St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-07
A SENATE SoUARBLE
Over the Item for the Purchase of
the Sturgeon Bay Canal.

WASHINGTON. July Ga very large
number of petitions were presented by vari-
Gus senators praying for the passage of the
bills FORGETTING railroad land grants. The
petitions are all uniform, and are those
that have been got up and signed through
the exertions of the Knights of Labor. Mr..
ingalls,, at the request of the Social Purity
Alliance of the District of Columbia, in
troduced three bills for the protection of
women and children in the District of Col
umbia. Referred. The senate took I'D
the bill to secure the Cherokee freedmen
and others their proportion of certain pro-
ceeds of lands. Mr.. ingalls,, from the COM
mittee on Indian affairs, reported a substi-
tute for this bill. It appropriates $75, 900
for the purpose, and directs how the amount
shall be distributed. The substitute was
agreed to and the bill passed. The senate
then proceeded to consider the amendment
to the river and harbor bill. The first
amendment that was questioned was an
item appropriating $50, 900 for the pur-
chase of the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michi-
gan ship canal and harbor of refuge.
Mr.. ingalls, made the point of order that
the paragraph was new legislation. This was
not bill to buy canals. The item was gen.
eral legislation not connected with the BILL
The chair oyerruled the point of order. hold
ing that as the amendment was reported by a
standing committee (the committee on COM
merce), and In pursuance Of an estimate of
the head of the war department., it was in
order. Mr.. Edmunds made new point. that
this commercial transaction (the buying of a.
lot of private property had nothing to do
with the general scope of this bill, which was
for improving rivers and harbors. 1t was.
therefore, irrelevant. The chair submitted
the question of relevancy to the senate. and
the amendment was decided to be relevant
and in order; yeas 81, nays 9. Mr.. Edmunds
opposed the amendment. He said that at
least 100000 acres of land in that region land
he did not know how much more) had been
granted to the state of Wisconsin to build
this canal, and now the government was
ASKED TO BUY THE PROPERTY
which it had already paid for, for the reason
(as he supposedly, first. that it would be
refuge to mariners, and, second, refuge to
the stockholders. He put it in that way so
as to be polite. Mr.. Ingalls, characterized
the amendment as shameless private specu-
lation. 1t was an old customer and an an
cient and venerable corner. But ne had no
doubt that by means of combinations that
had been formed this gratuity and donation
of $l5O,O00 would be given to this company
for work in which the company said it
had no further pecuniary interest. Mr.. Nc
MILAN advocated the amendment, ilustrat-
ing the way in which opinions in regard to
the river and harbor bill were formed The
amendments had been reported, not at the re-
quest of the land company, but IN the interest
OF the commerce OF the country, and to re-
lieve the vessels engaged in this waterway
Of the tolls, which they now had to paw. Mr..
Butler asked whether he was to under
stand that the company did not de-
sire to sell. Mr.. Mcmillan replied that
so far as the committee on commerce
knew that was so. Mr.. Butler did not think
it should be taken from the company against
its will. Mr. Mcmillan suggested that private
property is constantly taken for public use.
That was being done now for library in
Washington. MIR. Sawyer stated in reference
to the remarks Of Mr.. Ingalls, that he did not
own any interest in canals. Mr.. Ingalls,
analysed the report and accounts of the
canal company in order to show that as the
matter now stood the property was paid for,
and paid for by the United States, except as
to the sum of SCI, 000 being the amount
actually paid in on stock, and on account of
that the company had cash on hand $50. 600.
AT least that was the condition of things four
years ago, when the last report of the COM
pany was printed. Mr.. ingalls, showed for
the company's report that the directors had
voted to themselves $45 900 of stock for SER
vices rendered and expenses incurred prior
to the time when the canal was commenced
There was
NO PUBLIC RECORD
of what the company b sd realized from the
200, 600 acres of valuable pine lands granted
by the United States, although the act of
congress required an account to be rendered
of the proceeds of these lands. The company
had presented a stimulated and fabricated
account of 1902, 1876 for moneys aid to its
own directors and officers. Mr.. Conger re-
piled to the speeches of Mr.. Edmunds and
Mr.. ingalls, and complained that the latter
senator had held up to the country the COM
mittee on commerce as not only untrue to its
trusts but also as remarkably ignorant. He
thought it 8 pity that the senator from Kan
sas could not get away from his arduous du-
ties on the District of Columbia committee
and give the committee on commerce the
benefit OF his vast erudition. AS to the vote
of stock to the directors Mr.. Conger declared
that the stock never was worth and never
could be worth the snap of finger. He was
not a special advocate Of the amendment, ex-
cept as 1t was for the general interest of the
people along the whole chain of lakes.
This was the only harbor of refuge for an
extent of probably $50 miles of the west coast
on LakeM1chigan, The appropriation for
harbor of refuge at Burlington, VT, could be
doubled in this bill. Storms might get up on
Lake Champlain. Boys with bellows and
dog carts could start them at any time but
God makes the storms on Lake Michigan and
men trembled, and yet it was the item for
this harbor of refuge that was attacked, not
the other. Without fear of contradiction
from senators or from the press he asserted
that there was no committee in the senate
which came to the performance of its duties
with more painstaking care or more con-
scientiousness than the committee on COM
merce. Mr.. Miller also
DEFENDED THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE..
for its action in reporting the amendment.
He had never been indicted for a heinous
crime, but when he listened to the sspeeches
of the senators from Vermont and Kansas he
felt as If he and all the other members of the
committee on commerce might find themselves
in prison before night. There was no more
Important work in the country considering
its cost than this canal and it was of great
Importance 10 make it free to all the com
merce of the lakes. He denied that there was
charge in the company's accounts that was
not legitimate. He believed it to be wise
policy for the government to become the