New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-06
RIVER AND HARBoR APPROPRIATIONS.


IL.
COMMITTEE on co MMERCE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.i
WAsuISCToN Jan, 5.-Members of the House
ommittee on Commerce do not seem disposed to
take In very good part Secretary Lincoln's answer
TO their resolution about River and HarbOr appro-
priations partly because they supposed the resolu
tion unanswerable, and partly because they resent
the suggestion that the House of Representatives
especiaIly the Commerce Committee-could have
felt the slightest doubt of their infalbty. "Yes,
Lincoln thinks he is smart" remarked Western
member of the committee this afternoon, ~ but we
have now got him just where We wanted him. You
wait a few days and you'll see that we will nix him
and make him wish he had not been quite so
smart"
Several members of the committee gathered in
their room this morning TO talk the matter over,
and with the view of holding a regular meeting
quorum was not present, and, as Secretary l. ncons
r,nlr had been sent to the Public Printer, 1t was
decided TO wait until next Tuesday before deciding
upon course of action
Mr. Richardson of Ncw-York, is member of the
committee. In response to an inquiry as to what
he thought of Secretary Llncoln's report, hs
SAID; We'll. | think it is the criticism
of the uninformed portion of the war
D4n9rtment upon the well-iufOrmed portion.
The engineers ought to and undoubtedly do know
what rivers and harbors can be improved ana com.
merce thereby benefited, and III making up inc olp
We followed their reports"
"Have you examined the list furnished by tho
Secretary of War;!
Eyes Ihaye looked it over and find it foots up
something like 81, 600, but | do not by any
means admit that all the works named are OF no
benefit to commerce. Suppose you were dong
business of 81 {, 900 900 year. would you De very
much disappointed If you found at the end OF the
wear thai you had spent unprohtaOIy iew nun
dred thousand dollars! Wen, that Is Iuse
tho case here. There were differences about
tbe insertion of some items and, no
doubt. in few cases mistakes were made
Take fine very first item on the list furnished by the
Secretary of War-Plymouth harbor The engineer
saws that il is simply question whether the harbor
shall he saved or whether the seasboro shall be al
lowed 10 destroy 1t. Gambler says Mr. Gambler IL
anofher member of the committed that the Presl-
dent himself specially recommended that something
be done for Plymouth harbor."
"Will the committee bring in River and Haioot
bill this session :" IN.
..Tnat appsars to be the feeling Of majority,
but do not think il best for my part. fou see,
am in rather embarrassing position. III
the last campaign in our State eotn pon'-
icsl parties denounced the Dill Oh i's' seSso"'
and believe that only five OF our thlrS 'nieo "ep
re,entatiyes voted for that bill. want 10 say
however, that a good many more OF them came pe'
fore our committee and begged us 10 make an ap,
preparation for this or that work-and al.er We .sa
done So partly at their request, they went into the
uo,sa ana voted against the whole bill. Were they
sincere whom they urged us to recommend the ap.
propriations OF when they voted against the biil'
There was Senator Bayard, too who came Dsiore
ne and made a strong appeal in favor OF hperai ap-
propIaons for small streams in ms s tsrouan tho
ponSe omiyt,ne aU ths works named IN tae iise
fnln,shcd by Secretary Lincoln r.
.'Yes, / think so; but then you must co"~'-'