The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-02-05
WASHINGTON.
RADS PROPOSITION UP FOR DIS
CUSTOM IN THE HOUSE.
Remarks of Mills, of Texas
Blanchard, OF Louisiana,
and Others.

+ Pro tenn Speaker blackburn was in
the chair.
The house went into a committee
OF the whole Oh the river and harbor
bill.
Mr.. Mills earnestly advocated an
appropriation for the proposed i'm
proVement Of Galveston harb r. AT
tempted improvements so far had re-
suited in failure. and the people of
Texas had no confidence in the achieve
ment by any measures used except by
the plans proposed to be pursued by
Capt. Eads.
Mr.. Thomas, of Illinois, thought
the bill, in the main, fair and meri-
torIouS one. There were some items
in the bill which were Objectionable
to him. 1t would be better for the
country, for instance, to await action
OF the harhor board provided for by
the bill before any large appropria-
lions were made for the improve
m1nt OF Galveston harbor. Congress
should not rush headlong in
TO a work which was to
cost $7,0O0,000 simply because Captain
Eads was brought forward as the
architect OF the proposed scheme. If
this appropriation Tor Galveston har-
bor had been put on an equal footing
with other harbors of the same char
acter and Importance he probably
would have abstained from finding
fault with 1t; but when the COM
mittee had seen fit to put its
foot on the engineer corps, and go
without any estimates satisfactory to
the house, he, for one, must protest
against it. He thoughts halt should
be called. Thore is another project in
the bill that was decidedly objection
able. 1t was one for establishment
OF d great harbor of. Sandayx1
Mass. The engineI "
not necessary.
had put it in.
pendIture of 81
tendedto furnisl
the ocean-goina
land. There VI
borS, to meet
commerce,
,mnGh less @
Mr.. Blanchard, of Shreveport, L.
isiana, defended the bill against the |
hostile criticism and especially ex-
pressed his appreciation of the item
for the ia. roVement Of Galveston
harbor. more meritorious propo-
sition yolving an appropriation
was presented to the house than that
for the improvement of this harbor.
He pictured the benefits which would
enSue to Texas and to the western
states and to the country at large by
the establishment of a safe and
deep harbor at Galveston, and
favored the plans of Capt. Eads. Ii
with the expenditure of six or seven
millions depth of thrifty feet could
be procured at Galveston, the people
Ofthe UnitedSt ateswouldnot part with |
that result fol- S100,000,00O. Referring
to the propoSet Improvement OF the
Mississippi river and the appointment
of Capt. Eads, as consulting engineer
OF the Mississippi river commission,
he read telegram from that gentle.
man, denying the state |
ment that, according to his
plans, the work would cost 100000,
600, and stating his estimate had been
$30,000,OO0.
Mr.. Bayne, of Pennsylvania, oppos-
ed certain features of the bill, which,
he declared appropriated 100000
more than was recommended by the |
secretary of war.
Mr.. Willis, of Kentucky, called at !
enGlon to the fact that the chief engi- |
neer had stated that $34,000,O00 could |
be prolitably experienced during the |
next fiscal year.
Mr.. Bayne said this only con-
iirmed his opinion that |
congress had no adequate information |
upon which to make these appropria- |
tions. He pointed out the objectiona-
bic features of the bill, specifying the |
establishment of habor Of lefuge at
Sunday Bay, Mass, in the face of an
adverse recommendation by the en-
gineeIs. The Hennepin canal
scheme, though it might, per
Sc, be proper one should
not be incorporated in the river and
harhor bill. He opposed the Calves
ton harbor scheme because the appro- |
priation was made the spirit of a |
blind faith in Capt Edds. Congress.
was asked to appropriate $7,500O00
without knowing how dollar of it
was to be expended.
Without further debate the COM
mittee rose and the house adjourned.