The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-14
THE THREE BILLS.
Congressman Murphy Home from
Washington-.He is interviewed.

The Davenport Gazette of Friday
contains an interview had with Congress
man J. II. Murphy, of that city, concern
ing the three bills in which our citizens
are equally interested with the constitu>
ents of that gentleman-the Hennepin
canal, the new railroad bridge and the
street cars across the bridge. His talk IS
of an encouraging nature and he holds
out the hope that at the next session we
will not fail to secure the only one OF
these projects which failed He says of
the project: 1--WE were defeated, but its
friends made much stronger fight than
was anticipated they would. We did one
thing, and that is defeated the river and
harbor bill in the house, something never
before accomplished, which is All index
of the strength of the canal. think the
method pursued to procure the appropri>
alton was eminently proper, notwith>
standing the contrary opinion ex~
pressed You know there are some
people thousand miles away
who know more about how the thing
ought to be done than those present
where the contest vas going on and could
judge intelligently of the requirements of
the situation. We made a strong fight,
the Hennepin canal is not dead and at the
next session of congress will be stronger
than ever, but whether the same tactics
will be followed I am unprepared at
present to say"
One sentence OF that talk will give I'M
bounded satisfaction to every one in
this vicinity. 1t is I'VE did one
thing, and that is defeated the
river and harbor bill in the house some
thing never before accomplished, which is
an index of the strength of the canal. "
The desire to see the river and harbor bill
killed By the friends of the canal has been
expressed by a large number of our prom,
inent citizens. The prime cause of this
is that the river and harbor bill is devot-
ed, to great extent, to the Improvement
of the lower Mississippi. The members
from the lower river valley have almost
without exception opposed the canal, or
at least, have not given it support which
IS as harmful as opposition.
Previous to the last session the canal
project has not been strong enough to
take firm stand against the lower Mis-
sissippi, if it received no support from
that direction. But this year it has been
| different The friends of the canal were
strong enough to incur the open enmity of
that section of the country. They took the
only means of bringing the folks down
| the river TO terms-that of killing their
pet project in return for their blow at the
canal.
Next term those people will know what
to expect if they do not help to carry the
Hennepin canal bill through, and they
will, it is hoped, vote with the canalites
when the bill comes up. If they do not
then let their river flow on without inn
provement until they concede terms TO q
section of country much more IN need OF
the Hennepin canal than they are of an
improved river.
OF the street railway across the bridge
Mr., Murphy, who was one OF
the originators of the project, says;
There is a suppOsition in the minds OF
some, the franchise having been pro-
cured, that the bridge railway will not be
built as soon as it ought to be-" ''As
you are probably some of our best
citizens have interested themselves in the
project and | have reason to believe
the work will be pushed expeditiously. Il
we cant expect this from our best citizen:
who shall we expect it from? Men you
know are naturally suspicious, all of II:
are. Capt. Robinson has had monopoly
for the past thirty years and he may at
tempt to throw obstacles in the way
There may possibly be some difficulty IN tht
company procuring the right Of way on
the Rock Island side but when the matter
is properly called to the attention of cit
zens Iapprehend they will favor granting
the right of way and that no great trouble
will be experienced You may say Mr.
Murphy thinks that in year from to-
night people viii be travelling in cars
from Davenport to Rock Island for fiv,
cents 1t will be a great convenience tt
the people in Davenport, Rock Island ant
Moline and to the workmen at the ar
| cpna1