St. Paul daily globe., 1886-07-09
THE SENATE SESSION.
Further Consideration of the River
and Warbor Bill.

THE SENATE SESSION.
Further Consideration of the River
and HarbOr Bill.
WASHINGTON, July S.-After the pre-
sentation of the usual number of petitions,
the senate proceeded to the business ON the
calendar The resolutions for inquiring
into the authority under which so-called
state legislature had been organized in the
territory of Dakota were indefinitely post
poned.
Mr.. Hoar stated in reference to the bill to
secure to the United States the payment of
the Indebtedness of the Pacific Railroad COM
pany, that he understood that a bill dealing
with the same subject was likely to be con-
sdered within q few days 'elsewhere." He
therefore did not propose to ask action on the
bill under the existing order. The joint
resolution for woman suffrage was objected
. to by Mr.. Platt. The bills to accept and ratify
agreements with Indians in Washington Ter
) ritory for the use of part of the Yakima res
ervation by the Northern Pacific railroad and
for q right of way to the Carson u Colorado
railroad through the Walker River reser-
vation in Nevada were passed. The
resolution for open executive sessions was on
motion of Mr.. Platt made the special order
for Wednesday. Dec 8. The bill to establish
A FOREST RESERVATION
on the heaQWatGrS OF the MISSOURI river ana
on the headwaters of Clark s Fork of the Co
lumbia river was passed. The senate then
resumed consideration OF the river and harbor
appropriation bill, the pending amendment
| being to reduce the appropriation OF the Ken
stucky river from S250,000 to 100000. The
amendment was lost, yeas 2l, nays 26. The
| amendment striking out the paragraph ap-
kpropriating 100000 for the MuskinP um river,
! o., and accepting for the United States from
the State of Ohio the Muskingum river i'm
f.provement was vigorously opposed by Mr..
Sherman. The amendment was lost, yeas 2S,
! nays 25. The merits of the amendments ap-
propriating $350,000 for the purchase of the
Portage Lake canal and the Lake Superior
i ship canal were presented by Mr.. Conger who
submitted resolutions of the legislatures of
/ Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin
/ urging congress to make the waterway COM
posed of these two canals free to the COM
merce of the country. and petitions of varl-
Gus chambers of commerce and boards of
/ trade to the same effect. The amendment was
adopted without division.
! THE HENNEPIN CANAL
! amendment having been reached, it was
) strongly advocated by Mr.. Culom who
l. stated that the canal was the most important
! of canal improvement now pressing upon
! congress for consideration. Mr.. Cullom
! argued to show the value and necessity of
| from every point, and, in answering The OBJ
jectionS made to the clause, said Il know
! that it has of late years become the fashion
! in some quarters to iercely denounce appro-
) priatiops of this character as immense jobs,
as part of a grab game in which each
representative and senator is interested
only for the purpose of securing votes by
obtaining for his district or state more than
its share of what is called the 'swag, and it
is freely alleged that such appropriations are
divided up more with reference to these
personal interests than to the propriety or
necessity Of the expenditures made. 1t IS
fRV gGIn nn nJfi r,,.l,
charges than to investigate the facts,
and they are not made by those who
are most familiar with the wants and needs Of
the country. But congress cannot Justify it.
self in declining to provide for public i'm
provementS demanded by the necessities of
commerce from fear of an unfounded public
outcry of this character any more than it can
In making expenditures which are not shown
to be necessary and advantageous. There is
another important view of the subject. To
day we are
DEFENSELESS ON OUR LAKE BORDERS.
We have, l believe, one little vessel retained
upon the lakes as warning to foreign ma
tions that they must not encroach upon our
coasts. We have no protection for our cities
upon the lakes, and very little anywhere upon
our seacoast or upon the gulf. Should not
congress provide for any needed defense? We
have government arsenal at Rock Island
where every preparation is made for the man
ufacture of guns. Should not this arsenal be
uSed III Ine construction OF guns ana gun
boats as well to be used on the lake or gulf as
necessity may require? And the construc-
ton of the Hennepin canal would enable
Such vessel fully armed and equipped to
pass down the Mississippi to the gulf coast
or through the canal TO the lakes and would
make such means of defense always avail
able to answer the calls of the nation when
ever needed. / despse the policy which con-
trolls this government now and has controlled
1t in the past and which has resulted in an
almost helpless condition in so far as prepa-
ration for defense is concerned. We here
in congress do not agree upon the exact
thing to do and therefore do nothing We
drift along
WITH NO COAST DEFENSES,
no flag upon the seas, no preparation to
meet emergencies OF war ON land, on lake or
sea, that may at any time arise, with no as
sertion of a positive foreign policy and
with an apparent sense OF self-se-
curity, that can only be likened
TO a strong man asleep, unconscious of i'm
pending danger. I'm time of peace prepare
for war; Let us construct these canals in
the interest OF national defense as well as of
prosperity. All of these considerations call
upon congress to enter upon the work. Other
nations are alert upon the question of adopt
ing every means for securing to the people
cheap transportation. Let us not close our
eyes to the importance of such means of i'm
provement." Mr.. Vest opposed the Hennepin
clause. Mr.. Logan hoped the time would
come when the people, whenever there was a
necessity to give cheap transportation, would
provide for it by canal or othdrwise and he
could not see why the pending proposition
was not as proper on river or harbor bill as
IN separate measure. After an executive
session the senate adjourned.