The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-06-09
THE BILL is NOW A LAW.

The Senate Passes the lFsyyT ana
Harbor Bill BY an Unusual Ma
jority. f
The action Of the Senate in regard
to the passage of the river and harbor
bill is as follows:
A contest for the right of way arose
as soon as the Senate met. Mr.. Vest
lDem., No., who in the absence of Mr.. r
Frye is in charge of the river and har-
Dor bill, sought to have the Presidents
veto OF that message taken up.
This was opposed by Mr.. Pettigrew
(Rep., S. d. In charge of the indian
appropriation bill conference report.
Mr.. Vest urged that the suspension
and possible destruction of the work of
Improvement of internal waterways
was of more moment than any other
one subject save that of the national
honor. 1t was imperative that the
question be settled now, so that if the
veto was sustained it could be deter
mined whether another river and har-
Dor bill was to be framed. The bill and
veto were taken up by yeas 3S; nays 10.
The negative vote was cast by: Demo-
crats-Bate, Chiffon, Harris, Palmer,
Vilas-5. u Repubiicans-Brown, Nor
rill, Pettigrew, Pritchard, Teller--5.
Total 10. The message was then read.
Mr.. Vest said the veto contained
statements which, however much he
might respect the high office of the
President, ought not to go unchal-
lenged. The Senator did not question
the Presidents veto prerogatfve, but
the trainers OF the constitutions ssasSssr
had intended thRt this power should>.' -
exercised in the ordinary affairs of thex,
government 1t was to be power to z
10y extraordinary affairs Of the gov 4
ernment 1t was to be power to meet
extraordinary emergencies, when pop x
ular passion hal led to hasty legisla-S
tlon, or when constitutional question:
was involved. The early presidents. S.
WHO stood nearer to the cOnstitu ton, IS
exercised the veto but several times;
twice by Washington, five by Madison, 8,
and never by Jefferson or John Adams. .
Mr.. Vest then analysed the state &
ments of the veto concerning extrava-
gance. The President had, he said,
stated that the bill made direct appro-
priations of about $l4, 600, 900, while i'm
fact they aggregated $l2, 2,60S, 900, diff y
ference of 81, ,391, 100. This was hardly
characteristic of the effectiveness Of
the emenations of Mr.. Cleveland, who
never had served in legislative body
and seemed to have a tendency to min <
imize the responsibility OF legislator
to his constituents.
Mr.. Vest took up other items, show
ing that the totals were less than the
Presidents statements would Indicate.
The Senator said as to the general
charge of extravaganza that in view Of
the vast interests involved, the extent
of the country and the fact that the
river and harbOr bill covered two
years, this measure was comparatively
reasonable. There were items open to
question, yet as in all legislation this
was the result of compromise FL
Mr.. Vest had addressed letter TO
General Craighill, chief Of engineers.
asking for the facts as to that state,
ment of the President that he had
learned from official sources that the
bill contained appropriations intended
to serve private interests. The Sem
ator said General Craighill made no
reply but in response to telegram an
swered that the letter had been 're- \
ferred to Secretary of War for instruc-
tions." Up to this date no information
had been received. $50 that for reas-
ons best known to the administrations"
said Mr.. Vest, bitterly, 1T is consider
ed best not to go into details on these
charges, but to indulge in general and
rhetorical defamation as to the alleged
extravaganza and favoritism contained
in it," ~e
Mr.. Vest said he believed one of the
Presidents charges applied to the
| Brunswick, Ca, harbor, one of the best
| and most economical improvements ts in
the country. The Senator spoke of the
| cheaper rates of transportation RESULT
ing from improvements at the "Soo,n
| New Orleans, Baltimore, Now York;
Boston and elsewhere. In the plat
form upon which Mr. Cleveland was
first nominated was a strong plank for
waterway improvements, and his early
messages indorsed these imprOvements.t
Mr.. Vest prophesied that in the near
future legislation would be directed to
further developing internal commerce.
and cheapening transportation. ~
The Senate PASSED the river and har-s
Dor bill over the Presidents veto by 56
to 5, and the measure is now q law.
Those voting in the negative .wera
Mossrs. Bate, Chiffon, Hill, Smith and
| Vilas-all Democrats-5. II