The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-13
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-
The Senate Continues the Debate on the
1ennepin Canal Amendment,
And Votes to Incorporate it in the River and
Harbor BiIl-The House Considers the
Legislative Appropriation Bill.
THE SENATE.
The Hennepin Canal Amendment Incorpo-
rated in the River and Harbor Bill

l 'AS11lc01ON, July La ud 0ualE 10y Ee1ucStJ
introduced bill to stop all payments Of public
money to James B. Eads, his associates or as
| signs for past, present or future work at the
mouth of the Mississippi river, until further
ordered by Congress. Referred.
I The Senate resumed consideration Of the cal
endar and-the objection of Mr. Riadeberger
last Saturday not. being again interposed--the
Senate bill to prevent obstructive and injurious
| deposits within the harbor and adjacent waters
of New York city, by dumping or otherwise,
YVES taken up, at the request of Mr.. Miller, and
passed.
On motion of Mr. Hoar, the committee on
| privileges and elections got permission to sit
during the session of the Senate. [It is under
stood that this is connected with the considera-
ton of the Payne csse.
| The House bill granting pensions to the sol
| ders and sailors of the Mexican war having been
reached on the calendar, an objection made
| by Mr.. Teller, but, on appeal to him by Mr.. Will
| son, of Iowa, and statement by Mr.. Harris
| that no Democratic Senator would consume any
| time in discussing the bill, was withdrawn. The
| bill was then considered and passed.
| THE bill as passed directs the Secretary of the
Interior to place on the pension roll the ma mes
| of the surviving officers and enlisted men, in
Guiding militia volunteers and marines, who, be-
| ing duly enlisted, actually served sixty days
| with the army or navy of the United States in
| Mexico or on the coasts or frontier thereof, or
| en- route thereto, in the war with that nation,
| who were actually engaged in battle in said
war, and were honorably discharged or, in case
| of death, to their surviving widows.
| provided that such widows have not
/ remarked, and provided that every
| such officer. enlisted man or widow
4 =
who is or may become subject to any disability
| or dependency equivalent to some cause recog
| nzed by the pension laws q sufficient reason
for the allowance of pension, shall be entitled
to the benefits or the act, except where such dis
ability or dependency was incurred in aiding or
abetting the late Rebellion. The pensions to
be SIS month. payable only after the passage of
the act. The law is not to apply to persons al
ready receiving pensions at or over that rate
| and where persons tentitled uuder this lawl are
already receiving pensions less than So month
the pension will only be for the difference up
TO $S1
Senate bill passed to credit the State of
Oregon with $l2, 1906 for ordnance and ordnance
stores.
Among the bills which were objected to, and
| which went over without action, were the fol-
lowing
To equalize the bounties of soldiers, sailors
and marines of the late war Mr.. Logau's bill
Setting apart certain tract of land lying near
the headwaters of the Yellowstone river
public park.
To encourage the manufacture Of steel for
modern army ordnance and a like bill for mod
ern naval ordnance. The bill reported by Mr.
Hawley, from the committee ON coast defense.
The Senate then resumed consideration of the
river and harbor appropriation bill, the pending
Michigan 81 Illinois canal amendment
Mr.. Allison argued in favor of the amend
| ment. He believed it to be important pro-
vision there was in the bill With but few
ostion than this one. No other civilized gov
eminent on earth would have so long neglected
this great opportunity Of connecting the Missis-
| sippi river and it's tributaries with the
| great chain of Northern lakes, except
| the government of the United States
| He believed that some men who listened TO him
| would see the day when vess els Of war would be
| transported from the northern lakes to the Mis-
sissippi river and the Gulf through the water way
| Of the Illinois IL Michigan canal He denied
| that canals growing obsolete; the con-
| trarv, all the great governments of Europe were
/ expanding MANY millions of dollars in construc-
! ton and enlargement of canals. Every civil
! lied government utilizing waterways by
| connecting rivers and lakes by canals, in order
| that bulky products might be transported more
! cheapy than by rail. That was all there was in
this project He believed that it would result
in al annual saving of more than the entire cost.
/ Mr.. Cullom also advocated the amendment,
| and gave some explanations in answer to ques-
| tions of Mr. Hawley, as to some of the en-
cheering problems involved
| Mr.. Miller made speech in support of the
| amendment. in which he contrasted the cost of
| water and railway transportation and gave
| statistics in that connection. He read tele-
gram from Chicago giving the existing rates of
| transportation OF grain from Chicago TO New
| York as being cents per bushel by water and
/ 10 cents Tor loo per cent higher) by railroad
| There were rumors IN the air that this bill, il
| these canal projects were put into it, would
| surely be vetoed by the President He did not
naT tn af ia hQ IF m
| executive veto. Such bills had been vetoed be-
| fore, and the results were known There was a
/ veto of a river and harbor bill many years ago
/ by President Polk, and Mr. Webster had some
thing to say Of it at public dinner in Phiade1-
| pha. He used soma extracts from that re-
markable speech in favor of internal improve
ments.' With overlooking treasury this great
country was 'higgling and riggling' about doing
| the necessary work for the development of
the country. And they were told that. if the
| bill were sweled beyond a certain point, the
executive veto awaited it. He did not care to
| discuss that point He was there to do his duty,
| as he understood it, and he had no doubt that
| every other public official would do So Congress
| had been IN session seven months, and had done
| nothing to give new life to business or to give
employment to labor. They had done nothing
to start afresh the wheels of commerce; to set in
| motion the mills that were now standing idle,
i and to bring peace and quiet to the country be-
| cause the labor troubles would cease when labor
| was employed at remuueratiye prices. He
wished the people could understand this measure
| fully. Congress ought to make an appropria
! ton for rivers and harbors of not less
than $25 900 900 or $780, 000 600. He expected that
the shout of lob" and 'log rolling and other
such pleasant terms would be poured out upon
the Senate and its committee on commerce. But
| it had no effect whatever on him. He assumed
that all the appropriations in the bill were for
| worthy objects He believed there would be no
rest until the improvement was made, of linking
the Mississippi and the lakes. Fifty years hence
t~kxn nf al
| back upon with as much interest---as the begin
ming of a great commercial transaction-as the
Inauguration of the Erie canal was now looked
| back upon. That canal had been fought with
as much bitterness the Hennepin canal was
/ fought now.
Mr.. Platt opposed the amendment
Mr.. Vest believed this amendment to be the
avant courier of a proposition to unload the