Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-19
THE HOUSE.

An attempt was to have been made today
by Mr.. Josephs. the New Mexico delegate
to pass the bill for the admission of that
territory to statehood, under suspension of
the rules, but. it being apparent that the
democrats did not have a quorum present
he decided not TO make the effort.
Without transacting any routine business
the House went into committee of the
whole and the consideration of the sundry
civil bill was resumed.
The paragraph appropriating s75O0OO to
be expended under the direction of the Mis-
souri, river commission was the pending
subject Of discussion and by unanimous
consent it was agreed to close debate upon
this paragraph and the amendments there
70 at 2:30. Mr. Catchings. who was recog-
nized to control the time against the amend
ments, continued for brief time his argu-
ment against parceling out by restriction
portions of the river and harbor appropria-
tons made under the continuing contract
system The twelve projects now included
IN the system were not local, but national,
In their character. He cited the improve
ment of the Mississippi river as the best
illustration of this fact. No commercial
body had been more active in behalf of
liberal appropriations for the Mississippi.
the levees of its banks. as we'll as the jet
ties at its mouth. than the New York cham
Der OF commerce.
Expended on the Mississippi.
The amount expended on the Mississippi
from Cairo to the gulf was Si9OUO,0O0, and
Tor every dollar expended by the United
States four or five, dollars have been ex-
pended by the states through which it
flowed. The difference between the Missis-
sippi and Missouri rivers was that .he lat
ter had general commerce worth men
tiOning- The purpose Of the liberal appro-
priatiJns made for il vas TO make 1t nav
tGable. to give it commerce. But This could
E,.a1 fnaaa ole of
sentatives for local improvements out CT
the appropriations made was to prevail q.
The Improvement of the water transpOrta-
ton routes in part met the depressing fall
In prices that was going on, and instead
or halting now, Congress should step for
ward But for the Improvements prose-
cUted during the last twenty years hun
dredS of thousands of acres of lands, now
cultivated with some degree OF profit, would
be abandoned. If Congress did not yield to
this just and fair demand Of the people 1t
wOul1 be reCreant to its duty.
Mr.. Hermann (Ore.) eLlogized the contract
system for the waterways of the country.
the Inauguration of which, he said was one
OF the graniest achievements of the Fifty
nrst Congress According to the report of
the Secretary of War this system had re-
suited in a saving to the government of
about 2.~D.C0O on the Work in progress at
baltimore, Philadelphia. Galveston. Charles
ton, Savannah, the cascades of the Column
bia- Hay Lake chanrel. the deep water
channel of the great lakes are now under
the contract system. The system should
be extended.
Mr.. LOud's Criticism.
MIR. Loud tCal) criticised the injustice of
the system TO those who We're not "in on
the proposition" No man was better able
70 defend the system than Mr.. Catchings.
nor TO second it than Mr. Hermann. both
or whom had their projects in which they
were interested in the system. His prin-
eipaI objection to river and harbor improve
IleAtS was that they were not made to
oehelI the whole country. but to satisfy
Certain interests
Inc improvements Should keep step with
tAe dem 4Els of commerce. The figures
sA9Wet tEat the lakes had received $4,000,
.-rl' ..' t-e Atlantic coast. SJT.OOo.rOO: the gulf
s-''r-LEr. the Mississippi STG,OOO 900 and
u Fac!lc coast but SapuoOUp The south,
Ll'!'lI--is the Nississ'ppi and tributaries,
-. - -erc-Fs- the enormous sum of Slls.-
l"r-,1uate 20 the benefits received nv tta
c.la'Ty AS q whole
~s- i4--"er tNebJ criticised severely tie