The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-09-09
Card Frcm Hen. W. A. Jones.

w arSA W, a., Oeptem Ott /, loJJ.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
There appeared in the Time yester-
day an interview by the Hon. John
Lamb, in which he says that ! had
"uninten,ionally done Senator Mar
TIN Injustice" in what said in my
speech in Manchester concerning the
appropriation for the James river.
10 the local columns Of the Dlspaicl
of yesterday the statement attributed
to me was corrected for Immediately
upon reading on the following mora
ing the reports of my speech, | cal
led the attention of representative
of the Dispatch to the fact that |
had not,said, as was reported, that
Senator Martin had done nothing to.
wards securing the appropriation for
the James river
II, therefore, Captain Lamb had
seen this correction before giving out
his interview, | am sure he would
have concluded there was no occGs
ion for it. He says when he dscOv
cred that the appropriation had been
reduced in the Senate from $50 600
to 100000, he went to Senator
Martin, asked him to see the Com
mittee oD Conference appointed by
the Senate. and he saw them at once
or the subject" As nv remarks
we're confined entirely to the history
of the river and harbOr bill in the
Senate, and not to what may or may
not have occurred after Captain
Lamb went to Senator Martin and
informed him of the fate in the Sen
ate of his. appropriation for the James
river, it must now be apparent to my
good friend that what he regarded as
an Injustice to Senator Martin was
no injustice at all.
What | actually said is supported
by the written record, and will not
be denied, take it, by anybody.
When the river and harbor bill pass
ed the House it contained al appro
priation of $3.50, 900 for the improve
ment Of the James river. IL also
contained one of $4,000 for the i'm
provement Of the Rappahannock
river, and one OF $4,000 for the i'm
provement OF Nomini creek. Wnen
the bill came up for consideration in
the Senate the appropriation for the
James was reduced to 500 600, that
for the RappahannOck to $1,000 that
for Nomini to Sc 200 | made this
statement in my Manchester speech,
and commented upon it. | said that
Senator Martins friends claimed that
be had a record for securing sppro
priations for bis state. but that he
bad permitted these reductions with
ont once raising his voice in protest.
said that in many instances sens'
tors representing other States had
secured large increases, and that 1t
was incomprehensible to me how
Senator Martin, if be had the inhu-
ence in the Senate claimed for him,
could have permitted the Virginia
appropriations to be 80 reduced. Tue
bill was enormously ire eased in
the Senate, one single amendment
added in that body carrying the gi-
gsntic sum of $ll5, 900, 900, and yet
the appropriation for the James
river was reduced one third, and
even 80 small a sum as So 900 taken
from the Rsppahannock appropria.
ton. Every amendment made to tb
bill was read in open Senate aid
there voted upon. 1t is well known
that the river and harbor bill is
most important one to Virginis, and
vet Senator Martin did not know, un-
til informed by member of the
House, that three of the principal
items for his state had been material
reduced by the body Of which he IS
a member. The bill was under
discussion in the Senate for two days
and attracted widespread attention,
since nearly every district in the
Union was interested in it. When |
learned that three of the waterways
of Virginia had Jared so badly at the
hands Of the Senate | confess | was
greatly surprised. discovered that
Senator Martin had made no effort to
pT6N6uI luo IbuuCilOuo WuOu luO
amendments making them we're voted
upon, but had not supposed, until ]
read Captain Lambs interview, that
he was actually unaware, until in
formed by Captain Lamb. that they
had been made. The record shows
that Senator Martin was present aud
voted for the bill upon its passage,
Notwithstanding the great reduction
made in the appropriation for the
James river. Captain Lamb says
that after the bill had passed the
Senate Senator Martin did what he
could to get the conferrees on the
disagreeing votes of the two houses
to put the James-river appropriation
back at what it was when it passed
the House. / have never heard that
he did even that much for the Rap
pshanuock river aud Nomini creek
They are 10 the First District, and as
Captain Lamb did not inform him
how they were treated IN the Senate
it is highly probable that be is still