Evening star., 1899-03-03
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL
The Conferees at Last Come to an Agree
ment.
A Million Dollars Appropriated for
the Nicaragua Canal-SenatOr Nor
gan Yields Consent.

bill have agreed ard signed the report The
Nicaragua caral paragraph will be greatly
modified and will appropriate million dol
lars for an examination of all routes under
direction of the President. The report of
the commission making the examination
will be made to Congress, and no provision
is made for beginning work
The larger items in the bill are retained,
as provided in the Senate and most of the
others are compromised. The House con-
ferees refuse absolutely to allow any pro-
vision for the reservoir system in the arid
lands. and the Senate couferees yield this
matter. Some fear is expressed that this
provision may endanger the bill in the
Senate.
Senator Morgan has consented to the
Nicaragua canal provision Is agreed upon
by the coafereeS.
Many of the large items were compro-
missed. The appropriation for the southwest
pass of the Mississippi river was placed at
$.TUO,o the Senate appropriation tor
channel to Houston, Texas. was reduced
to 500 $50: that for the Hudson river at
New York to $500, 900; that for the Dela-
ware river in Pennsylvania and New Jer-
sey to S5OG,GOO: that for st. Johns river,
Florida, to $2J0,0tD for the present year
and a continuing contract authorized. The
Senate provision for the Patapsco river and
channel to Baltimore was left as the SEN
ate placed IT.
Two items from Oregon which were in
dispute and upon which there was a seem
ing split last night have been compromised.
The YaIuna bay item has been modified so
to have the project examined by board
of engineers. The House yields on the
boat railway provision so far as not to re-
peal the law for the project, but strikes
out the appropriation made by the Senate
The agreement upon the New York har-
Dor item provides that the Secretary of
War may enter into a contract for the 40
foot channel if the work can be done for
A03o,005; if not. the government Is to
enter upol the work and expend that
amount in securing the depth Of 40 feet.
senator Frye's Statement.
Senator Frye made the following state
ment as to the result of the conference:
I'm the matter of the Nicaragua canal
the conferees provided a substitute for the
Senate amendment, giving full authority TO
the President to investigate all isthmian
canal routes. especially the Nicaragua and
Panama routes. He is to have all the en-
gineer and other employees he may need
for this purpose. and is allowed to appoint
the engineers either from the army or civil
life. He is then to report his conclusions to
the next Congress. For this purpose we
appropriate SltOo0,DO.
THE items concerning New York harbor.
Baltimore Philadelphia, the Southwest
pass and the Mississippi river, Hudson
river and nearly all the important national
projects distinguished from those of a
purely local character We're agreed TO Drac-
ticalIy as inserted in the Senate. In the
matter of the Miami project, which has
attracted considerable attention, the House
conferees refused to agree to the Senate
provisions In this matter the best
could do was to secure provision for the
appointment of board of engineers, which
is Instructed to make estimate and re-
port. The House conferees also refused to
accept the Senate's action placing the I'M
provements of St. Johns river, Florida,
under continuing contract, but in this
matter we increased the appropriation over
the House figures to the extent of about
100000. making the appropriation s250,ooo.
The continuing contract provision for
Sandy Bay harbor Of refuge Massachu-
setts. was eliminated. but the immediate
appropriation of $250,O10 was provided for.
and authority was given to appoint board
Of engineers to make a survey and esti-
mate.
We were also compelled to modify the
Senate provision concerning the prop )sed
channel to Houston, Tex. In this matter
we increased the immediate appropriation
to the extent of 100000 making it $500 =
Ooo which is sufficient to insure twelve
feet of water in the channel to the sea.
The House conferees accepted our pro-
vision appropriating 100000 for the i'm
provement of Pearl harbor Hawaii and
also the provision for the removal of the
rocks in East river, New York They re-
fused to accept our amendment for the i'm
pfovement of Aanacostia river, District of
Columbia"
Senator Frye expressed the opinion that
the action of the conference on the Mica
ragua canal matter would prove satisfac-
tory to the country. The Senate provision
was, he said. necessarily crude owing to
the haste which attended its consideration
and Congress would be much better pre-
pared to deal with the question after get
ting the reports provided for by the confer
ence agreement.