National Republican., 1883-03-01
THE HOUSE.

the middle district o 4 IenncBseo.
Daniel W. Gooch, pension agent at Boston.
THE HOUSE.
Immediately after tho reading Of the
journal, Mr.. Randall Of Pennsylvania, rose
and said: Mr.. Speaker, IL had followed my
impulses ON the moment of the announcement
of the confereos on the part Of the house on
tho differences between the two houses in
reference TO tax and tariff legislation,
would have then and there, declined service,
but preferred TO act after reflection and
deliberation and thus avoid the semblauce
of what might be thought hasty action
Seldom, II ever, during my service in this
house have / avoided duty or responsibility.
but in this instance I feel / can better
serve the interests Of my state by re-
linquishment of the labor assigned to me.
l leave behind me on the committee Of
conference member representing my own
state, and in fact my own city one who has
devoted q lifetime to the subjects in contro-
vorsy. Whatever report may come as n re.
suit Of this action of the house, when it IL
presented l shall be moro at liberty to pur-
sue such a course on its consideration as will
enable me TO best promote the great indus
/ trial interests of the country as to rates and
within proper limitation Therefore, Mr..
Speaker, ask TO be released from the SER
| vice you were kind enough 90 assign me to.
| Mr.. Anderson, of Kansas, sarcastically sug-
gested that Mr.. Russell Errett be appointed
to fill the vacancy.
The speaker. The gentleman will be relieved
! md the chair appoints MIR. Morrison, OF 1llnois
| / respectfully decline TO serve, said MIR. Nor
The spcaLer The chair will appoint to All tie
vacancy occasiOned by the declination the gentle.
| man from Virginia, Mr.. Tucker
As hethird appointoe, said Mt. Tucker, decline
The speaker The chair viii take the matter
under consideration.
Mr. Page, rising to question Of privilege,
called attention to some sharp words which
had passed between Mr. Cox, of New York,
and himself last evening and expressed tho
hope that the gentleman would SC lit to offer
an apology for his personal remarks.
Mr.. Cox expressed his high regard for the
gentleman from California, and said My
friend is going home to California, aud
would not have him take away single feel
ing of resentment against me; therefore, In
the presence of the house, make the umplcst
apology. Applause
Mr.. Paul, from the committee on elections,
reported resolution granting 4,675 TO NJ.
ID. Ball, to cover his expenses in seeking TO be
admitted as delegate from Alaska. Referred
to the private calendar.
The house then, at 1l:45, went into commit
tee of the whole (Mr. Cannon in the chair on
the state of the union, and after brief con-
test in regard to the respective claims for
preference of the deficiency aud river and
harbor bills the consideration of the latter
measure was resumed.
Before IL was finally taken ZIP Mr.. Springer
made the point of order that the tariff bill
was first in order. The friends of that meas
ure, it seems had left IL in committee to die,
but he thought that its consideration should
be proceeded with.
Tho chair, however, ruled otherwise, and the
river and harbor bill was taken up.
Mr.. McLane spoke in support of the
bill, and criticised tho action and what he
, characterized as Ignorant and vulgar Ian
guage" of its opponents Commenting on last
! years veto message, he expressed his opinion
that 1t was incxcusnblo in high executive
officer to speak in terms of disrespect of the
, legislature which he was advising. The inn
| propriety became much more offensive when
accompanied with great display Of ignor-
ance. He had never known an executive Ia
be so grossly misled and mistaken. Not only
. WAS great inju ustice done the legislature, but
every little penny -a-liner had u high author
ity for denouncing it, Hocared not what the
Q newspapers said about this bill. They had
c fallen in loose STYLE and editors daily called
!, each other liars, and thieves, and vagabonds
But he was not Indifferent to what was said
on this floor, and he would never permit q
man to denounce vote of his as unworthy o
respect without calling upon him to prove 1t
and he thanked God that he could brand such
o man, if not as calumniator, rs q man ig
| nonnt of facts
Mr.. Burrows, chairman of the select com
mittee on the Improvement of the Mississippi
river confined himself to quoting briefly from
the report of the committee explaining III
recommends and reading short abstracts
from the testimony on which the report wal
based.
Mr. Robinson, of Massachusetts, also mem
i ber Of the committee directed his remarks
# especially TO the question of levee improve
| | Ip wnulH nnt StOn IN 1ispugg the con
}, stitutional question, whether congress coult
o expend money for the reclamation of land
Il because he did not believe that tho hous'
y would appropriate for that purpose. The com
+ mittee, with the exception Of two members
= agreed that no levees should be constructed ~
L q part of the scheme of channel improvement
n This bill should be guarded so that the com
IS mission could not expend another dollar fol
J. the repair of levees.
n Mr.. Thomas, another member Of the COM
o mittee, asserted that the Mississippi commits
II sion had in no wise exceeded It's authority
l. and placed himself ON record here and now II
r, favor of the plan of the commission, and that
Il too, including levees. Eight members Of tn
# house, after floating down the Mississippi b,
l. night and in fogs6n freight boat laden will
Il empty kerosene barrels and agricultural i'm
0 plements came here and, in the face of al
r experience Of the best scientists, said, " Yo'
l. shall not use money for this or that purpose
y because, forsooth, we have been down th
o Mississippi river and know more about IL thai
you or the commission" The friends of pool
g ing companies of railways proposed to limi
l. this great national work and strangle II I
death.
Mr. Cox of New York, in Ave-minut
!. speech, opposed the bill and expressed hi
wonder at how it managed always to &c
through. 1t reminded him of the bill men
= toned in lolanthe"-
Though your fury It arouses,
;. 1t shall bo passed by both your houses
Mr.. Butterworth expressed his disbelie I Il
u the idea that the waters Of the Mississippi
u could be confined by mud walls without
O. compromise with muskrats or truce VIII
e, moles. He had no hostility to the levee sys
J. TEN, but he did not think that there sho ul'
4 be any large expenditures of money for th
y construction of levees until further expert
o ments were made. Ho defended the genera
d plan of appropriating for river and harbor i'm
provement, and asserted that the man fron
VI the west who voted against such appropril
,e tions would have so few votes at the neS
election that IL would not pay him to coun
r them. Let not New York, which had sucke
., the orange and now wanted To chew the pull
;" forget that westward the star of empire tool
IL its course, and in the course of that empiI
er necessary improvement would follow.
J. Mr.. Ellis spoke in favor of the levee sy'
- tenn.
n Mr. White opposed the passage OF rive
a. and harbOr bill at this session.
/, The bill was then read by paragraphs fc
i amendments.
u, On motion of Mr., Page, an item was adde'
i. appropriating 100000 for continuing improve
N ment at Rockland, Maine.
K, Amendments offered by Mr. Richardson an