The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-11
THE FORTY NINTH CONGRESS-
Dir. Blair Urges the Passage of Pension
Bills 0ger the Presidents Veto.
Mr. Miller Favors and Mr.. ingalls, Opposes the
Hennepin Canal Measure-The House and
the Surplus Fund Of the Treasury.
THE SENATE.

sion OF the Hennep1u Cnnai.
WASHINGTON. July 10 The Chair laid before
the Senate communication from the Secretary
of War, with the report of the board of army
officers, on the subject of site on Lake Michi-
gan near Chicago, rendered by the Commercial
Club of that city as site for military purposes.
aud requesting legislation authorizing the gov
eminent to accept the same Referred.
Mr.. Blair, from the committee on pensions,
submitted a report on twenty three pension
bills vetoed by the President and recommend
ing that the bills be passed, Notwithstanding the
Presidents objection.
In reply to question by Mr.. Kenna Mr.. Blair
stated that the veto messages had been Thy order
of the commttee) referred to the members who
had originally reported the bills. In accordance
with that order, he made this report
Mr.. Camden read a paper signed by himself,
Mr.. Colquitt, Mr.. Wilson, Of Maryland, and MIR.
Whitthorne, Democratic members of the COM
mittee on pensions, denying any knowledge OF
Mr.. BIair's report or of tae order referred to.
The report did not present the views OF the
committee on these vetoed bills, but only the
views of Henry w. Blair. The reason assigned
by the President in vetoing each of these bills
separately did not call for gross criticism or for
| the censure of the Senate.
Mr.. Blair asked Mr.. Camden whether any OF
Senators who had signed that paper had exam
ined any of the bills, either before or after the
veto, and he answered the question for himself
by asserting that they had not
Mr.. Kenna moved that the report, the views
of the minority and ali the papers. be recon-
mitted to the committee on pensions for ccnsid-
| Grafton by that committee. Adopted.
Mr.. McMillen, from the committee on COM
merce, reported the House bill authorizing the
| Chicago, Burlington e. Northern Railroad Com
| pany to- erect railroad bridge across the Mis-
| sissippi river near Dubuque, Ia. Passed
| Mr.. Hoars resolution of yesterday, calling on
| the President for information as to the seizure
| or detention of American vessels IN foreign
| ports was taken up and adopted.
| The Senate then resumed consideration of the
| calendar. Mr.. Riddleberger's resolution, offered
April II, in relation to the consideration of ex-
ecutive business in open session. was objected to
| and went over, he making passionate protest
| against that course and appealing against the de-
| cision of the Chair.
| After Mr. Riddleberger concluded his remarks.
| he withdrew his appeal from the decision Of the
| Chair and his resolution went over.
| The river and harbor bill was taken up and
| Mr.. Miller addressed the Senate in support of
| the Hennepin canal appropriation. He read the
| resolutions of the New York Legislature [of
Jan. 20, 1885, in favor of the measure, and
| gave it as his opinion that the best
| judgment of the commercial bodies and
| commercial men of New York favored
| it. He denied that canals were not act
| i've factors in transportation. and asserted that
the country. and he believed the time would
| come when the State of New York would ask
| the general government to make appropriations
for the maintenance of the Erie canal and for its
| enlargement and improvement Mr.. Miller de-
| clared that the construction OF the Hennepn
| canal would save year by year. to the grain pro-
! ducers Of the West. more than its entire cost
| and that it would be very important step in
| maintaining the ability of the United States to
| compete with India and Russia in the wheat
| markets of the world.
| Mr.. Plat opposed the amendment
Mr.. Teller said he did not intend to vote for
| this bill, but he would vote for the pending
| amendment as one of the few meritorious things
| in the bill.
Mr.. Palmer proclaimed his belief in river and
harbor bills, and deemed them the most defens-
| BILE of measures that came before Congress. If
| it had not been for river and harbor bills in the
past, he believed that corn would today be used
for fuel in Kansas and Nebraska, and that cattle
would be killed for their hides and horns. ThSyy
| could not be transported to the seaboard Men
| could not comprehend the immense saving III
| water transportation. 1t could be figured out
Mechanically that the saving was hun
problem OF the transportation of grain and
meat to the seaboard was to come be-
| tween the railroad and water commun-
| cation, and it was absolutely essential that the
| government should take hold of the water
| routes and improve them, SO as to give the PEG
| pie chance for fair competition.
Mr. Caace declared himself heartily. in favor
| of the Hennepiu canal project
! Mr. ingalls, said that every dollar appropriated
| for eastand west waterway was dollar TO
| be expended in violation of the laws of nature
| and against the best interests of the West. The
| Mississippi had its own waterway. The reason
| for the opposition by the press was that these
| river and harbor bills had come to be regarded
as illustrations of the most rapacious venality.
| In this bill there were appropriations to the
/ amount of FIVE millions which could be charac-
| terized by no other term except that Of "boode"
So, 000,0 900 that would beg flched from the
| Treasury for the purpose of making men
| strong" in their districts at home. The people
whom &c represented would spurn him if he
| were to say that the money should not be APP
! propriated for great national objects-for the
| great harbors of the Atlantic and Pacific, for
| the Ohio. the Mississippi and other great
| natural waterways. 1t was not such appropri
| atoms that the country complained Of or which
| the press assaulted. What was objected to was
| the appropriations that were put in the bill not
| for the purpose of improving waterways, but
for the purpose OF advancing political fortunes.
| He commented upon the fact that out of
| So. 800, 900 increase in this bill reported by
| the committee on commerce, nearly $1,000
| 900 was for States which had members
| on that committee That he said, could not be
accident By subtle and fine purposes the bill
| had been bnilt up to its present proportions.
| Coming down to the pending amendment, he
criticised the position Of the State OF Illinois in
Logan, who said that "such argument ought
not be used by gentleman who is a statesman
which will admit"
To this Mr. Ingalls, replied that he did not pre-
tend to be a statesman-the Senator from Illinois
Mr.. LoganI had monopoly on craftsmanship.
He (Mr. Ingalls, did not, therefore, feel any
humiliation at the criticism that the remarks
which he had made should not emanate
be nothing more than cheap sort
of a legislator, and was not
aspirant for any higher position and of course,
he must be presumed to act from motives differ
ent from those that influenced the Senator from
Illinois If the stories about the engineering
difficulties of this Hennepln canal were not ficti-
tious like those of the Arabian Nights he did not
wonder that the State of Illinois was willing for
| the government to take it off its hands. The
government was asked to commit itself to the
| exnenditnra Of between SO 900 600 and $2l 600.