Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-14
HIGHWAYS OF THE SHIPS.
TWO SURPRISES TO BE SPRUNG
IN THE SENATE.


Propose "a Horizontal Reduction OF 25
or 30 Per Cent. on the Appropriation
Bill After its Consideration by Itenls
is Completed.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-There is an
understanding in the Senate that when
the river and harbor bill shall have been
perfected, item by item, motion VIII be
offered to make a horizontal reduction,
bringing the aggregate appropriation to a
point somewhat below that OF the House
bill. This will have the effect OF putting
every item into conference. The proposed
reduction will probably be fixed at The
rate OF % or 30 per cent,
Senator Butler to-day submitted an
amendment which he proposes to offer to
the river and harbor appropriation bill TO
strike out all after the enacting clause OF
that Dill and insert a provision approprl-
ating $l0,000,000, to be expended by the
| Secretary OF War in continuing the i'm
provements on the principal and most inn
| portant rivers and harbors upon which
| work has been done and Is now in pro-
| gress. 1t directs the Secretary of War TO
| select such rivers and harbors as may be
recommended by board of five engineers
OF the army to be appointed by him, the
/
! chief engineer.
TAKEN UP IN TUE SENATE.
| The Senate to-day resumed considera-
| tion OF the river and harbor appropria-
tion bill, the pending amendment being
| the one to strike out the provi sion to pre-
vent the dumping of detritu5 from by
| draulic mines into the Sacramento or
Feather rivers, Cal. The subject was dis
cussed by Messrs. DOlph, Mitchell OF
| Oregon, Stanford. Jones of Nevada, and
ingalls,. The provision was struck out
by vote OF 81 to 10.
The next important amendment in the
bill was to strike out the provisions for
| the improvement of the Mississippi river
and to insert those reported by the Com
mittee on Commerce. The whole amount
Ofthe appropriations for the various sec
| tiOns Of the river is 81, $4,000.
Mr.. Ingalls, explained that the distiuc-
| tiOn between the House bill and the COM
mittee amendment was merely as to the
method to be employed In the expenditure
| OF the money. The House bill definitely
abolished the MISSISSIPPI commission. The
| Senate amendment re tanned and continued
| the commission.
PLUM POINT AND LAKE PROVI DENCE.
| After long general discussion upon
the Mississippi river improvement the
| Senate proceeded to vote on an amend
ment offered by Mr.. Ingalls, to the effect
| that the improvement of the Plum Point
and Lake Providence reaches shall be con-
fined to complete repair and the mainte-
| nance of the levees in those reaches to the
! height of two feet above the flood of 1882,
| and to the completion OF permeable works
| OF contraction, but this is not to prevent
the construction of reyetment works
where the banks are caving at GreeDeville
reach. Delta Point and in front OF NIcks-
! h1tr Mo- inl nd n mi hrla
The amendment was rejected by vote OF
| Is yeas to p nays.
! " hen the name of Mr.. RIddleberger was
called he asked the Chair which Senator
| from Kansas had offered the amendment,
ana when he was told that it was Mr.. In
! gals, he said: "Then vote no." Laugh
ter.
AMENDING THE PROVISION.
! Mr.. Harrison moved to amend the pro-
! vision authorizing the repair and building
| OF levees by adding the words: "But not
! below the reaches of the river which are
! being improved by them unless necessary
! TO prevent or close an in curious crevasse."
| After discussion the amendment was
| adopted, and then the amendment re-
ported by the committee WAS adopted.
Mr.. Hale moved to strike out section 2,
which declares it unlawful to empty or
unload ballast, stone rubbish or refuse or
mill waste OF any kind, into any port,
roadstead, harbor, haven, navIgable
river or other waters OF the
! United States, for the improve
ment of which Congress has made
or may make an appropriation, or into
any tributaries thereof. This he said was
exercising Jurisdiction never attempted
before. He was not prepared TO 90 to
any such extent. Something had to BE-
| left to the States.
SPECIFYING THE RESTRICTION.
On motion of Mr.. HOar the words ''to
the substantial injury OF navigation
were inserted in the section. The amend
! ment of the committee, restricting the APP
! plication OF the section to hydraulic min
| ing, was agreed to.
! MIR. Hale's motion to strike out the sec
! ond section was postponed TIL after all
the committee amendments were dis
! posed OF.
/ MIR Riddleberger, in several 1ve-minute
speeches, ridculed the Committee on
! Commerce for reporting surveys for
creeks and rivers as to which no Senator
could say in what states they were.
Most OF the remaining amendments
proposed by the committee were correc-
tions OF phraseology or the addition OF
names OF rivers to be surveyed. They
were all agreed to.
Mr.. Hale renewed bis motion to strike
out section 2, and it was agreed to by a
vote OF u yeas to II nays.
MIR. Hale made like motion to strike
! out sections 3, 4, 3, 6 and and secticn
| II TO the same general effect as section
| p, and they were all stricken out.
! On motion OF Mr. Conger a provision
/ was inserted authorizing the Secretary
! OF War TO establish harbOr lines in places
where they have not been established.
and also to establish lines within which
deposits OF material may be made without
| injury to navigation.
The bill being completed, as In com
mittee Of the whole, was reported to the
Senate. Without acting on the amend
ments the Senate, at midnight, adjourned.
AUDITOR BROWN ACQUITTED.