The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-02
l6c Result Was the Texas City Paragraph
Was Stricken 0Bi.
ARRlED QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLL ARS.


(Sncclal Dispatch TO The Postl
Washington, February 1.-The river anu
harbor hill camo UP today and there mas
been very little opposition to Its PROVISIONS
and the appropriations II carries. II u y
singular fact that the most Of the discus
sion ON the bill today, at lenst that porr
ton of IL that attracted amy attention, was
On the Texas items In the bill,
Hepburn OF Iowa, who e',n always he
depended OH TO fight the battles OF the
railroad corporations, made q vicious at
tack on the Buffalo bayou ship channel cn-
terprisc. He made "a laundering statement
| aud slipped his trolley OF facts and ran II
through his logical sequence.
| Hon. Tcm Ball made a spirited reply 10
| Mr., Hepburn and knocked him over the
ropes so far he didn't object TO the buies
/ ialo shin channel appropriations
Every other Texas itom in The bill went :
| through without objection or comment nn-
III tho Texus City item WAS reached, when
| Congressman Ilawley proceeded 10 POM
some hot shot into Chairman Burton OF
the committee for the manner IN wa'cn
that item got into the bill Mr., Hawlcy had
asked for m appropriation for the mouth
1t +Y II
Of the BRACES and he cat survey ordereh'
He had asked for n survey. OF the proposed
channel TO Texas City across Galveston
bay to ascertain its feasibility and prac-
ticabllity and without amy survey or the
| statement OF any government engineer.
/ there was an appropriation OF Ss5o,eao
made for the project. Mr.. Hnwlcs made
! plain that This WAS q species OF fsyorltism
4 no could not understand and inti,naioh
very plainly that Il was done because q
ecrthin cloducut Cleveland, Ohio lawyer
haa advocated il before the Cleveland,
lphlo chairman Of the committees Mr.
Iiawley very earnestly adyeried to the FACT
| that while tho entirely worthy and peecs-
sary work of making I]uifalo chip channel
that hid been fayorably reported on by
Irompctcnt government engineers a great
commercial highway has been awarded
| only $3.50. 900 IN the bill, Texas CITY that
none OF the Texas delegation had asked IN
| appropriation Tor, and no engineer had rer
ported OH, was given an equal amount
lie madc Il so warm and uncomfortable
for Chairman Burton OF the rivers and
harbora committee that he introduced an
amendment striking ont the appropriation
for Texas City, It. was adopted and tho
Texas city channel project Viii havc to
wait.
The hill appropriatos directly about
SIC 800. 600 and authorizes contracts TO the
extent OF $ls,o0o,0oo additional.
The house today, Immediately after the
readiug OF the journal. went into commit
lne of the whole (Mr. Hopkins OF Illinois
ia Tho chair aud entered upon the consid-
GRAFTON of the rivers and i,arbors bill
Mr.. Burson (Rep, Ohio, chairman OF
tho rivers and hsrhora COMMITTEES, opened
the debate with general abatement OF the
necessity OF continuing the rivers and har-
bors work This country, he said. was now
entering Upon an era OF cominercim OK
pansion. The vast amount OF our cSporss'
IA well AZ their excess over imports. Wa
the marvel Of the commercial world. "
greatest fnctor in this expansion MAS ms
itnprovplnent OF our rivers and harDoI5 IN
order 10 cheaper the cost of transpcrtation'
We had expended In all sSIo,vov,ovp -
river and harbor work, me estinales
upon WHICH this bill was based aygrcgaiei
s50n o00 ed0 The committee recommende1
q little over $300o0,00o
frhe bill. he said was symmetrioai as iar
as il went. and he begged members NOT 70
press amendments.
Nh Hepburn rep. lowa)s who has Soy,
40, ,imeR vigorously opposed rivers ana
harbors bills severely danounced tne as
veloprnent Of rivers and harbors spprpprls
ation. hills, II has been the develops,
practice to conceal the grand hgsrs 'sa. q
no appropriations. He made no opposi-
,in, hn said. 10 legitimate and proper e "a.
nenditures Tor facilitating commerce, pus
~ vas opposed 10 useless expenditures.
~ ~ recalled Mr.. cIevelagd,s statement IN =
veto message thai yss.oovuyv nAs With us
. ,n,a, result OF increasing the depth on two
rsacbcs Of the river five inchcs me cou,
r re,re Of tho river was decreasing nn )
nuaiIy. Although millions had been ,sn i 81
: p enusm ny ~ he MsstsstppI had pfen
pn rorg,d and cngiprars had gens e..
~ the old primitive method q orscs'n \,
70 o,w VII all the improvements y y.