Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16
The Resolution Provides for a Vote
on the Tariff Bill August 80.
ANTI.LoTTERY BILL IN THE HOUSE
SENATE.

was distasteful to him in some respects but
that the amendment offered by him would give
the people of New England
CLEAR STRAIGHT RIDE INTO NEW YORK
city without any draw bridges. And that they
could stand their share of the money thrown
away on the Harlem river as well the rest Of
the people of the country
The most sensible thing he believed would
be to I'LL up the whole of the Harlem river and
have grand boulevard there, on
which more passengers and freight would
be carried than all the boats that might float
there. That was what the chief engineer had
told the committee on commerce. and that was
the bottom judgment" of the New York Gen.
trail Railroad Company, il it would only say SO.
New York needed no more wharfage.
occupied. she could occupy a hundred
miles of wharfage on the Hudson and as much
more on the East river and Long Island sound.
WHAT NEW YORK NEEDED
was standing room. Wherever mud fats had
been filled up they had been built upon. and if
the Harlem river and flats were filed up they
would be built upon. 1t would come to that
In the end. No big water way through the
heart Of big city had ever existed or ever
would If its purposes could be accomplished
otherwise.
MR.. REAGAN OPPOSED THE WHOLE ITEM
as chimerical scheme. The draws would have
to be open perpetually, so that railroad travel
over the bridges would be impracticable.
1t seemed to him that the whole project was
In the interest of speculation in building lots.
and would be a serious injury to the prosperity
OF the city Of New York and to the commerce
OF the country. He trusted that the item
would be struck out
Mr.. Washburn moved to lay the pending
amendments on the table.
MR. FRYE FAVORED THE AMENDMENT.
MIR. Frye, chairman of the committee on
commerce, suggested that the Senators from
Connecticut and Texas (dr. Hawley and Mr..
Reagan) seemed to underrate the importance
to commerce of the improvement of the Har-
lem river. Even now when the Harlem river
was navigabe for only two or three miles there
was freigh carried there last year to the amount
OF 3.5OOOOO tons and of value Of
l2O,OOO,OOO. Such a commerce was not to be
ignored. The Harlem river was not to be called
mud hole. 1t might be considered. therefore
that here was a waterway that could be made
of very great Importance commercially.
or course it was to be done at large expense
and with serious damage to the over-river COM
merce by rail- There would be inconvenience
and delay and all that sort Of thing. His own
hrst view of the question had been that of the
Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Hawley), that
it would be better to fill up the Harlem river
than TO have 1t improved as a waterway. But
REMoNsTRANCR had COME FROM NEW YORK.
from boards of trade, from chambers of COM
merce and from the press which were entitled
to consideration. The bridge matter, he sug-
gested, might be permitted to wait. The first
appropriation made for the improvement of
the Harlem river had been made over ten years
ago (s35O,o ,oOO), with proviso that the title to
the lands should be given to
the United States without expense.
1t had taken nearly ten years to obtain that
ute. Two years ago the appropriation had
been made available. and another ap-
preparation had been added to it and
plan adopted by which the
COST OF THE IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE
At the rate at which appropriations we're being
made it would be six years at least. if not
seven or eight, before that improvement would
be completed.
When the committee on commerce struck ont
the House item it did so with the understand
ing that the conference committee to which the
bill would be referred would consider care
fully what ought to be done: his own judgment
was that that was a better place to settle the
question than on the floor of the Senate
SO far as he was concerned he recognized the
Importance of the travel between the west the
north and the east to New York CITY, He be-
lieved himself in solid bridges, although the
feeling of his section of the country would be
against solid bridges, because all the lumber
and brick and building materials of
New England would be carried through
the Harlem river. He had no doubt that the
people or New York themselves would demand
solid bridges there in less than ten wears He
WAS perfectly willing, however. that either of
the amendments should be adopted and that
the whole matter should be left to the confer
ence committee.
MIR. HIsCoCK ARGUED
that it was fair to assume that the city of New
York had no desire to impede. or obstruct, or
divert railroad traffic. and it was also fair to
assume that his distinguished colleague (Mr
mercial interests of that city as any gentle
man from any other state could
be. He would like to have
Mr.. Hawley's amendment voted on.
SO that there might be expression of the
Senate III regard to solid bridges.
MR.. EvARTs REMARKED
that Mr.. Frye had said something which he
(Mr. Evarts) had intended to say. and which
he would therefore omit The people of the
city Of New York and the railroad companies
interested in the matter had been giving the
question a most intelligent examination for
many years. but now they were to be en-
hghtened by the Senators from Connecticut
lMr. Hawley), Massachusetts (Mr. Hoar) and
Texas (Mr. Reagan, who assumed to know
better what the interests of New York were
than the people themselves knew.
He begs to inform those Senators that one
result OF giving this additional wharfage to the
city of New York would be to reduce the cost
of wharfage Of vessels from their respective
states from els to 81, and who, he asked. could
estimate the importance of that reduction to
the commerce OF the country? The Senator
from Texas had spoken Of the Harlem river as
mud hole.
Mr.. Reagan-I did not say anything about its
being a mud hole.
Mr.. Evarts-You spoke Of the project as
being
REAL ESTATE OPERATION.
Mr.. Hoar Gin noticing Mr.. Evarts' reference
to him) stated that all that he had said on the
subject was that be was perfectly willing that
the excavation should go on, but that he
thought that provisions which would affect
railroad travel ought to be embodied
In separate bill, when statistics
could be brought before the Senate, and when
the opinions Of experts could be obtained. He
had said that one single thing of what the Sem
stor from New York had attributed to him.
Mr.. Evarts-On the contrary the Senator
went almost
TO THE EXTENT OF oBJURGArIoN.
Mr. Hoar-The Senator will pardon me for