New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-06
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL
FIG AMOUNT FOR AN ECONOMICAL"
HOUSE.

Is ABOUT s21 900 CO0-DEMOCRATS DE.
NoUNCE noLMANs PARsIMoNY.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE Tribune.
Washington May 5.-Tne discussion of the River and
tIarbor bill In the House to-day brought out several
tpcts Of interest in regard 10 that measure which have
not heretofore received all the attention which their
importance seems to merit In the shrewd report sub
mitted by the Committee on Rivers and liarborS In
support Of the bill the statement is made that the
aggregate amount of appropriations recommended In
the bill is ST. ,29O973,n S,,690,3oO less than the
amount carried by the River and Iarbor act passed al
the first session Of the List Congress The 1act Is
that the pending bill carries $35S,53O more than the
act OF 1890 did when 1t reported TO the House. ana
s13l7 O30 than that act did when 1t passed the
House and went to the Senate. Again, there are IN
the pending bill eight provisions which authorize the
secretary Of War to enter into contracts ana incur
obligations on behalf OF the Government, 10 fulfil winch
contracts and obligations will require an aggregate eN-
uenditure not less than So53o6921 In ADDITION 10
tho S2l 200,975 mentioned by the astute chairman Ill
his report behalf of the River ana iarbor Ooti-
mittee These two amounts aggregate Sf0,6'','o0-
and this Is an economical Democratic House. winch
cuts down the already small salaries OF diplomatic ana
consular representatives and other undepaid officers OF
the Government. IN of the appropriations recon-
mended by the committee may be wise-some of them
nav be open TO charge OF extravagance-but In any
event as Mr. Breckenridge, of Kentucky forcibly de-
clard to-day, it is the duty of the House to deal
frankly with country and not pretend that 1t Is
appropriating only sol OC0 900 In bill which actually
carries nearly &41 100000.
Big as the bill Is. IT would have been much bigger
~ all of the demands of the Represenatives-three-
four,hs OF whom are Democrats-had been granted
In the report OF the committee this candid statement
may be found
The pressure for river and harbor appropriations wss
never before great as that which the committee encon
tered the preparation of the bill reported and the com
had yielded TO half OF the demands nohy oil which
were urged and earnestncss the bill would
haze carried many millions more than 1t now does
Perhaps Judge Holman ought to congratulate himself
and the country the fact that his Democratic COL
leagues are no worse. rather than complain because
they are bad Early in the session he declared tha
the appropriations for rivers and harbors this year
oueht not TO exceed 100000. "but he would be
willing to compromise on double that amount 1t is
not strange therefore that he stands aghast when con-
fronted with bill carrying nearly Si7 ,OOooOO
When the House went into Committee Of the Whole
Mr. Hatch of Missouri. In the chair the bill. fur
Their general debate limited to two hours and Mr.
Holman took the floor in opposition TO the measure
He attacked the bill being an extravagant one III
not only appropriated more than S2l,OOo,oOo, put II
authorized contracts TO be made which would make
the Government liable for S26,OO00OO more In con-
nection with the BILL he sent TO the clerks desk ana
had read letter from W. f Leonard, of Port Huron
his opposition TO the proposal to make 81 foot chan
mel across Lake ST. Clair. distance Of thirty miles.
Mr.. Whiting Of Michigan, though, that the PROPOSE
ton to secure q 2lfoot channel from Duluth
10 Buffalo was premature and i'll advised. 1t was
promoted by the railroad and elevator interests OF
Buffalo and by some parties In Duluth.
Mr. breckenridge, OF Kentucky. had TOO short n
time accorded to him to attack the bill In detail but
he said that II Democratic House wished 10 pass the
bill 1t should act frankly with the people and tell them
that the measure involved appropriation OF 3d.
100000 and not OF S21 100000. II the ~.
600 600 fair and just let the Democratic parry
20 before the country and and not declare that
this was an economical Congress and had appropriated
only s21 100000.
Mr.. Lockwood, OF New-York. said that he had not
intended to address the committee. but the statements
Of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Whitins) con-
taincd much OF fancy and Imagination that he could
not let them go unanswered The statement of the
gentleman that the project of deep waterway
along the lakes advocated by the railroad and ee-
vaor interests OF Chicago and Buffalo and other lte
cities. He (Mr. LOCKWOOD was Informed by the
chairman OF the River and IIarbor Committee that not
a single person in any way connected with any OF the
interests named had directly or Indirectly applied 10
the committee the members OF the House in regard
10 the deep waterway. As representative oi VI"
great commercial interests Of the lakes. he could say
truthfuly here that not single interest outside OF the
vessel interest and the commercial interest had sue-
general welfare and advancement Of the commercial
Interests OF the whole country. The people OF the
country cared nothing 10 how much money was
spent for the interest Of the people and OF commerce.
provided /. appropriated and expended hp"es'N
aad fairly. (hpplause.) Thank God, the people nan
not come to the point where they played penny
game from one end of tie country to the other.
daughter and applause.
Mr.. bailey 0. Texas. who was sitting at dcsA
adjoining that at which Mr. Lockwood was speaking,
rose suddenly and In deep, sonorous voice. nquircd
why, II that the gentcman's sentiment, TIC hao
abused the " Billion Dollar Congress
Quick as u flash, Mr. Lockwood replied that he had
never done So applause on Republican sde)
Mr. Bailey s,Ige,sted that THIS not the first
time that the gentleman had been out OF harmony Win
Mr.. Lockwood le ined tina, he had been in harmony
with the democratic party since ne Was twelve yy or
any man which refused 10 make nece sSary appropra-
tons TO carry on necessary WORK Tnlch Wa1 i0 r s
Mr 'catehlngs O; Mississippi in defending the BILL
maid his respects TO Nr Holman. The gentleman from
Indiana he said. opposed the measure a. he dh every
other measure which was step iGwsd ae RIVER The
bill did not provide that levocs shoad be built for TIE
purpose Of protesng ahe country from oye0w ne
fairly: he warped. 80 biased, so plejudiced III
bis mind against this work that i was utterly lmpos
state fairly the truth with regard to the improve
"sHs s Ss:;D Ss Ev' had ex TS e rs
where the Government Of the United State had cx-
pended 81 In levees and that true with reference
10 the whole OF lower valley Of the M>-i,sppl
And vet the gcntcmdn from Indiana would SERIOUSLY
have the House believe that the Government was asked
tlbutlon from the people Of Mississippi TO protect
themselves from overflow Why Il the peops 90
protect them from overflow. they would be com
PEELED to move out Of the Mississippi Valley ~,
The general debate having concluded, the Dill
was considered under the five minute rule The com
mlttee then made rapid progress With the blllLnucn
Of the credit being due to Its char1naii-Du Wl,hon'
disposnc OF the bill the committee rose and the House
adjourned.
SECRETARY ELKINs AND NETWORK IARBOH
Washington, May ) (SpeclaD.-Sccrptary Elhns mas
token an active interest IN the work OF inpioVihS