New-York tribune., 1884-01-17
SERVING PRIVATE ENDS.
MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT SECONDARY.
r,,p,,c MONEYS WANTED TO IMPROVE THE
ppoprsry OF IyDIvIDUALs-A HOUSE DEBATE.

r,,p,tc MONEYS WANTED TO IMPROVE THE
PROPERTY OF INDIvlDUALs-A HOUSE DEBATE
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
U.suISGroN Jan. 1G.-The advocates oil the
Improvement of the Mississippi River by means ol
lvees took still more advanced ground to-day than
+hav did Yesterday Confident of the passage OF
tbe Joint resolution reported by the Commlttee On
Rivers and Harbors, they solidly resisted every
effort to guard restrict the expenditure
of the $1,000000 now asked ior use
dnrinp the next FIVE months. They no
longer even pretend that the primary purpose
Of the appropriation is to improve navlga-
tiou. and most of them frankly admit that
the real object is to benefit private property More
over their votes to-day showed that the anxiety TO
get more money is caused not SO much oy
desire 10 preserve Government property ana proIecV
the works at Plum Point and Lake Pr0Vldehco
reaches as by the hope that large portion Oh IL
will be expended in building and mendlng levees'
The debate to-day was lively, and showed
that among tho new members oi
+bo Uonse are some strong and
ready debaters. The excellent speech by Mr.. Hep
burn Yesterday was answered to-day by Messrs.
Dnnn and Breckinridge of Arkansas The latter,
who is a young man and nephew of the late John
c. Breckinridge. spoke effectively IN favor OF the
Hill. General Browne, of Indiana, who opposed IL,
SAID he regarded money spent under the plan OF the
Commission as the colossal waste ana e&traVa-
palce of the age" lie hoped IT might be success
ful and that il would result IN the reclamation Oh
the auuyial lands General Warner, Of ONO,
Also regarded the scheme as impracucaOle
and read from reports of European engineers on me
attempts TO master the Danube, in support ol MS
opipion. lie approved the opinion expressed by
Jefferson Davis years ago, that the levee system
would finally result in the ruin of the plantations
on the aluval lands of the lower Mississippi. MT.
White. of Kentucky, regarded President Ar hWs
activity in behalf of the Mississippi as bid Tor
Southern votes.
MR. HoLMAN'S AMENDMENT,
Mr. Holman. who was member OF the
special committee of the last Congress
which made personal investigation and examined
many witnesses respecting the improvements under
consideration, offered an amendment restricting the
expenditure of the present appropriation to one
reach with view to its early completion, so that 1t
can be thoroughly tested The result, he argued,
would show whether or not tho Government ought
TO continue the plan now on trial Ihls
amendment threw the friends of the
measure into some confusion, and MI
Ellis. of Louisiana, Mr. Eaton. Of Connecticut,
and several more of their strongest leaders were
put forward TO oppose it, Mr. Hiscock made an
excellent speech for the amendment, but 1T was
lost by a vote of 100 for to 1872 against it.
MIR. HIsCOCK's PROPosIuON.
Mr.. Hscock then proposed tnat the money shall
not be used in beginning any works nor III OK
tending those now in progress. except at un Point
and Lake Providence. Down. to tins point the
advocates of the measure had not limited that
the money was TO be expended IN any
other way than that suggested by Mr.
Hiscocks amendment and when it was
read Chairman Willis who has charge of the
measure. declared such to be the purpose. Mr..
Hiscocks pertinent reply was that, IL So the anend-
ment could do no harm. He felt grave doubts, how
ever as 10 whether the law Of last year restricting
the expenditure to Plum Point and Lake Providence
would control the dsposi ion of the present appro-
priation Mr. Skinner spoke effectively in support
of the HiScOck amendment, and Mr.. Belford indulg-
ed in some remarks about the great West and
SonthD demanding " fair division" of the great
surplus locked up in the Treasury vaults, and kept
there by " a man from New-York."
Mr. Potter of New-York made a most earnest
speech in favor of the Hiscock amcndment--a
speech which caused visible uneasiness among the
friends of the levees several of whom interrupted
him repeatedly with indignant denials of
some of his ST. -cments. Mr. Ellis re-
piled coming down to Mr.. POtters seat
and standing over hun, as he poured out his
eloquence in behalf of the !evees Mr. Horn, who
favoIs the appropriation urged its advocates to ac
cept the HiscOck amendment. which, he sad, was
founded on reason and common sense, and Ought to
III It the approval of every friend of the improve
Ilcnt Of the navigation of the great river
NEw-YoRK AND INT RNAL IMPKOvFMENT
W. Hiscook closed the debate New-YOrh he
"a j, had always favored internal improvements and
had spent millions of her money upon them for
the benefit of commencement theN commerce
of New-York alone but that of the Western States
as WELL
"What we want shown by the friends of this
neasu is that it is really for the purpose of i'm
proving the navigation and increasing the commerce
Of the Mississippi River, and not merely great
scheme TO benefit the owners of private property"
said Mr. Hiscock, who added, " Ii you mean that
this Appropriation is 10 be used to hulld and repair
levees for the protection of private property, you
will defeat this amendment"
The vote stood 1O4 to ITO against the
amendment and the Committee of the Whole
Immediately reported the bill to the House. Mr..
Hsoock immediately moved 10 Tecommt, with In
structions to report as modified by his proposed
amendment. The narrow majority By which that
amendment had been defeated had alarmed the
friends Of the bill, and they Immediately carried
an adjournment in order to postpone the vote un-
til tomorrow.