The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-02-01
NATIONAL NEWS NOTES.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR DEBATE
The Galveston Eads Scheme Defended
ana Denounced Mr.. RandaIps
Views on the Navy Unchanged
The Swain Case.
XLVIII Congress
HDTrgE

En- pro tenn blackburn laid
sefore the house communication
from the supervising architect of the
treasury, asking for an appropriation of
$1,000 for a public building at Kansas
MI M U hOOCk, chairman of the COM
mlttee on civil service, submitted Am ad-
verse report on The bill to prohibit the
removal OF any hOnorably discharged
union soldier, sailor or marine, widow
or oependent relative of any deceased
union soldier, sailor or marine, from
any ONCE OF the civil service of the
United States, except for specified
The house then went into committee
bill. "'N A'i ooi
Mr.. MILLS earnestly advocated the
appropriation for the proposed innrove-
ment OF Galveston harbor. The at
tempted improvements, so far, had re-
suited III, failure, and the people of
EeHas mad no confidence IN the achieve
ment or any measures used, excent nv
the plans proposed to be pursued by
Capt. Eads. ~
Mr. THOMAS thought the bill in the
man lair and meritorious one.
Mr.. HILL said there were some items
In the bill which were Objectionable. IL
would De better for the country, for in
stance, TO await the action of the board
provided for by the bill before any large
APPROPRIATIONS were made for Calves
ton 10 improve the harhor. Congress
should not rush headlOng into a work
which was to cost $775O,060 Simply he-
cause capt. Eads was brought forward
rs inc architect of the proposed scheme.
Ii thls appropriation for Galveston har-
Dor hAu been put On an equal footing
with other harbors of the same cbarac.
Ter ana Importance, he probably Wonld
nave abstained from finding fault with
IL. But when the committee had seen
NJ 70 put its foot on the engineer corps.
ana TO go without any estimates salts,
factory to the house, he, for one, must
protest against it. Ho thought a
lal1 should be called. There
Is another project in the bill
Gnat was cecldedly Objectionable. 1t
was one ior Cne establishment of great
national harbor Of refuge at Sunday Bav.
Massachusetts. Engineers said this
was not necessary, yet the committee
had put 70 IN. IL involved an expendi-
lure OF Sl,0O00O0 and was intended TO
furnish harbor Of refuge for the ocean
gong trade Of New England. There
were places where harbors to meet ali
tue requirements Of commerce could he
established at much less cost.
Mr.. BLANCHARD defended the bill
against Mr.. Hill's criticism, aud espe-
clally expressed his appreciation of the
item Tor The improvement of Galveston
narnor' NO more meritorious PROPOSE
Lon lnV0iylng an appropriation was
presented 10 The house than that for the
inl ProVement OF this barbor. He pic
hannfits
I'd Ie&as, to the western states.
and to the country at large by
the establishment of a safe and
deep harbor at Galveston, and fa.
vored the plans of Capt Eads, if with
the expenditure Of $6,6OO,OOO or $1,000, 600
uepth OF thirty feet could be procured
al galveston, the people of the United
states would not part with that resuIt
for $l0O,OO0,000. Referring to the pro-
posed Improvement of the Mississipni
river and the appointment of Cant. Eads
as consulting englnest of the Missis-
slppl river commission, he read a tele-
gram which had been received from that
gentleman denying the statement that
according to his plan the work would
COST SioO,VoO,OOO, and stating that his esti-
mate had been S30O0o,0O0. .
Mr.. BAYNE opposed certain faat,,ros
of the bill, which be declared appronri,
ated Si,0O0,000 more than was recon-
mended by the secretary of war.
Mr.. WILLIS called attention to the
iact that the chief engineer had stated
that SSl, 100000 could be protltably OK
changec during the next fiscal wear.
MIR. BAGNE said this only confirmed
ms opinion that congress had no ade-
quate Information upon which to make
these appropriations. He pointed out
the Objectionable features of the hill.
specifying the establishment of a har,
Dor of refuge at Sunday Bav,
Massachusetts, IN the face of adverse
recommendations by engineers. The
Hennipin canal scheme, though it might
per SO be proper one, should not be in
corporated in the river and harbor hill.
He opposed the Galveston harhor
scheme because the appropriation was
made in spirit of blind faith in Cant.
Eads. Congress WAS asked to appropri.
N,5OO,OOO without knowing how a
dollar OF it was 10 be expended
PHssing on to the consideration
of the question of the Mississippi river
improvement, he declared the tetty sys-
tenn TO be a failure and attacked The
plans OF the commission. The commits
sion knew they were failure, and the
cry. went up, "Help us, Eads, or we
sink" There was the blind faith put i'm
Eads again. The commission Thought
Eads could get it out OF It's Difficulty.
Eads was a great pan, but he
(Bayne) doubted whether he was
great enough for that
He thought appropriations for the
Mississippi should be about $500 900, for
the purposes of dredging only.
Pending further debate, the commit
tee rose and the house adjourned.