New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-14
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS
THE EFFECT OF THE FAILURE OF CONGRESS 10
MAKE APPROPRIATIONS.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBusE.l

TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSEl
WASHINGTON, April 13.-In conversation with Q
TRIBUNE correspondent to-day. the Chief of Engi-
neers said: "The failure of Congress to pass .
River and Harbor bill will inevitably entail serious
loss upon the Government. 1t cannot be otherwise.
Take the nag-boat service on the Western and
Southern rivers, for example. The safety of navi-
CATION on those streams depends to great extent
upon the continuous operations OF the gbOas at
| all seasons when practicable. We have number
of very large snag-boats the Mississippi Ohio,
Missouri and other large rivers, and good many
smaller ones on the other streams. All of them
must be laid up and their crews discharged on the
LIST of July next.
Then we shall have TO discontinue work upon
great many improvements which are in various
stages of advancement. This will work great less
and damage to the improvements, and in some cascs
probably result in their virtual destruction. In
many cases too very expensive plants have been re-
quired and purchased with o view to carrying
works to completion These will deteriorate greatly
in value while not In use. In general terms 1t IS
true that work once begun should be steadily con-
tinued until its completion. for economical reasons
at least Either that should be done or the policy
of improving rivers and harbors should be aban-
doned altogether"
General Wright says that the appropriations for
removing the distractions in the East River at He'll
Gate will be exhausted before June 30. and that it
will therefore be impracicsble to use explosives in
the rock excavations there before the autumn Of
1854. Among the other improvements upon which
General Wright says work must be discontinued on
June 30 for want of money are Canarsie Bay,
Flushing Bay, Sdmpawamus Inlet, Newtown Creek.
DuDkIrk HarbOr, Olcott Harbor, Iiconderoga River.
all in New-YOrk Rarltan. River, South River,
Cheesequskes Creek, Elizabeth River, Matawan
Creek, Manasquan River. Railway River, Wood:
bridge Creek, Rancocas River C0hansey Greek, all
in New-Jersey; the Connecticut River below Hart:
ford, the HousatOnic River, the Thames River, and
the harbors of Bridgeport Milford, New-London,
Norwalk and Stonington In Connecticut.
MR.. MURCHS CHARGES AGAINST Mr.. HILL.
IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUSE.I
WAsHINGToS, April 13.-Several weeks ago
Representative Murch. of Maine, filed with Secre-
tary FOlger vOluminous written charges Of corrupt
official action against Supervising Architect Hill OF
the Treasury Department. Owing to the illness Of
Secretary Foger no action in regarl to the matter
has yet been taken. Secretary Folger to-day
permitted Mr.. Hill to read the papers, copies Of
which will be made and furnished to him early
as practicable. Ii is understood that Secretary
Folger will appoint committee to make a thorough
investigation into the truth Of the accusations
some of which are said TO be OF q very serious
nature if true.
Mr.. Hill was asked by TRIBUNE correspondent
what he thought of the charges after read
ing them. lie replied that they did not
trouble him IN the least; that most of
them were very stale and related to matters which
had been heretofore investigated. One of them was
in regard to the Chicago Custom House building,
which was thoroughly Investigated several years
ago, by commission another was based upon the
allowance and payment of a claim some SIX years
ago soon after Mr. Hill came into Office others re-
lated to the annulment of the " Is per cent"
granite contracts made by Mullett when he was
| supervising architect another was a charge that
| he had corruptly favored granite company in
which several prominent New-England politicians
| Including Governor Butler and Senator Hale-are
| largely interested
Some of the charges, Mr.. Hill said, related to
transactions which took place when Mr. Potter was
supervising architect. good deal OF the informa-
upon which the accusations are based,
he said, was apparently furnished by
Mullett. whose contributions filed with the
complaint are described as very loose
aud yolumnOus. Mr.. Hill expressed the opinion
that Mr. Murch who presented the charges, Is anx-
ions to get back into his old place as secretary OK
| the Stonecutters UnOn-an office which paid him
salary of about 81 900 year, a sum only one.nftn
as great AS he received while a Congress nan, but .
larger one than he can earn by working at his trade
| of stOnecutter: ana that MI Murch probably thinks
| the coming investigation will assist him to realize
| that ambition.