The San Francisco call., 1896-04-07
Dockery and Hepburn Protest
Against Some of the Liberal
Appropriations.
MORTON MORE ACCOMMODATING
Now Willing to Distribute Seed in
Accordance With the Wish of
Congressman.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April Elm the
House to-day the river and harbor appro-
prlation bill was taken up. and after forty
minutes debate was passed, under suspen-
sion of rules, by vote of 216 to 40.
Hooker (R.) of New York, chairman of
the committee, managed the measure so
as to secure practically unanimous support
OF it, the opposition failing to muster suf-
hclent strength to obtain vote by ayes
and noes. This is said to be the first time
in the history of the river and harbor bill
that one has gone through the House with
as little opposition.
Hepburn (R.) of Iowa and Dockery CD
of Missouri were the chief antagonists,
and Catchings (D.) of Mississippi, Burton
(R.) of Ohio and Hooker (R.) of New York
were the principal advocates of the meas
ure. Catchings said it was the best bill,
the most scientifically constructed, and
would rebound more to the benefit of the
whole country than any similar bill that
had been presented to the House since he
had been in Congress.
Grosvenor (R.) of Ohio reported the
filled cheese bill from the Committee on
Ways and Means and gave notice that he
After the journal had been disposed of
Wadsworth (R.) of New York, chairman
OF the Committee on Agriculture, read
letter from Secretary Morton stating that
In obedience to the almost unanimous con-
sent of the House he had arranged with
the contractors to put up garden seeds in
packages of five each instead of fifteen as
at first arranged, making 3,205, 900 pack
ages, instead of 625000, for the use of
members of Congress. The change re-
quired an additional expense of $4,000.
Hooker (R.) OF New York moved that
the House pass under suspension of the
rules the river and harbor appropriation
bill for the year ending June 30, 1897.
Objection was made to disposing with
the reading of the bill and to extending the
debate until o'clock.
Debate was then opened under the rules,
twenty minutes on each side, Burton Or.
of Ohio advocating the passage of the bill.
position to the bill, said he was in
favor OF just and proper appropriations
for the improvement of rivers and harbors,
but was not in favor of the policy which
com PEELED the House to appropriate money
for the improvement of unimportant
streams to secure that result. But if he
approved every item in the bill he would
oppose its passage under suspension of the
rules. The House was entitled to proceed
in the usual methods with the considera-
tion of bill carrying direct present ap-
preparation of $40, 427. $50 and a conditional
expenditure of s51. ri ,211.
Hepburn (R.) of Iowa made the princi-
pal speech against the bill. He said he
stood on the floor almost alone in one re-
spect. "The bill carries no pork for my
district, but there is enough in it to secure
its passage, and 1 recognize that nothing
l can say will interfere with the stately
march of this appropriation to compile
ton"
Running over the pages of the BILL he
said he saw that the State of Maine had
secured 81, ,565, 900, Massachusetts, 81 ,499, 600,
Rhode Island $780, ,0GO, New York 81, ,474. .O0O,
and Delaware $4,97O.OO0. Enough local
interest had been judiciously placed to
secure the passage of the bill. Contlnu-
ing. he said he found that there had been
appropriated to be expended by the Mis-
sissippi River Commission the sum of
$625, 600 and contracts authorized to the
o1AoOlt VI PCiOiO,OOO ddult1OHdl
81 have no objection" said Hepburn,
Ito the legitimate improvement of our
waterways. I am trying to rebuke, if pos
sible, the methods employed to secure this
immense sum of money. The bill appro-
PIRATES for the great work of the Hennepin
canal, which would open up a waterway
to the East, the magnificent sum of $25,-
900 and authorizes the continuance of the
work over period of ten years."
In conclusion Hepburn said he desired
only to speak of the viciousness of the
system summoned by the gentleman from
New York (Hooker) to bring bill into
the House. carrying obligations to the
amount of $62, ,0OO,o 900, and demand that it
be passed with only forty minutes debate
and without opportunity to amend it.
Catchings CD of Mississippi, chairman
of committee in the last Congress, replied
to Hepburn. ''This bill.' he said, sis the
best bill, the most scientifically drawn and
will rebound to the benefit of the whole
country more than any bill that has passed
the House since have been in Congress.
Applause.
In the course of further debate Clark
quoted the traffic manager of one Of the
STeat NOItuWesteIn systems as saying
that the result of the work on the Missis-
sippi was reduction Of so per cent in
freight rates all over the Mississippi
Valley.
Colson (R. OF Kentucky said the only
objection he had to the bill was that it
did not carry enough money. The peo pie
of Kentucky believed with Henry Clay
in spending freely for internal improve
ments.
Herman (R.) of Oregon, said no policy
had been so profitable to The people of the
country as that of making liberal appro-
priations for waterways.
Hooker (R.) of New York close the de-
bate in q five-minute speech. AS to the
criticism against considering it under sus-
pension of the rules, Hooker said that in
the last Congress bill carrying $25 O0O, 900
had been reported from committee of
which Dockery was member and dis
posed of in the same way, and he made no
objection to that.
Upon the question of suspending the
rules and passing the bill tn 9 vote by di-
vision stood: Ayes ZIG, noes 40. and the