Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-07-03
Fiftieth Congress--First Session
WASHINGTON. Lulv 2


SENA1E.-Tnere were exactly eight sena-
tors present this morning when the session
ives opened at II a. m. The conference re-
port on the legislative appropriation bill Yves
presented and eoncurred in.
After discussing the bill relating to rail-
roads in the District of Columbia the Senate
took up the river and harbor bill, some
amendments to which had been reserved on
Saturday for separate votes. In the course
of the discussion Mr.. Hoar made vehement
denunciation of the criticism and abuse so
generally INDUCED in by some senators and
by newspapers in relation to river and har-
Dor bills. He had got sick, he said, of hear
ing senators trying to blacken the character
of their-o own associates in public life by charg-
ing that river and harbor bills were made up
of miserable bargains, log-rolling and cheat
ing. He had taken the most viliied
river and harbor bill ever before the public
and had gone over it item by item with the
reports of engineers, and such other facts as
he could get, end he has written letter to
his constituents defending the bill. A news
paper which had joined in these attacks and
which, he was ashamed to say, got its en-
dorsement ION some senators, employed one
of the ablest men on its editorial staff to
answer his letter and t. attack him on the
record. This winter, after examining all the
papers, he reported to his principal that
Mr.. Hoar was entirely Light, and he
would not w--te the al icle. 1t Yves vile
Islander on the American people to de-
clare that these river and harbor bills to any
considerable extent, to any appreciable ex-
tent, to any extent amounting to five per
cent. contained provisions that were not
thoroughly defensible OF that were not de-
manded by the interests of International or
inter State commerce. IF this bill contained
improper items in any considerable number
the Senator from Maine (Frye), with a char
acter es unsuried es any man who walked on
he ,~s1HE fac
chairman on the committee on commerce)
either by reason of want of capacity or by
reason of want of integrity. There Yves no
alternative.
Mr. Vest, q member of the committee on
commerce, said that legislation on liver and
harbor bills WEI not lee from criticism.
Much of it wcs done by a species of ascee-
ment, not to say log rolling. One senator
went 70 another and asked him to help the
matter in which he was interested, promising
to do the same for the other.
Mr.. Hos--But are they honest items or
not?
Mr.. Vest-1nat is another question.
undertake to say for the committee on COM
merce that we have honestly tiled to do our
duty; but We have put appropriations in this
bill against our owl judgment, certainly
against nay Judgment, because We have been
overwhelmed by personal eolicitation end
es the effect of personal solicitation.
At the close or a long discussion an amend
ment abolishing the Missou1. LIVER commits
sion wa d,ssgreed to. The bill then was
passei.
On motion of Mr.. Hoar the fishery treaty
and Mr.. Morgan's resolution therenpon was
postro ned til Tuesday of next week.
Mr.. Turpie then proceeded to address the
Senate on the Presidents taiiff message.
At the close of Mr.. Turpie's speech the
Senate proceeded to executive business and
at 4:35 adjourned till Thursday.