National Republican., 1883-02-22


seems that the loug-ago exploded notion |
that all such appropriations must be made
only for works below ports of entry aud
for rivers running past two or more |
states or to tidal streams, has so far |
rs the latter part of this political hercsy |
Is concerned, been revised. But the su-
premc court long since settled these qucs- |
lions by declaring commerce to mean not |
alone traffic, but intercourse and navigation
as well and laid down the dctum that " the
admiralty and maritime jurisdiction granted
TO the federal government by the constltu-
tion Of the United States is not limited to
tidcwaters. but extends to all public naviga-
bic lakes and rivers where commerce Is car
ricd on between different states and with
foreign nation" IL follows then plainly and
is now so held, cs specially in view of the in
supcrahle difficulty in many cases of tracing
up and distinguishing between tho general
and the partly general and the local
trade, and utcrcourso-that all navigable
streams are national streams and presumably
bear upon their waters general commerce.
This is the only true guide In dealing with
these auestions--and Is SO simple that ho who
runs may read. All such are entitled-if
otherwise worthy of improvcment-to CON
alteration and an equitable share of appro-
priation for the ease and safety OF transpor-
tation of the commerce which they hoat
1t was precisely upon this principle
pared Upon the same principle, but with
The lines of economy tightly drawn, the pres.
ent bill is formulated. In the preparation OF
last years bill, and that presented herewith,
lhe worth and utility Of the several works TO
commerce and navigation were the chlel
points Of solicitude with this committee. but
tbey were at the same time careful not to in
fruct either the spirit or the letter of that
clause Of the constitution, which prescribes
that mo preference shall be given to the
purts of one state over those Of another by
any regulation of commerce"
Third. As to the alleged extravaganza
In the expenditures and consequent
decentralization: The works themselves
being public and national and not
purely local. as has been shown, ana
worthy of appropriations in the interest OF
commerce and navigation, IL is still charged
in the Presidents message that those In the
act of fsS2 were extravagant in amount. That
charge is not capable of substantiation.
The wonderfully rapid growth of the country,
the expansion Of its material interests
whether productive or manufacturing
manded and still in the committees
Judgment require liberal appropriations.
Coeval with this growth and add
ing to il was the growth of the
great railway systems which already stretch
with fbrous network over all the land. by
improving the navigable waterways that God
has given TO this country, high frcightage by
rail is everywhere checked and prevented,
and the home producer aud manufacturerand
consumer is everywhere benefited. 1t Is not
too much to say that every dollar of the Sls,
7I3,S15 appropriated by the last river and har
Dor act will, after its expenditure, save TO oul
people more than 800. Such an expenditure
isuot cNtravagance, but true economy. Ihes'
waterways, with which nature has so abund
ontlyr euntlipl bnyn hppn unfly Termed
the peoples lines OF cheap transportation
from the granary Ofthc nation 10 the sCaboard,
and IL has been estimated by competent au
thurity that the Mississippi river and it,
tributaries alone, without counting tho otheI
river and lake systems, when placed and KEEP
in good condition, will save annually il
freight transportation rates not less than S2il,
100000 TO the people. 1t is hard to realz,
the wonderful volume of our internal com
merce. The bureau Of statistics estimates i
at twenty-five times the volume of our foreign
commerce, which in 1850 was Sl,5OOOOO,
O0O, or S37 100000, which is ncarl.
three times the volume of the total an
nual foreign commerce of the whole wOrlC
reCkoncd at $li, ,OOO,0 100000. To facilitate ant
cheaper the movements of such u commerc,
as this the Expenditure Of hundreds instead
ftens of millions might be justified Sucl
Is the Wow taken of these great problems by
other highly civilized and progressive nations
England, not so large as either Michigan o
Florida, and with coast line of but l,30
miles, expended S15,O00OOO on harbors alon
in lS74. France, not nearly so large as tn
state of Texas, cXpends annually on her har
bOrs alone $l0,OOOOO0, and, after and despit
the exhaustion consequent upon her war wit
Germany, appropriated for the improvement
other non-tidal rivers no less sum than SlS7
OOO0OO. The people of those great cOmmercis
nations appreciate the value of ease and safct
to af.l hn ttpn mn ann l.a
public opinion in this great commercial repul
lie will also be enlightened on the eCOnOmi
questions involved. As TO the fear eXprcsse
by the President Of the dcmoralizing effect
upon "those intrusted with official dut
through all the ramiiCatiOns of the govern
mcnt,' caused by the expenditure of the SIS
7I357j, the committee have failed to detet
any, either in the engineer corps or elst
where. The committee believe they hay
shown that the grounds Of objection to I'll
last river and harbor bill stated in the vet
message are not of such stability as TO warrar
congress in fulfilling the executives hope thi
no similar measure will DO deemed neccssar
during the present session OF congress, rs c!
pressed in the annual message of last DeCGu
Der. But the President proceeds in that me
sage TO say: Indeed such u measure wOu
now bo open to Il serious objection in additiC
TO that which was lately urged upon your a
tenton. | am Informed by the secretary
war that the greater portion of the sum a
propriatcd for the various items specified
that act remain uneXpended."
The balance sheet which follows to suppo
this statesmcnt misled the President ana
country. In this alleged balance TO the 81,
73s,s75 appropriated by the act of Augu
1S52, is added $4,000 remaining on speei
appropriation of .$3Ol,00O of deferred pa
ments to J, B;-Eads, ana $4,73s,2G3 OF une
pended balAhrsd ft'inefappropriatiOns sol
of whithPhayb ana will be, on hand
years owing to legal orUther difficulties whi
prevent thelfGX behdltuTe; and, then, after tn
swelling the amount to $23,19l, 1873, there
deducted frJaf'this total thc $6,O56, 1914 of d
appropriation made by the act of 1882 WIN
bad bten dhpNaS ttOin the treasury
tween July l,lss2, aud Nov. 30, 1882, leavi
total apparent balance then on ha
of $l773i,9l4. Now, in the first pla
the appropriation Of the river al
harbOr act of 1889 alone are
question, and the total of the other une
pended appropriations, reaching $5,052,2
has nothing to do with it, and simply clou
1t. The sole question involved herein is, HI
much of the SlS,73SS75 will remain une
pended at the end of the fiscal year, and wi
This question is easily answered from oilic
sources In house miscellaneous dOCume
No 10, second session, forty-seventh COngre
containing tabulated information on all the
points, the chief Of engineers states that
that Sls,73Ss75 only I,9i0,Gl2OG will
main uneXpended june 80 1883 that $5l
475 is uueXpended because the expenditure
either withheld by the secretary land d
covers thirty-One items and s622,i7 of
amount, or from nOn-cOmpletiOn of
projects five items S0s,OOO), or becal
\ 4