The times., 1899-02-04
SCHENE IN THE RIVER
AND HARBOR MEASURE
Quarter of a Million Intended
for a Boom Town.
How Mr.. Hawley Defeated the Texa
City Appropriation.
His Remark. Ordered Stricken From
the "Record" or Motion of
Chairman Hurton.

The river and harbor bill had been
likened to Caesars wife-ahove reproach-
by those who were satisfied with the
funds it yielded their various constituent
cies and also by Mr.. Burton. of Cleveland,
the newly appointed chairman of the COM
mittee, who was immensely pleased with
having so easily accomplished the passage
Of his first big bill with hardly an amend
ment worth speaking of, al least, none
that he had not been in position to
readily accept. All this only increased the
natural chagrin of Mr.. Burton when he
read in the Record yesterday morning a
speech accredited TO MIR. Hawley of Texas,
who, in poll e language, charged the Chair
man Of the Rivers and Harbors Committee
with having used his position TO assist
certain capitalists of Ohio who are en-
gagged in booming Texas City, Tex, to the
deep displeasure of Galveston. MIR. Haw-
ley suggested other unusual features in
the bill, which he described as being little
short of irregularities. Extracts from his
speech follow:
Mr.. HavIey's Remarks.
An appropriation for the development Of river
or 4 harbor is presumably for the purpose Of Great
ing additional facilities for navigation, for ship
ping. and for commerce. That these may be sery'
improvements should be the Initiative. The IN
formation needed upon which conclusions are
reached i furnished by corps. and an able one,
cf United States engineers. who are employed ioI
that express purpose and, II ! haze proper ap'
prchenSion Of the subject, the usage here requires
that before appropriation shall hc even con
sidcred by the committee in the House there
shall be 4 report from this branch Of our Govern
Tnent to the effect that the money appropriated
he advi>edy and properly expended IN the de
veloprneni proposed, and the rule l., before TINS
report can Toe officially supplied by the EengineeI
Corps, il must be expressly authorized by Con
ITess-
Without this it cannot have. as the chairman
OF the committee has repeated again and agaiT
with respect to other projects. a parliamentary
status before his committee. But ] discover by
the items in This bill that il Is dependent. al
least in some degree, who advocates the measure
whether parliamentary status Is required under
the rule described whether the public money
can be devoted To u scheme concerning which
the engineers OF this Government have never
been asked with respect to the feasibility; but aS
il Tas eloquentiy advocated by ieliow-lcWnsiilan
al the chairman of this committee speaking from
lis exalted place. it evidently sufficient ioI
The status which he required.
II WAS with this feeling Of confidence that the
engineers would make PLAIN, If asked what re-
suit might be expected in dredging between Gal
weston Harbor and Texas City from natural
channel across 10 the shore line Of Galveston
Bay. but they were not asked. There Is not a
line today extant from the United States engineers
Ia this committee reciting whether this plan,
sirablc possible OF maintenance.
resolution introduced by me. at the re-
quest Of a member Of the River and Harbor Com
inittee, asking that an estimate be made by the
engineers Of the cost Of constructing 4 channel
from the Harhor Of Galveston 10 Texas City Of
depth of . feet That resolution never passed
The House. They did not seek to know what the
views were Of tine engineers with respect To the
feasibility Of this plan They did not submit it
10 their disinterested judicial scrutiny. There
basis the part Of the committee
for any enquiry nor any answer on the part oi
the engineers.
The only information was an estimate stating
what it would cost 10 dig a cilannel-that i, tC
cxesvstc 80 many cubic yards Of earth-just a:
you would secure an estimate TO displace certain
quantity in the open sea- and that statement
alone, and without word or line of sugges
iiun or recommendation with respect to the ad
visibility Of this project, the possibility OF IL
maintenance, the disposition Of the millions o
yards % material which would be displaced, tli
"ommittee, under the leadership and direction o
its chairman, proceeded to present plan to thi
House, causing the outlay Of S25JgyJ in mOnel
between deep water in the great HsTbOr o
Galveston and Texas City, which, according Il
every line OF testimony that can adduce nav,
had opportunity 10 secure since this sudden an,
PERCEPTIONS legislation has been determined on il
this bill clearly demonstrates, reluctant / an
10 believe il wish II, that this problem sh0ll'
have the fullest examination, the territory through
which il would pass carefully plotted and tn
disposition Of the eXcayatcd earth especially pro
vided for, together with an ample provision 10
It's maintenance.
Not ore word has been elected from anv disin
torestcd party concerning this development, no
whether the S250GlU invested would prove wei
or prove hurtful, whether useful or fruitful. ~
this enquiry invoke the testimony OF the Unite,
STATES Engineer Corps. IL IS TO them and thci
Judgment wish this case cGniided.
There Is another feature Of this bill which de
serves attention. The name Of 4. b. Woivin
mentioned a. the contractor. Whether the Sec
Rotary Of War i explicitly directed 10 contTIc
with him unless other parties underbid linn woul
lie difficult TO determine. II am not mistaken
relying largely on memory there have been bu
two instances when the OF a contractor ha
been mentioned for a letting Of this character 0
the part Of the Government.
That was in the instance Of the harb0r
Brunswick Ca, and that Of the late James
Eads iOT the improvement of the mouth Of IL
Mississippi and for its maintenance. and in whiC
contract. unlike that recommended in this bii
every interest OF the United States, Of lis con
Inerce, was carefully guarded and the entire sui
5ect was cShaustiyely discussed before being col
cluded.
There was no unusual haste. All was doi
intelligently and deliberately and nothing pr
posed that not fully understood and tho
oughy approved. How Contractor Wovin pr
poses 10 dispose Of the 3,OO0.JDO cubic yards
the material does not appear here. How ne pr
poses that this channel shall be maintained
evidently not necessary to this development. Ho
commerce is 10 he served, and the interest OF d
American people who pay this bill to be eilisnct
is not considered in this measure
II appears 10 me. and must TO every member
llls House. al OF whom arc directly ConceTne
that IL this money wanted for this imprOv
incnt at this session of Congress there should ha
hcen instituted timely investigation, throus
the Board Of Engineers. 10 determine wheth
this a natural and desirable and feasib
plan Of improvement, if the interest Of CONNER
required u: and, IN the absence Of that liz
Source ~ information II has occurred to me tn
ihe Representatives of that district might ha
bcen questioned; but il is plain that Meth
lis testimony wishes were material
II was sufficient that strangers and interest
parties wera heard 10 give 4 parliamentary statu
The chairman Of Ibis committee never iutimat,
10 me that such appropriation would be {
pectcd or proposed by him at this session
Congress. would be seriously considered in q
absence ui any information which would for
proper basis Tor an appropriation Of this cha
acier.
Tale of Texas City.
Surrounding the past, present, and Il
ture OF Texas City there is a tale. and {
the town itself hangs the success Of