The San Francisco call., 1896-05-09
Reasons Urged for the Appoint
ment of a Commission to
Select a Site.
OUTER AND INNER HARB0Rs.
All Other Questions in the Appro
priation Bill Have Been Disposed
Of by the Senate.

the dozen or more bills which were passed
by the Senate to-day because they were
unobjected to was one permitting the
erection in Washington of monument in
honor of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder
of the Medical School OF Homeopathy,
and appropriating $4,000 to defray the
cost of the foundation. The only restric-
ton imposed in the bill is that the monu-
ment is not to be placed in the Capitol
grounds. The consideration of the river
and harbor bill was concluded with the
exception of one amendment involving
the bitterly contested question of the loca-
ton of a deep-water harbor in Southern
California. The Committee on Commerce
reported an amendment to the bill pro-
viding for a breakwater and outer harbor
at Santa Monica, while the two Senators
from California. and McLachlan, the Rep
resentative from Los Angeles district, op-
posed that location and favored the selec-
ton of San Pedro, having on their side of
the question the representatives of the
two boards of army engineers, especially Y
senuout to examine the matter.
Senator White of California addressed
the Senate in opposition to the committee
amendment and had not finished his argu-
ment when the Senate at 5:15 P. NJ. ad-
journed until tomorrow.
The Senate bill authorizing the Sioux
City and Omaha Railway Company to
construct and operate railway through
the Omaha and Winnebago Reservation
in Thurston County, Nebr., was taken
from the calendar and passed.
A bill to prohibit the issue of United
States bonds without the authority of
Congress was introduced by Bacon (D.) of
Georgia and laid on the table for the pres
ent, Bacon stating that ne desired here
after to address the Senate upon it.
Mitchell (R.) of Oregon gave notice that
on the passage of the last of the approp ria
ton bills he would move to proceed to
the consideration of the joint resolution
for an amendment to the constitution pro-
viding for the popular election of United
States Senators.
The river and harbor bill was then
taken up, tie paragraph appropriating
$4,000 for the protection from erosion of
the east bank of the Mississippi River
along and in front of Sny Island levee in
Illinois coming first for consideration.
After argument against the Senate
amendment by Palmer (D.) of Illinois,
and in support OF it by Vest CD of Mis-
souri,, the item was modified so as to read !:
"For the protection from erosion. etc..
and for the improvement and maintenance
of the channel of the river by reyetment
work, or otherwise, such amounts as NAV
be necessary in the opinion of the Secre-
tary of War"
In the paragraph for improving the
upper Missouri River the appropriation of
900 for work at Sioux City, Iowa, was
on motion of Allen (P.) of Nebraska in
creased to $4,000.
The committee amendment, which di-
rects that all persons employed on the
public works of engineering intrusted to
the engineer department, shall be selected
and hired by the officer OF the CORPS of
engineers in local charge of the works,
gave rise to a discussion involving the
question of civil service reform and the
Presidents recent order of extension.
After some discussion a point of order
was sustained, and the amendment was
stricken out of the bill.
All the committee amendments having
been disposed OF except that as to the deep
water harbor in Southern California. the
bill was open to amendments of individual
Senators. Among those that were offered
and agreed to were the following: By
Gray (D.) of Delaware, to permit army
officers on the retired list to engage in
river and harbor work
By Carter (R.) of Montana, to allow
persons or corporations to construct, SUBJ
ject to conditions by the Secretary of War,
6o, 1axx L.. =
River at Stubbs Ferry, Montana, to de-
velop water power.
By Lodge (R.) of Massachusetts, appro-
priating 5000 for survey of Portland chan
mel, Alaska.
The committee amendment as to the
deep-water harbor in Southern California
was then taken up. 1t provides for break
water at Port Los Angeles, in Santa
Monica Bay and authorizes contracts to
the amount OF $2,99S, 900 exclusive of
amounts heretofore appropriated.
White (D.) of California moved to sub.
stitute for the committee amendm ment a
provision for the appointment of board
to select proper location for the deep-sea
harbor-the board to consist of naval
officer with rank as high as commander,
an engineer army officer and a member of
the coast and geodetic survey-the appro-
priation and contracts to be applied to
the point selected. This amendment was
offered In the interest of San Pedro, the
competing point.
With two diagrams arranged on easels
OF the two areas White pointed out the
advantages which he claimed for San
Pedro over Santa Monica. The question,
he said, was OF great local importance to
those whom he in part represented and was
OF great National Importance. The inner
harbor at San Pedro had been, he said.
quite success. Some years ago, when
the Government engineers took charge of
the work, there was but two feet of water
there at low tide. Now there were four
teen at low ard nineteen at nigh tide. so
that vessels drawing eighteen feet of water
could pass into the inner harbor at high
tide. The plan for breakwater was in
tended to let in all the vessels that came
there. There were two questions in
volved-first. should there be an outer
harbor at allP and second, should the