The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-03
The House Determined to Be
Wasteful and Extravagant.
THE VETO Is OVER-RIDDEN
River and Harbor Bill Passed
by Vote Of 22O to 90
MORE THAN REQUIRED NUMBER
The Committee Presented a Report in
Answer TO the Presidents Oblec-
tions and Vote Was Taken
Without Debate.

Wltnout DeDate.
Washington, June 2.-The House de-
voted itself to-day to passing the River
and Harbor bill over the Presidents
veto and to unseating by a vote of 162
to 80, John j. Walsh, the Democratic
member from the Eighth New York
district, whose place will be filled by
John Murray Mitchell, Republican.
Both of these actions were foregone
conclusions, so that they excited com
paratively little interest, although
there was a full House to vote on the
River and Harbor bill. 1t was passed
by 22O to 90, many more votes than
the two-thirds necessary to oyer-rule
veto and it was passed without de-
bate, although Mr.. Dockery, of Mis-
souri,, protested vehemently that de-
bate had been promised. Thirty-nine
Democrats voted to override the Pres
idential objections and twenty-six Re-
publicans stood by Mr.. Cleveland.
The Naval Appropriation bill was
reported from conference with an
agreement on all items but the number
of battleships. Incidentally Chair
man Cannon, of the committee on APP
propriations, predicted that Congress
will adjourn late next week.
The report of the committee on Riy-
ers and Harbors recommending the
passage of the bill over the Presidents
veto was made by Chairman Hooker,
and the report was read The objec-
tions of the President were reviewed
in detail. All but twenty-seven of the
AIT projects in the bill, the large num-
ber being alluded to by the President,
the report says, were contained in pre-
vious River and !Harbor bills. 1t is
also claimed that most of the projects
were contained in the bill Of 1890, upon
| which the late General Casey submit
ted report, saying that but eight
| were of limited local benefit. 1t is also
stated that the bill was prepared after
careful examination of the reports of
| the engineers. The President alluded
to ''improvidently planned projects"
| but the committee asserts that provls-
| ion has been made for prose
| cutting works, where there
| seemed doubt concerning
them by modified projects, all to
| be done under the direction of the
engineers. 1t is also claimed that the
President is indefinite in his language
| in not specifying the Objectionable
features of the bill. Replying to the
| assertion of the President that there
are appropriations for works which
| private parties have actually agreed
| to do, the committee says that the in
| formation upon which the President
bases his information is wholly with
lout foundation.
Answering the charge of eXtrava-
gance, the committee says, that for the
past six years the average eXpendi-
ture has been $16,700,0 900, and estimate
| from the present bill and the appro-
priations for 1898 and 1900 that the
average expenditure for the next six
wears will be $13, 100000. The COM
mittee quotes from the report of Sec
retary Lamont endorsing the contract
system in making river and harbor
improvements and recommending the
action of that policy to embrace other
worthy improvements"
Attention is called to the fact that if
the bill should fail, work upon hun
dreds of projects in course of compile
ton would be suspended at great loss.
The report concludes that after care
full re-examination of the bill, the com
mittee sees no reason why the House
should recede from it's action.
The reading of the report was fol-
lowed by applause, most of it on the Re-
publican side of the House.
Mr.. Hooker moved the passage of the
bill, saying that the committee was OF
opinion that the President covered eve
ry possible objection to the bill, and
that the report answered every obiec
ton. MANY members have asked me
for time to debate this matter" he
said. "and to yield TO their requests
would take much time. Without eX-
pressing any opinion on the question
whether there should be debate, and to
test the opinion of the House on the
question whether debate is necessary,
| will demand the previous question"
Instantly Mr.. Dockery CDem., MOI,
was on his feet demanding recognition,
but the Speaker told him that debate
was not in order. Members were shout
ing "vote, VOTE" but the voice of Mr..
Dockery pierced the uproar shouting,
"The gentleman agreed with me yester-
day to have debate on this bill. 1t is |
unfair, unjust, unmanly."
The House demanded the previous |
question, IT'S to 60, by a rising vote, |
and only 46 arose to sustain the request |
for yeas and nays.
"Under the rules, the vote on the |
passage of the bill must be taken by |
the yeas and nays" the Speaker an
nounced.
us there no rule by which we can ;