New-York tribune., 1890-05-23
,n1 TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBUSE-i

TELEGRAPH TO TIE 1MbCNHi
Washington. May o2.-The River and liaroor u"
was brought before the House To-Day IL '"''''
$40 o3a 40 which is 81 G65l7 less than the amount
carried by the bill which became law IN $50 WIN
or, presdont Clevcland's signature. The amount
however is considerably larger than th" cr'Ic' ny
the Lii of 1855 when it first repof'eu u "'o
House ,. 40,
4 River and Harbor bill Is a logiSlauVe pi"''o '"'
ALWAYS shows renewed vigor, ana oet"> ~ e''
rapidv as soon as il is tran'panted rom tue COM
mittec room into the genial and fcr' SOIL oi ''e
Uonse and Senate II is 50 hardy, moreover u''
tho fro.t ~ a Presidential veto seldom aicc'S H.
Tbcro ar, vbispers that the pending BILL II sent 7"
the President in its present FORM VIII p'o'o"o o'
but OF course. the rumors are ho' D"S0" "P N
posi.ive information. II IS aNNcrte''' a"""H "''c'
th,pgs tha, the Presidents views in regard I" the
necessity and efficacy of ieVccS aN l''u"r
IN the improvement Of the haVs''io" "'
a. Ioror Mississippi have undergone no change
since he as a member Of the MSslsSlppl ElVcr
Commission in 1881. signed a minority report
adverse TO the system. 1t may be remembered lht'
only one other member shared his views at that time
Conera, C. B. Comstock who IS now president of the
commission The pending bill carries S2.59oo0O for
the Improvement of the Mississippi between the head
A. the masses and the mouth Of the ONO River. and
authorizes the commission 10 build and repair leVceS
n in their Judgment should be done as part OF their
plans 10 afford ease and safety to the navigation ana
commerce Of the river and to deepen the cIdhnei
II is also asserted that the President does not REGARD
with much favor the proposition to eNpend S'oOooOo
in digging the Hcnnepin Canal, which is TO be eighty
feet wide and seven feet deep. and for the beginning
Of which the bill carries an item of 100000. There
is some feeling in the House against TINS ltem ana II
Is said that the subject is one over when the com
uittce on Railways and Canals has exclusive jurisdc
ton, and with which. therefore. the Committee Oh
Rivers and Harbors has no right TO NEEDLE
~
Committee on Rivers and liarbors opened te uep'u0
IN a spcech explanatory o the provisions OF the pl'
Mr. Henderson said that the bill appropriated @-o'"-
BOO based upon estimates aGgrGatlnS S"o''oo'o'''
Every dollar expended in removing oOs'rn'uoh9 j"
rivers ard jmpcdiments in harbors expended in
behalf of the people; and If this Government was
constituted for any wise purpose whatever II was
constituted for the purpose Of looking 10 the interest
of the people.
Nr. Blanchard of Louisiana spoke in favor of tho
principle Of river and harbor bills. contehdlns 'hdU
tbcv did more TO solve the problem of cheap trans
1ortation than all the interstate commerce DIS 'Ha'
coald be passed The fact that great and dis
as:roIs food had recently occurred in the lower valley
OF the Mississippi River Suihcieh' cAcu~c-t
excuse were needed-i0r calling the attention OF the
Eoi>e 10 tie rcGuilcmcnts OF that stream. The Mis-
s.sipp EiVcr too great National feature L" ne
banded by state or an aggregation OF states me
time had cone when Congress should appropriate
EHNtN G0t oitN 10! IiPt''t'r h'' ""''r''''@' 80
river but Tor tie purpose Of preventing floods Though
hc was somewhat OF strict constructon>t Of the Con
stitu,.o.. he did not hesitate TO say that he l'iu
expli.I; authority In that Instrument iu,tfyng Con
gres> in restraining Hood watec,.
lie ,h.n entered into an elaborate constitutional
argument 10 show that the General Government
had icrfect jurisdiction the Mississippi River no'
ONLY under The Regulation Of Commerce clause h"'
o,ly urdor The Poco Power clause bu; also under the
clause cCnfcrglnG Congress the power To c>taoNh
,,.tor.c. and Dostro,ds Under the General Wei
fare clause also. the Government had a right to r.
strain tie food waters Of the great river 1t Ia"
been stated that the cvec system failure that
Tie reDoated mundalo Of the Mississippi resulted
from that system and that the outlet system was the
only one which would prevent foods. Those WHO
stood hy the system Of the Commission had not iuh
into .nt I'm order 20 answer tn statement oi parties
some OF whom might never have seen the Mississippi
C0mmission's plan II Improvement, w&ich wac titt
ouies wod not 49, ana t tAa d.o.H Sys'e end VI '''
Mr. Catch.uCs. % Ii,,>l pp lnade a coilpfeheii-Ne
and exhaustive explanation ol the plan, ny W.lcH ~"
Government was uuctGt-in- tic "P.pI'ae' , y. -, 49,.
Mississippi R.yer He gave an lrtert a. count o me
river business 70 NeN-Orean> alone Wa, over e97VOo
900 auuuav. lie urged that the Improvement 81 me
tanners than ANYTHING cl-e Congress cou'd do. lie
showed that 1t entirely prac ,cnc t. conine ih"
mccI- ~ thai eiIec' He c,njtndcl that the orti",
theory unscenthc. opposed to the be>t engineer
shoal the river seriously and impair H. navigation.
Ns asserted that there lcWcr break, ia tho
levces during This food tAan ever before. and t''l
Sly 20 per cent Of the valley Wa projected By th@'A
from overflow. He tatct that there were nOW about
100 miles OF levees built. almost entirely By the
people Of the Valley. and that 3lOOOoOoo from INC
federal Treasury, in addition to hat the Valley people
would contribute. would be sufficient 10 make the lcvees
OF such dimensions hat they would resist food.
lie cOntended that the work OF the Mississippi Com
mission had been emncniy successful aHd protested
against the river berg turned over t. IDLE theorists
and ignorant thinkers.
lion Of $500 900 FOR the improvement Of the Tennessee
River. go,
Mr Kerr. Of Iowa. attacked the bill, when was Oe-
Tended BY Mr.. GrOSvenor. of ono.
Mr. Boatner Of louisiana poke in favor of an
Amendment which ho said ne would oHef u the "p
noruniiv were presented strike ont The clause p:o
vidrS that none Of the appFoprialon for tne NJ
,ssipDi shall expended t. repair or bud lcVcc- pr
the ppr2o,r of reclamine lands preventing injury 70
lands or private property by ovcrii0"S