The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-08

Congress In every respect but two. one
is as to the question of hight, which
have already suggested, and on that point
the committee will, | doubt not, be gov
erned by the recommendations or sugges-
tons OF the war department.. , have no
personal knowledge as to how the bridge
ought TO be to meet the necessities OF nayi-
CATION, but the engineers OF the army will
know, and this committee will now and
hereafter, rs IL has done heretofore, / take
it for granted, be governed in that respect
by such information us is obtained IRON
these engineers.
Tho only other difference between the
bill as II passed the Senate year ago and
the bill that is now before the committee
from the House will be found in Section 2,
which provides:
"That any bridge built under this act
and subject 10 its limitations shall be a
lawful structure, and shall be recognized
and known as O post-route, upon viii, h
also no higher charge shall be made for the
transmission over the same OF the mails,
the troops and m millions OF war OF the
United States"
And the bill that we passed year ago
goes on, "0r for passengers or freight pass
ing over said bridge. Tho House bill omits
| tl'ht MOEuh, Az IOT puSStuktlS HtlSul
passing over said bridge"
omitted them also in the bill that in
troduced becalsc did not think it quite
just TO the owners CT the bridge that they
should be ompelled TO transport passen-
gers and freight over bridge costing ST.
600, 900 or 81, 900, 900 a mile nj the same rate
that they pass them over miles OF road
that cost $4,000 or SIS, 900 or $40, 900 q
| mil \ full tls lea, Inn.
| Then, as Il consequence TO that change,
there il omitted u proviso that refers alone
TO that language in Section 2, which is
omitted. The omission Of the proviso must
| necessarily follow the other omission.
Those are the only difference, between
the House bill us IL stands before the COM
mittee and the bill that this committee re-
ported and that the Sensto passed year
ago.
The committee will hear whatever Is TO
be said as TO the surest and best method OF
getting a bridge at Memphis ia the short
est possible time
My object and desire is 10 get bridge
and at the earliest time possible, and am
wholly indifferent as 10 what responsible
parties may construct II. have no friends
TO serve or enemies to punish with regard
10 IT, but want the bridge, and when the
subcommittee has heard all that can be
said with regard TO IL, | hope IL viii adopt
that policy which will give us the bridge
at the earliest day possible.
Senator Sawycr---As understand there
is really no serious objection TO the House
bill II We decide 10 give IL TO that party.
II ] understand you Alright, the provisions
about the hight is so left with the Secretary
OF War, 10 that will not be a serious diff
Guilty.
Senator lIarrisI do not think that feat
urc weighs feather in the scale The
only reason why put seventy-fve feet in
my bill was that that was the hight fixed
in the bill which passed the Senate in
December, 1886. / do not know whether
i should be forty, fifty, sixty, eighty or 100
feet.
Senator Sawycr-It would seem from
your statement that II would be perhaps
more proper 10 say sixty-lye feet and al
low the Secretary Of War to make Il higher
II he 80 decides
Senator Ilanis--I find that in the act
that passed by both Houses in 1885, sixty
five feet was fixed as the hight. The sug-
gcstion that you make Is entirely saiisiao.
tory TO me, but In 1856 the Senate having
passed n bill fixing seyenty-fye feet. caused
me to adopt that hight In the bill that
introduced.
| Senator Sawycr-It amounts 10 the same
thing in substance. You allow the Secrc-
tory o. War to put Il higher II necessary.
Senator Harris Under any Of these bills.
II passed iniolaw. II the bridge had already
been huilt, the Secretary Of War has the
authority, II Il obslructs navigation TO say:
"lou shall raise II, or you shall remove
II, 80 that there IA, in my opinion, no con-
sequence whatever 10 be attached 10 that
question Of the hight Of the bridge.
Senator Sawyer So ! have understood.
! snbmit and make part Of the report
copies Of the bridge bill as passed Senate
| December IL. 1896 which was 10 earnestly
| pressed In the House by our former rep
resentatiye, the Hon Zack Taylor, but
which faded for reasons known 10 NIL
friends Of the bill also submit n copy
Of the bill introduced by Mr.. Phclan,
| which passed the House aud IL now In the
Senate, and n copy OF the bill as introduced
by Scuator Harris In the present Senate
These copies you may compare for your
better satisfaction.
The people Of Memphis and the friends
generally Of the bridge bill cannot too
greatly appreciate Mr.. Pholan's efforts In
behalf Of this important matter, and, may
confidently add, they will soon find them
selves under similar obligations TO Senator
Harris
This much OF our report, having been
necessarily personal in lis nature, has been
submitted in writing. As 10 the ultimate
success Of the bill in the Senate, aud such
information ~ We gathered in general, Il
may be moro satisfactory 10 have an oral
statement Respectfully submitted,
W. l.. CLAPr.
Mr.. Clapp explained at length the differ
cnccs between the Ford bridge bill, the
I'LL Of 1886, Introduced In the Senate by
Senator Harris, and In tie House by Con
gresham Taylor, as - tho hight Of the
bridge above the water mark, but, In fact
there never had been but one bill except
~ 10 the rates Of toll over the bridge.
In conclusion, Mr. Clapp desired 10 say
that he had come l. 'ck from Washington
better satisfied than when he LETT Mem
phis. and Lc also folt better satisfied that
Senator llaui, was In favor of the bridge
lie thought Senator Harris was provoked
because he saw that his position on the
bridge matter was questioned. The record.
SHOW that he was always for the bridge
although he did not cure who britt II.
lie thought that Senator Harris nj
one time believed the Bcnthuyscn party
had tile money 10 build the bridge
and feeling ~ he held that lhcy
ought 10 10 allowed 20 10 on and
build u. bills for two bridges would prob,
ably delay aud defeat the building oI
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