Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-06-05
HOUSE DEFIANT.
Passes the River and Harbor Bill
Over Presidents Veto.
Report of Committee Harshly Criti-
cises the Executive Acton-Do-
ings of the Senate.

ings of the Senate.
Washington, June o. Mr.. Henderson
(rep., 1a.) reported from the committee
on rules an order making the hour Of
meeting for the remainder Of the ses-
sion II o'clock a. IN. it was agreed to.
In this connection Mr.. Dingley (rep.,
Me.), chairman of the committee on
ways and means, called the attention OF
members to the necessity of maintain
ing a quorum in attendance in order
that the business Of the house might
I've successfully prosecuted. Seven OF
the appropriation bills, he said, were
still in conference with several mat
ters of difference between the two
houses likely to cause friction and
upon which yea and nay votes would
doubtless be demanded before they
were settled. In order to close up the
business of the house he warned mem
bers proposing to leave that the pres
ence of o quorum was absolutely neces-
sary. If q quorum be broken, MI
Dingley said, ne desired to warn lnem-
beers that it would be necessary to send
for them.
Mr.. Cannon (rep., ND, chairman of
the committee on appropriations,
stated that in his judgment there was
no possibility that the present session
of congress would end before Wednes-
day of next week, and probably not be-
fore Friday or Saturday.
Report on River and Harbor BILL.
The report of the committee on river
and harhors recommending the passage
Of the river and harbor appropriation,
"the objections of the president to the
contrary Notwithstanding" was pre-
scented by Mr.. Hooker (rep., N. ",
chairman, and read.
The report states that Of the All Items OF
appropriations contained in the DILL all
except q are projects contained IN pllis
which have heretofore become laws ana
which have been for years in process OF
construction by the government. No new
Projects were added to the bill of 1884. 1t
will thus be seen, the report states, that
the principal work of the committee has
been the investigation and examination or
Improvements to which congress has re-
peatedly committed itself. The river and
harbor bill of 1890 appropriated $685. 600
und placed certain works under the con-
tract system which involved the additional
expenditure Of s15,O00,00O 1t appears, there
fore. that by far the greater number OF prof.
ects appropriated for In this bill were also
appropriated for In the bill OF 1880, and
which are not yet completed.
The report explains that that bill was
referred to Gen. Casey. then chief of the
United States engineers, who reported to
President Harrison that only eight of tho
items seemed to be of limited or local bene-
int OF For
these items was $4,000. From this 1t will be
seen. the report continues, that the large
part of the projects contained in the pres
ent bill passed the scrutiny and received
the approval of Gen. Casey and have gone
unchallenged until now. The bills of 1890
and 1892 were approved by President Har-
rison and the bill of 1894 was permitted by
the present executive to become law by
limitation.
Impeach Presidents Declaration.
The committee impeach the presidents
declaration that many of the objects for
which the money is appropriated are not
related to the public welfare They assert
that the bill was carefully prepared after
exhaustive hearings and that they scru-
pulously avoided making appropriations
not In the interest of commerce
Referring to The presidents criticism,
that not few Of the improvements have
been so irnprovidently planned and prose-
millions of dollars, new experiments for
their accomplishment have been entered
upon. the committee say that it has often
occurred that a project has been adopted in
accordance with certain defined plans, SUBJ
United by the engineers, and that the inter-
ests OF commerce required that greater
and more effective Improvement than that
first contemplated should be made.
A careful reexamination of the bill war
rants the committee In asserting that there
Is no foundation for the presidents state
ment that the bill carries appropriations
Tor work which private parties have actual
~ agreed with the government to do In
consideration of their occupancy of pub
lie property.
Passing to the presidents accusation of
extravaganza, the committee shows that
the average app OPERATIONS for the past
Six years have been s16,7oo,ooo a year.
while including the present bill and the
two others for the remainder of this CEN
fury the total amount for these six yeare
will only average ST., 100000 year.
The report repeatedly emphasizes the
committees approval of the contract sys-
tenn. as being less expensive TO the govern.
mont and securing moro prompt and salts
factory results. This system is the dis
tinctive feature of the bill and the com
mittee strongly recommend it's continue
ton
The report adds that no good reason has
ocSA doo4SACd Wy luS p1eoluSHl WHY LIE
house should recede from Its action with
regard to the measure.
MIR. Hooker then asked the previous
question on the motion to pass the bill
.(Applause).
MIR. Dockery Fails to Get a Hearing.
MIR. Dockery (dem., Mo- and severa.
other members were on their feet de
manding recognition. The former
with great vehemence of manner, de
nounced the course of the gentleman
from New York (Nr. Hooker), shout
ing: "Fhe gentleman agreed with me
Monday that there should be opportu
nifty for debate. 1t is unjust, unfair
and unmanly to cut us off in this way
The vote on ordering the previou.
question was taken. Itresulted: Ayes
179; noes, 60.
Bill Passed Over Veto.
Mr.. Dockery demanded the ayes ant
nays, but could muster only As member
to second his demand-not sufficien
number, and that announcement wa
greeted with derisive cries of triumph
from the friends of the bill
The speaker put the question: "Upol
reconsideration, will the house pass tn
bill, the objections of the president t
the contrary Notwithstanding"