Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
The House in Committee Of the
Whole on the River and Har-
Dor Appropriation Bill.
Mile and Blanchard Speak in Favor Of
the Galveston HarbOr Appropriation
An Attack on Eads.
rHE HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.

THE HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
WARRINGTON, Jan. Si.-The speak
er pro tenn, Blackburn Of Kentucky,
laid before the house this morning
communication from the supervising
architect Of the treasury, asking FOR an
appropriation Of 5000 for a public
building at Kansas City, No.
Representative Mulchler Of Pennsyl-
vsuis, chairman OF the committee on
reform In the civil service, by order
the committee, reported adversely
the bill TO prohibit the removal Of any
hOnorably discharged Union soldier,
sailor or marine, or any widow or de
pendent relative OF any deceased
Union soldier, sailor or marine from
any Office OF the civil service OF the
United States except for specified
causes.
The house then went into commit
tee Of the whole on the river and har-
Dor appropriation bill,
MI. Mills Of Texas earnestly advo.
Gated al appropriation for the pro-
posed improvement OF Galveston mar.
Dor. the attempted improvements 20
lar had resulted il failure, and the
people OF Texas had no confidence In
the achievement OF any measures used
except the plans proposed to be pur-
sued by Capt. Eads.
Mr. Thomas Of Illinois thought the
bill In the main fair and meTitorious
one. There Were some items in the
bill which were Objectionable to him.
/ IL would be better Tor the country, for
! instance, to await the action OF the
harbOr board, provided fOl by the bill,
before any large appropriations were
made Tor the improvement Of
the Galveston LarLOr. Con-
! gress should not rush headlong
into work which was to cost IS, 75Q,
900 simply because Capt. Eads was
brought forward as the architect ofthe
proposed scheme. III this appropria-
zion for the Galveston hErbOr had been
put on an equal footing with the other
hRrbors OF the same character and inn
pOrtance, he probably would have
abstained from finding Iault with
1t. But when the committee
mad seen fit 70 put It's foot
on the engineer corps and 90 without
any estimates satisfactory TO the house,
! he for one must protest against 10. He
thought that halt should BIO called
There WAS another project in the bill
that WIS decidedly Objectionable, IL
was the one for the establishment of a
great national hArbor OF refuge at
SandAy Bay, Mass. The engineers
said that this was not necessary, vet
the cOminitte had put Ii In. Ii In.
vOlved an expenditure Of 81 900 600
aud was intended TO furnish harbor
OF refuge for the ocean. going trade
There were places where harDors TO
meet all the requirements Of commerce.
could be established ~ much less cost.
Mr. Blanchard OF LOuisiana defend
ed the bill against hostile crib Ism
and especially expressed his approba-
tion OF the item for the Improvement
OF the Galveston harbOr. No more
meritorious proposition involving an
appropriation was presented TO the
house than that for the Improvement
OF this harbor He pictured the bene.
hts which would en-ue % Texas. 10
the Western states aud 10 the country
at large by the establishment of "a safe
ana deep hatbor az Galveston, aud IA.
voled the plans OF Capt Eads. IL
with the expenditure oil six or seven
million dollars "a depth Of thirty feet
could be procured at Galveston the
people OF the United Sta es would = OF
part with that result for $l0O, 600 600
Referring TO the prOpo- ed improve
ment OF the Mississippi river and the
appointment OF Capt. Eads az consult.
ing engineer OF the Mississippi river
commission, he read a telegram from
that gentleman denying the statement
that according TO his plans II would
cost 100000 600, and stating that his
estimate had been $1,000. 900.
Mr.. Bayne OF Pennsylvania opposed
certain features Of the bill, which he
declared appropriated 81 900 900 more
imam was recommended by the secre-
tATy Of war.
Mr.. Willis Of Kentucky called At
tention 10 the fact that the chief en-
Rineer had stated that S34 OOO. 900
could he probably exchanged during
the next lscal year.
Mr.. Bayne said that that only cnn.
nrmed bis opinion that congress had
no adequate information upon which
70 make these appropriations. He
pointed out the Objectionable features
OF the bill, specifying the establish
ment OF II harbor OF refuge at Sandy
Bay, Mass, in the face OF adverse
recommendation by the enRineers.
The Hennepln canal soheme, though
ltmight, per se, be proper one, shonld
not 90 incorporated Ia the river and
hsfb0r bill. He opposed the Galveston
harbor scheme because the appronrla-
ton was made Ia the spirit 81 blind
ialth In Capt. Eads. Congress was