The record-union., 1899-02-18
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
Senate Committee Adds to. It the
Nicaragua Canal Amendment.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE Senate
Committee on Commerce to-day COM
pleted it's consideration Of the river and
harbor bill, the last act of the bill being
the addition of the provision for the
construction of the Nicaragua Canal.
The bill has not been. printed as COM
pleted. and will not be in shape to be
reported until tomorrow
Aside from the Nicaragua Canal the
committee increases the cash appropri-
alton to the extent of about $2,0O0,OO0
over the House cash appropriation,
while the amount of continuing con-
tinuing contracts is increased to the
extent of about $1O,000,000.
Among the increases under the con-
tract system are: Southwest Pass,
mouth of the Mississippi River, increase
of 81, 100000, to make a 35-foot chan
mel; Channel Galveston to Houston,
Texas, increase of about $1,OOOO0O.
Other important changes are: Toledo,
Ohio, decreased from $4,000 to $780,
600; Coos Bay, Oregon, cash appropri-
alton $4,000 mew); Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, cash appropriation 100000
(new); Missouri River between Sioux
City and the mouth (new item), 500. :
600; Missouri River, Sioux City and
above 100000 NEW item); reservoirs
at the head of the Missouri River, cash
appropriation 100000, and continuing
contracts for $165,O0O new item); CO.
lumbia River, Oregon. three mile rapids
and boat railway, $4,000; at the Cas-
cades, 100000 new item); below
Tongue Point, $1,000 mew item);
Lower Willamette River, increase from
100000 to $15O,OO0; Lewis River,
Washington, 100000 new.
The following decreases in limitations
on final cost were made to-day after
the decision was reported to insert the
Nicaragua amendment: Boston, from
S491 .941 to $45O.O00; Black River,
$G45,000 to 100000; Toledo, from
1856, 600 -, $4,000; San Francisco,
from S5s 1000 to 100000; Calumet,
from $S59,O0O to 100000.
The continuing contract on the Chi
cago River was stricken out.
The action of the committee was pre-
coded by brief argument by Senator
Morgan, in which he went over the gen.
eral grounds favorable to the construc-
ton of the canal He controverted the
opinion that the addition of the amend
ment would be detrimental to the inter
ests to the river and harbor bill, and
expressed a preference for the river
and harbor bill over the sundry civil
appropriation bill as a vehicle to carry
the canal bill.
There was no prolonged discussion,
and there seemed little discussion of
opinion as to the wisdom of attaching
the anne ndment to one of the appropria-
ton measures. Some of the members
expressed the desire that the amend
ment should go on the sundry civil
BILL but a motion to recommend that
it be Incorporated in that measure was
voted down, seven nays to four yeas.
Senator Morgan then moved the
amendment to the river and harbor bill,
which prevailed to 4-as follows:
Ayes-Nelson, Berry, Penrose. Nc
Bride. Mcmillan, Ellkins, Jones (Nev).
Senator Frye, Chairman of the commit
tee, did not vote.
Nays-Caffery, Mills, Pascoe, Murphy.
While Senator Caffery voted against
the amendment, he did not indicate any
purpose to oppose the passage of the
bill in the Senate because of the in
corporation of the canal provision. He
Joined with all the other members of
the committee in the vote to report the
bill with the amendment added.