The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-07

Ten and half Millions and Authorizes
Additional Expenditures Equal TO
Bringing the Total Up to sixty-Three
MiDions-Dockery Leads the OPPOSE
tion to the Bill, Charging Extravaganza
Hepburn Says There's Pork in 1t, and
| Scores the Mississippi River Commission
Washington, April 6.-The house to-
day passed the river and harbor appro-
priations bill under suspension of the
rules after lively debate Of forty min
utes, by vote of 216 10 40.
The bill carries in actual appropria-
tons s10,330,OOO and authorizes con-
| tracts for thirty-two new projects, with
a limit of cost of SOL, 721, 40.
Only forty minutes debate was allow
ed. Mr.. Hooker, chairman Of the river
and harbor committee, attempted 70 Sc
cure an extension of this time, but first
Mr.. Mcguire Dem, CALI and then Mr..
Grosvenor Rep., Ohio objected. The
1 debate was very spirited. Mr.. Dockery
| Dem, MOI attacked the recklessness
with which il was proposed to extend
! the continuing contract system in the
| bill-a natural result, he claimed, of the
policy of giving the governments
promise TO pay instead of paying cash.
He admitted, however, the great econ
/ omy of the contract system, which Mr.
/ Burton Rep., Ohio had stated from Of
! fetal reports TO be thirty per cent. Mr..
! Hepburn (Rep., Ia.) also made vigor-
Gus assault on. the bill, which, he said,
| had enough pork in it TO insure its
| passage. He devoted himself particu-
| larly to the Mississippi river commits
sion; the work of which he denounced.
! This brought forth a reply from Mr..
Catchings, the former chairman of riv-
ers and harbors, and a defense of the
measure from Mr.. Hooker CRep.. y. ",
/ the present chairman. When the vote
was finally taken, the majority in favor
of IL was so overwhelming that its op-
ponents were unable to secure the ayes
| nays.
Before the house adjourned the New
! Mexican bond bill was defeated and the
! bill to open the AssinabOine military
reservation was passed.
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL
The reading of the river and harbor
bill consumed one and one-half hours.
| At the conclusion of the reading, Mr..
Hooker asked that the time for debate
| be extended until 4 o'clock. Mr.. Hep
burn (Rep., la protested, saying that
| the bill involved the appropriation OF
| 500, 900, 900. Some amendments had been
| reported only this morning and he sub
mitted that this extraordinary eXpen-
! diture should not be authorized without
| due debate. He suggested that the time
for debate be extended until o'clock.
Mr.. Mcguire Dem, CALI asked
whether opportunity would be oered for
Ta;n inf cd
would not be, he objected. Subsequent
| ly he attempted to withdraw his objec-
ton, but Mr.. GrosvenOr (Rep., Ohio re-
newed it and the debate was entered
| upon.
A few minutes were given to Mr.. Bur-
| ton Rep., Ohio, a member of the rivers
and harborS committee, who particu-
| larry exploited the contract system eX-
| tended by the bill to thirty-two new
! projects. This, he said, was the moS
conspicuous as we'll as the most CONS
mendable feature of the bill. The re-
ports of the engineer department of the
| army showed that the contract system,
| inaugurated by the Fifty, first congress,
had effected a saving of 80 per cent on
all work so authorized. The system was
not only the most economical, but it was
the most courageous and honest.
.
| Mr.. Dockery Oem., MOI led the OPP
| position to the bill. He favored, he
| said. Just appropriations for the great
waterways of the country, but he did
! not believe such appropriations should
be obtained by the improvement of I'M
| important streams. He added that even
| though he might favor every item in
this bill, he would oppose its passage
under motion 10 suspend the rules.
! which would prevent debate and
amendment. An explanation of this I'M
usual proceeding was that some of the
members were ciamOring for larger APP
propria tons and it was not safe to
| trust the bill in their hands lest Its
| items should be largely increased That
might be the correct explanation. The
bill carried liabilities amounting 10
| over s51. 0OO, 000 which, with the amount
| actually appropriated, made 1t aggre-
gate over So, 900. 600. Such an enOrm-
Gus appropriation, he submitted, was
| entitled to the careful consideration of
the house under the ordinary rules,
which would allow the debate and
amendment of each paragraph. He de-
rounced it as a high-handed proceed
| ing. Proceeding he reviewed the rapid
! growth and development of the cOntin-
uing contract system inausuratad by
/
| the Fifty-first congress.
Has not experience shown that this
| system IS ecOnomical?' interrupted Slr.
Hopkins (Rep., lid.
| Undoubtedly" replied Mr.. Dockery,
| at is economical as TO each individual
| contract. but the result has shown that
wherever the government enters upon
the policy OF giving its note instead Of
| paying cash, the eXpeditures become
| recklessly extravagant Members in
this way get a small appropriation for
local improvement TO start with and
mortgage the treasury for completing
the work.
| PORK IN THE BILL.
After Mr.. Wheeler Dem Ala-) had
| given his endorsement TO the bill, Mr..
Hepburn CRep. la made a sensational
speech in opposition to the bill There
was, he began, In the bill something
/ in the way Of pork for his district
He added. there was enough IN ii for
| other districts TO secure It's passage and
| he felt that nothing he would be able
| 10 say would stop il in its stately march
| TO the statute books. He read the am
cunts Ia would go the various states,
! s., 200. 900 70 Maine. 81 ioo. 600 10 MasSa-
| chusetts. $4oo. 900 10 Rhode Island, 1885,
! 600 10 Connecticut 81 400. 900 70 New York
| tc, 10 show how the pork" was dis
tributed. and then proceeded 20 make
an attack on the appropriations in the
bill for the Mississippi river commits
! sion. The bin carried $3.50 for the
| commission. he said and authorized con
tracts aggpegadng SS.375, 900.
Right here. Mr.. Speaker" he said,
| "I want IL understood Chat Do not OBJ
| ject 70 legitimate appropriations for the
| ~ h.
| 1 desire 20 rebuke are the methods adop-
| ted 10 secure the passage OF the bill In
| most cases in this bill there Is a IA
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