The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-10
ESTABLISHED AUGUST "a, 1852
W WASHINGT0N NEWS.
THE RIVER AND HAnpoR BILL
Asm Finally PAl'sd the Houss-Mr. VA.
sons shrswd MovS-Bsn'ass That VIII
Accrue to West Virginia Uudsr Its
PrSVi1lORs - Capital OulllnES

Special DispGtch 10 thA hlelit1anT,
WAsHINaToN, May 9.-The River and
Harbor Bill, ss finally passed by the House
Of Representatives, puts the Monon2ahsla
river improvement matter in shape ex-
ceedingly favorable to West Virginia, as
no effort was made to undo the amend
ment which Mr., Wilson secured to the
bill in its confederation in the Committee
Of the Whole, 1t may not be Rmiss to
state the exact nature OF that amendment
and how it was obtained. When the sec.
tiQn making the appropriation for the
Monongahela was reached, very bitter
attack sprung up on the proposition that
the Government should make the river
free by acquiring control OF the works Of
the Monongahela Improvement Company.
These consist oil seven locks and dams,
extending from Pittsburgh to the West
Virginia line. The United States has
Duit one lock and dam Just below Nor
santown, and the sum appropriated in the
bill will complete the second lock and dam
between that point and the Pennsylvania
line, thus giving continuous slaCkwater
navigation from Pittsburgh up to Nor
Eantown.
SLACK WATER NAVIGATION.
@Among those who most fercely attacked
this provision, and Mr.. Wilson as its adj
vocste, wers Messrs, Reagan, Of Texas,
Hewitt, OF New York, Kelley, OF Pennsyl-
vania, and Negley, OF Pittsburgh, and 1t
appeared at one time as II this attack
would carry with 1t the striking out OF the
appropriation for the river. The first
amendment adopted was one offered by
Mr. Reagan, OF Texas, which provided that
he appropriation Of Sl2l, 200 should not
De expended until the navigation Of the
river was made free. AS the works ofthe
Monongahela River Improvement COM
pany are valued at several million dol
ars, this was equivalent to striking out
he appropriation. The second amend-
nent adopted, on the motion OF Mr..
Hewitt, of New York, was to strike out
Ill parts of the bill that looked to the
acquisition OF the COmpanys works, and
he third amendment, adopted on motion
II MIR. Breckenridge, OF Kentucky, pro-
yided that the navigation Of the river
should be made free by the State OF Penn.
sylVania, under the cnatter granted by 1t
70 the Navigation Company. 81
Wilson'S snREwD MOVE.
In this shape the committee was about
to leave the matter when Mr.. Wilson, by
What is generally conceded to be ono OF
The shrewdest exhibitions Of generalship
II this Congress, succeeded In getting an
amendment adopted, striking out the
amendments Of Judge Reagan and Mr..
Breckenridge, and simply, adding after
he appropriation, the words, "Bnt no
charges or tolls shall be collected on any
lther part OF the river OH commerce on
The said river, which originates above the
Norks herein appropriated for" Tho
,HeCt OF this is to continue the appropria.
lion to complete the navigation Of the
diver and to forbid the Navigation Com-
pany charging any tolls on the commerce
which comes down from West Virginia
through the Government works-thus
diving the shippers OF West Virginia an
immense advantage over those Of Penn.
Jylvanis, who must still pay toll ior the
iss OF the river. This amendment wRs
opposed by Judge Reagan and Messra.
Hewitt anu breckenridge, who laughingly
admitted that Mr.. Wilson had knocked
the feet irom under them before they had
Eime to understand the scope Of his
amendment. II
BAINE's AMENDMENT.
In the later consideration Of the bill,
Mr.. Bayns succeeded in getting clause
introduced in connection with the Green
aud Barren rivers (Ky), which author
lzss the Secretary Of War to negotiate Tor
the purchaao OF the Monongahela I'm.
provelnent Company's works. This, 1t
will DO observed, however, 10 q matter no
,ouger OF any interest 70 the people OF
West Virginia as, under the bill rs passed,
the navigation Of the river is made Tree to
their traffic.
Considering the fact that the annual APP
propriation for the Monongahela river
heretofore vas but $40, 1000 or $25, 600, 1t
sill be seen that Mr.. Wilson has done
we'll by that section Of his district, aB well
in the amount secured as in the provisions
relating to the free navigation oil the river.
II has excited some remark here that In
4 contest III which he was opposed BY
several OF the Rblest members Of the
House "the quiet member" was able not
only to hold his own, bat, upAidsd, to
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