The herald., 1896-05-10
THE F|FTY.FOURTA CONGRESS
Preparations Made for Investi-
eating Bond Issues
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL
Occupies the Greater Portion of the
Senate Session
Senator White Takes Logical Objection to the
Appropriation Of Public Funds for
Private Purpos.s
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, May "a large and
graceful basket of rare orchids with
roses and lilies was on the desk of Sen
ator Harris, Democrat, of Tennessee
today in recognition of his choice as a
delegate at large to the national conven-
ton.
A bill was passed to allow articles
sent abroad for exhibition purposes to be
returned free of duty.
Mr.. Morrill,, chairman of the finance
committee, reported a resolution recit-
ing that in view of the recent action of
the senate in directing an investigation
CT recent bond issues that the committee
be authorized to conduct the investiga-
tion through a subcommittee, that au-
thOrlty be given to summon witnesses
and administer oaths, and that the COM
bittee be authorized to sit during the re-
cess of congress. The resolution was re-
ferred. The bill was passed for the
deportation to Canada of the Cree In
dians who fled into Montana at the time
of the Louis Riel rebellion.
Mr.. Dubois Republican, of Idaho. Gre
ated a temporary furry on the bond
question by asking immediate consider
alton for a joint resolution providing
that hereafter no bonds shall be issued
by any officer until the president has
communicated to congress the necessity
for the bonds and the amount of the is
sue, and until congress shall authorize
the payment of bonds issued.
That seems quite important" inter-
posed Mr.. Hill, land it ought to go to
committee"
NO" said Mr.. Dubois, "let us have a
vote of the senate"
Mr.. Sherman suggested that this in
volved an important change of law and
certainly 1t should go to the finance COM
mittee. He objected to immediate con-
sideration.
Then I would like vote Monday"
said Mr.. Dubois.
Mr.. Palmer, Democrat, of Illinois, re-
ported back the bill to pension the widow
of Captain Allabach, recently vetoed by
the president, with recommendation
that it pass over the veto, and gave no
tice that he would call it up at the first
opportunity.
The bill was passed for the government
participation in the Tennessee centen-
NAL in 1897 The president is to appoint
a government commission have charge
of the government exhibit Approprla-
tions of $50. 900 for a government building
and $4,000 for government exhibit
are made.
Consideration of the river and harbor
hill was then resumed, and Mr.. White
proceeded with his speech opposing the
location of a deep-watef harbor at Santa
Monica.
The senator gave the evidence OF
mariners, commercial men, etc, along
the Pacific coast, showing San Pedro
to be preferable to Santa Monica for
the deep-water harbor. He answered IN
detail the points made by Mr.. Corthell,
who, according to Mr.. White. is one of
the engineers representing Mr. Hunting
ton of the Southern Pacific railroad.
Mr. White quoted from the reports of
Cin n 81 San
was the best protected from the heavy
seas from the west. He described San
ia Monica as a delightful bathing re
sort, frequented by thousands of peO-
pie, and said that any considerable
number of railroad tracks centering
there would destroy the present uses of
the place.
Mr.. White spoke of Santa Monica as
"a condemned" place. so far as the army
engineers had passed on the subject,
and he asked why 1T was, in making
such an enormous appropriation, that
congress should seek to experiment with
a condemned locality
The views of Lieutenant H. G. Taylor
favoring Santa Monica were compared
by Nh. White with those favoring San
Pedro by Major Raymond and Profess
sor George Davidson, the latter bein 3
at the head of the coast and geodetic
survey on the Pacific coast
To avoid all further conflict Mr.. White
urged the adoption of his amendment re-
ferring the question to a skilled board.
He declared that the advocates of Santa
Monica refused to accept an impartial
board, knowing that such a board would
report against them. When Mr.. Hunt
ington placed his wharf in Santa Monica
bay no one had any idea of a harbor al
that point. If this harbor was built it
would protect the Huntington wharf
and nothing else.
"It will be donation of So, 900, 900 to a
private corporation said Mr.. White
"It will be taking SO 000,0 900 which the
United States engineers have recon-
mended to be not expended and spend
it on an individual. 1t will not be fol-
public benefit but for the benefit of ali
enterprising person who is developing
a large commerce over one of the most
magnificent wharveS in the world.
Mr. White closed with the declaration
that it would be an outrage to set aside
the recommendation of army boards and
give a vast appropriation which would
specially benefit a private corporation
and an individual. The senator closed
at o'clock.
Mr. Frye, chairman of the commerce
committee, said that he desired to make
the closing statement, but Mr.. White
insisted that as the author Of the amend
ment he had the closing word.
Mr. Gallinger, chairman, sought to
bring forward the pension cases on the
calendar. This brought out the signifi-
cant suggestion from Mr. Cockrell, Dem
ocrat of Missouri, thct it was evident
in view of recent events, that pension
bills would have to be passed speedily
SO as to permit them to become laws
by the expiration of ten days before ad-
journment.
The senate then proceeded to consider
unobjected bill on the calendar, and
passed considerable number, including
the following:
Appropriating 100000 for public
building at Butte, Mont; appropriating
SG5, 600 for a monument to Gen. Nathan
iel Green on the battlefield of Guilford
Courthouse, NC; extending to ten years
the time within which the university of
Utah shall occupy lands granted to it;
appropriating $40. 900 for astatue of Com
modore John d. Sloat at Monterey. Cal.
giving to the evidence of private soldiers
the same weight as that of officers in
pension cases; amending the law of 1890
so that the absence of an honorable dis
charge shall not be bar to a pension
provided there is no charge of deSertion
against applicant; vacating Sugar Loaf
reservoir site, Cal, and restoring the
lands to public entry; amending the
pension laws relative to false swearing
In pension cases: amending the pension
laws SO as to make mastering into SER
vice prima facie evidence of sound body
and mind.