement--The Commits
siOner's RepOrt--An Elaborate Discus
sion of the Problem.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-In the Senate,
Mr.. Call presented petitions of persons
living along the line of the Tropical Rail-
road of Florida against the allowance of
lands to the company within the six
mile limit. Also, petition from citizens
of Tampa, Fla, praying that the Fort
Brooks military reservation shall be re-
tanned for military purposes, or else given
to that town for public uses. Referred to
the Committee on Military Affairs.
The President laid before the Senate a
communication, transmitting the report
of the Mississippi River Commission, with
map, etc, which was ordered printed.
Mr.. COckrell presented petition from
leading grOcers of st. Louis for reduc-
tion of the duty on sugar and the abroga-
tion of the Hawaiian treaty. 1t was re-
ferred to the Committee ON Finance.
Mr.. Miller, of New York, presented
petition of number of underwriters and
masters of vessels, requesting that a
lightship be stationed outside of Cape
Hatteras. Referred to the Committee on
Commerce.
On the motion of Mr.. Call, a resolution
was adopted directing the Secretary of
War to inform the Senate of the condition
Of the works at the entrance to st. Johns
river, Florida, and whether any further
appropriation is required to protect them
from injury.
At the close of the morning hour the
calender was taken up.
On motion of Mr.. Pugh the bill on the
calendar for the reliefOf certain owners OF
the steamer Jackson, which was burned
while in the government service on the
ChattahOOchee river during the war, was
called up. The bill was discussed by
Messrs. Pugh, Edmunds and Frye until
% p. m, when it went over, and the
Senate resumed the debate ON the FitZ
John Porter bill.
Mr.. Logan resumed his argument
against the bill, but at 4:30 he gave way
for motion to go into executive session,
and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, the Speaker proceeded, as
on Monday, to call the roll of States for
the introduction of bills, under which call
large number were introduced and re-
ferred. In connection with the shipping
bill, which is the special order for tO-mOr-
row, a motion was made continuing the
special order.
The House then proceeded to the con-
sideratiOn of bills touching the admins
tratiOn of the tax laws. The first bill was
one relating to the expectation Of tobacco,
snuff and cigars in bond, free Of tax, to
an adjacent territory. 1t was passed,
and places tobacco exported by rail into
Canada and Mexico on the same footing
as tobacco exported in vessels.
The following bills were also passed: To
empower POstmasters to administer oaths
to importers of books; to amend the stat
uteS so as to allow a drawback on distill-
ing worms manufactured for export; to
authorize United States Commissioner
to take Acknowledgements of the transfer
of United States bonds.
The next bill taken up was the Senate
bill providing that perique tobacco may
be sold by the manufacturer or producer
thereof in the form of carOttes directly to
legally qualified manufacturers, to be used
in the manufacture Of cigarettes and
smoking tobacco without the payment of
the tax. Passed.
Twice during the consideration of the
foregoing bills a vote was demanded, and
it was only after great delay in each case
that quorum of members could be Sc
cured to pass the bill. The tellers of the
House then went to the Speakers table,
and the first bill taken up, which was a
bill affecting street railway in the Dis
trict of Columbia, occupied the remainder
of the days session. The House, at 4:10
D. M, then adjourned until tomorrow,
when the order fixing the daily hour of
meeting at IL O'Clock a. IN. goes into
effect.
THE MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENTS.
The Mississippi River Commissioners
report was submitted to Congress to-day.
1t embraces an account of the progress
of the surveys and construction and the
expenditures for each, with estimates for
the next fiscal year and remarks on the
subject of the levees and outlets and sug-
gestions concerning legislation. The
amount expended from July
1882, to December 16, 1882, including the
estimated liabilities, is $9,622, Asa. The
balance. which, it is estimated, will be
required during the remainder of the
fiscal year. ending June 30, 1888, is So, 17S,
0SS. The estimate for the salaries and
expenses of the commission for the next
fiscal year is put at 100000, After eX-
planning the delays in the work at
Plum Point and Lake Providence reaches
the report says that as soon as it was
possible after the appropriation last made
became available, work was resumed and
has been in progress ever since. Though
the result, so far accomplished have
fallen very much short of even reason
able anticipatiOns, the difficulty has lain
in the absolute imposslbillty OF obtaining
the necessary labor. The local supply OF
labor is scant and unreliable, and it was
not deemed desirable to import labor from
the North until the sickly season was
over, so that work has been carried on by
small gangs of one or two hundred where
il should be one or two thousand. But
labor is now coming in freely, and no
further difficulty is anticipated from this
source, Upon the recommendation OF the
Engineering Department Of the army
A. n fGfn Of
commission the river has been divided
into four administrative districts, each in
charge of an officer of engineers,
Under the act of August, 1882, the COM
mission was charged with the prosecution
of the work at the following points, here
tOfore carried on by special apprOpria-
tiOns: Memphis harbor, Vicksburg har-
Dor, NatcheZ harbOr, the Red and Atcha-
palava rivers, Bayou Plaquemine and
New Orlean harhOr. The arguments for
changing the plans, in view of some pres
ent hardships to navigation, have been
considered. But engineering reasons in
favor of the present policy are deemed too
great to Justify the commission in recon-
mending any departure therefrom so long
as the appropriations for the work are
no larger than at present. By
doubling or trebling the plants, which
cannot be done under the present allOt-
done in much shorter time without an
increase of the ultimate cost, The report
recapitulates, in detail, the plans upon
which the commission is at work below
Cairo. the main principle being the con-
traction Of the width of the river and the
protection of the banks, to secure the
securing out of the bottom and the pre-
yention of the formation Of bars.
Of the special methods proposed the re-
,,ort that they have olrpodV
Dassed beyond the experimental stage.
They have received practical tests at va
rious points on the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, rivers, and even the recent work
done by the commission already
shows their correctness. The special
devices used-that is. the details of
permeable dikes and revetments-are
still matters of experiment. not so much
as regards their efficiency as their cost.
1t is certain, however, that no cheaper
methods are known than those now pro-
posed, and, if they fail, il is question
whether the improvement of the Missis-
main part Of the cost will, of
course, be bank protection. The re-
mort reviews in detail the work
in the several districts. The estimates in
detail for the next fiscal year are for the
work of contracting the channel and pro-
tecting the caYing of the banks on the six
reaches of the river, length of 1S4 miles,
viz: New Madrid reach 40 miles, Plum
Point reach 80 miles, Memphis reach Is
miles, Helena reach 20 miles,
Choctaw Bend 30 miles, Lake
Providence reach 80 miles, For
carving on the work at the harbors
of Vicksburg, NatcheZ and New Orleans,
for the lock at Bayou Plaquemine, the
rectification of the Red and Atchafalaya