New-York tribune., 1884-01-10
WHAT COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE Up THE RIVER AND
HiRBoR BILLS


TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNE.1
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-The proposition to
refer all subjects relating TO Improvements OF rivers and
harborsn other words, the River and Harbor bl-to
Senate Committee, the Committee Internal I'm
Is contested step by step by the members Of
the Committee Commerce. The larger part Of tOday's
proceedings in the Senate taken up by discussion
on the subject Senators Vest aud Coke the only Demo-
cratic members OF the Committee Commerce present,
opposed the proposition on the ground OF economy.
Mr. Vest rather considered the proposition rejecting
upon the members Of the Committee Commerce. Mr.
Frye denied that most emphacay. Tie said the action
Of the Committee on Commerce in recommending the
appropriation OF vast sum OF
money for rivers and barbors, though it
might have been unfavOrably received by the
people, had In any way Influenced tho action Of the
Committee Rules II had been adopted In order to give
the Committee on Commerce time to consider still more
important matters thau the mere appropriation OF enOr-
of money for the improvement Of rivers and
harborsmaters which heretofore, he sorry to say,
had been neglected and lost sight or
Senator Vest continued in economical
vein. He seemed 10 be Mortified at the idea
OF four committees being added to the list for no
other purpose apparently, than to give the majority
opportunity OF appointing clerks Mr. Frye pointed
that though there might be four standing
mittees there were in reality only two more
committees, two special committees having been charged
into standing The country he thought would not
object to this resulted in the proper consideration Of
those gigantic river and harbOr bills What it did object
to was to have those bills originate in the House. and not
reach the Senate until ten days before the close of the
session, thereby making intelligent discussion OF the
subject impossible
Senator Mcmillan chairman OF the committee is pro-
posed despo spoke Of the herculean task and pro-
d fous amount OF work accomplished by the members
of the committee In fact the whole tenor OF the re-
marks by the aggrieved Senator'S especially the Demo
cratic ones, was the effect that they worked like
slaves the public good during those memorable ten
days. and that the proposition under discussion was an
outrage and reflection their ability capacity, and
willingness millions for the Improvement OF rivers
MIR Frye again assured his opponents that criticism
upon the past work OF the Comltte on GonuSTce % i
implied by the proposition under discussion Ihe real
fault lay With tie House, where such bills were never
properly considered ana "leFo t tney were bai SSe9
passed under a suspension OF the rules Nha'
the committee should do, IN ms opinion
was to gsogrnb% set study tSe ryers and har,os
their depth their width. their relative Importance hud
out whether stream is able to turn saw mill or Wneh
er il can be made naygabe, and questions OF that char
acter and then members could enter lnteilgenty
upon discussion OF River ana HarDor Dill DHt not uh-
on Commerce had been neglected, and in tho
public mind had become associated only wth the pas
sage of these mOnstrOus river and halOOr dis LAT
had done for American shipping within the last fifteen
yearsl What had the same committee done IN the House
Had It, for instance, abolished compulsory plOtage du
IL done anything kill this Internal piece OF piracy No,
this and other important measures had tailed 10 receive
senator Frye wound up effective speech by saying
that the Committee Commerce in the Senate an III
the House was made up Simply LOT Ihe sake OF .lcSe %
monumental river and harbor bills, and not with view
the multi arious duties which were properly theirs
After mrther discussion with Mr. Nest,a statement oy
Senator Mcmillan the effect that his committee had In
the last Congress made eighty reports 70 tne
few remarks by Senator Miller 0i NeW-1 10I VINO was III
favor of referring the River and Hrb0r b 70 tne Com
mttee Commerce the discussion closed without ma
The probabilities are however that 'he Ao" Fu4o'
will be adopted before the close OF the week.