The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-20
IN SUSPENSE.
Pertinent Remarks on the Canal BE.
fore the Committee OF
the Whole.

The universal demand for news on this
subject leads us to print the point of or
der raised by Mr.. Turner, a portion oil
Mr.. Murphy's speech in reply and the re-
marks of Mr. Niece, entire.
The point of order raised was;
No bill or resolution shall at any time
be amended by annexing thereto Or incor'
porating Herewith the substance of any
other bill or resolution pending before the
committee.
Mr.. Turner made a short speech sup
porting his point of order. He was fol
lowed by Mr.. Henderson, of Illinois, who
remarked that it was not an amendment
but portion of the original bills, and the
point could not, therefore, apply. He
also said that the whole question was
discussed at length in the senate, and up
on a yea and nay vote they held prOvi-
sion similar to it which was not only in
order, but was gernane to the bill; that
the question was decided at the last SEES,
sion of congress and by yea and nay
vote the decision was sustained-103 to
So; that petitions had been referred in the
usual way to the river and harbor CONS
mittee, thereby giving it jurisdiction
Mr. Murphy after resume of the pre-
vious action on the canal said
| But what do desire to say is this, that
| Notwithstanding this house decided at the
last session that the point of order was
| not well taken, the position then was
stronger on the part of the opponents of
the measure than they can make now.
And why? Since that time memorials and
petitions from various cities have been
referred to the committee on rivers and
harbors, and that reference, | am proud
to say, was made by myself.
The chairman. The chair desires to
ask the gentlemen from Iowa whether
those references were through the petition
box
Mr. Murphy. Those references were
through the petition box, and for the rea>
son that that course was required by the
rule of the house. had to take the rule
of the house to guide my action; knew
of no other
| believe | might rest my case entirely
upon that; but l want to say something
further to the chair. have here list of
some eight canals, the Louisville and
Pittsburg canal, the Des Moines Rapids
canal, the construction or canal around
the Cascades, the Green Bay and Missis-
sippi canal the Saint Marys canal, the
Saint Clair Flats canal, the Ship canal to
the Chesapeake Bay, and the Tennessee
Muscle Shoals and Chattanooga
canal. Now will this house say
that these are not Just as
much canals as the Hennepin or the
Mississippi river canals? Here are eight
canals which have been considered by this
committee and for which appropriations
have been made. If the committe had no
authority to recommend those appropria~
tons, why did they do it? This bill al
ready contains three or four appropria>
tions for canals. Are you going to make
an exception of the Hennepin? If you
do, on what ground?
Again | say, if understand the object
and purposes of the committee on rivers
and harbors since its organization it is in
the interest OF all kinds of internal i'm
provements so that commerce may be
aided and assisted. Why, sir, l can re,
member well, because I learned it when
was a boy in the history of my country
| that the strictest constructionists under
jefferson and jackson improved the high
ways of the Alleghanies in the interest of
internal improvements, and the action was
had by the committee on rivers and har-
bors. And it does not make any differ
ence whether it is He'll Gate in New York
so that the New Workers can have free
access for escape, or whether it is open,
ing up the canal in the west So that the
state of New York can have an opportu,
nifty of enjoying what we produce, If i,
is an Improvement in the interest of com
merce it is entitled to legitimate consid-
Grafton at the hands of this committee.
do not believe. Mr.. Chairman, it i;
necessary for me to say anything further
except to recall yOur attention to this ont
fact, and | state it in all plainness. for
believe it is the fact that will decide this
question: Why do We refer those petit
tions to that committee if it be not fo
!, consideration? What is the result of tina
consideration? This report Why wa
that order made? What are these peti
lions for? II they were TO be referred t
some other committee, why did we no
say so? But having referred them to tina
committee that committee was bound t
consider them, and this report is the re-
suit of their consideration and action.
Mr. Neece-Mr. Chairman, we are pro
ceeding in committee Of the whole, ant
, this committee, if | understand it, has NJ
more power than other committees of Thu
house l deny that this committee ha
power to pass upon the jurisdiction o
other committees. | deny we have tn
right to sit in judgment over the juris
diction of the committee on rivers anC
harbors | maintain that the COMMITTEE
on rivers and harbors have jurisdiction o
this question, and that original jurisdic
? ton by the action Of the house was givei
to that committee.
1t was conceded here that petitions
have been referred through the petition
box to this committee on rivers and har-
t bors 1t is conceded here in the argu
Q me mt that if the house he'd referred sue
petitions to that committee it would hav
jurisdiction. If that be true then th
r committee acquired jurisdiction, becaus
t when petition was placed in the peti
;. ton box and referred to that committee
record was made of that fact, and tina
= record was not approved until the mex
day, when the attention of every membe
. of the house was called to that.recor
0 which showed the disposition of such pc
titIon; and when that record stands ap
proved by action of the house it is to
late in the committee of the whole or i
b the house to say the committee on river
= and harbors has no Jurisdiction of th
@ question.
Therefore ! claim, Mr.. Chairman, plaC
ing the petitions in the petition box is
# obedience to the rule of the house, an
0 when such a thing is done record
| g .lo Foot opl that Ivhnp fhot rpf