The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05

same net he. and the same II
hereby amended by striking out
the word ten after the wor"
"scction" and Inserting in he"
thereof the word "ninc.'
I Mr. McRae--1 should like TO ask the
gentleman from Ohio lMr. BurtonJ why
this legislation can not be procured
through the regular river and haxoor DIN
which | trust the committee Will soon re-
port to tho house,
Mr. Burton---Mr Speaker, the error IS
one which is so palpabie that II calls Tor
prompt correction without postponement'
Again, II has been decided by the commit
tee on rivers and harbors that they VIII
report no appropriation bill until next krs-
sion OF this congress.
! still further, the engineer department
noticing t6c ambiguity in the bill, have
declined to take any action on either pro-
I ject until this vas settled by congress.
/ The third is, perhaps the strongest rea-
I son of any. but Il seems TO me any OF the
three is sufficient.
Mr. McRae--I understand, then. that 1t
/ is agreed that there will be no river and
/ harbor bill at his session.
/ Mr. Burton-The committee so decided
yesterday
Mr.. McRae---I make no objection to the
present consideration of this bill.
Mr.. Burton1 should like TO have the
gentleman from Texas INF. ball) neaTo
on this bill for few minutes.
! Mr.. Ball--Mr Speaker, during the last
session OF congress there was an item
of $685. 900 proposed to be appropriated
/ by the rivers and harbors committee at
| this end of the capitol. There was
senate amendment striking out the orlgl-
nal provision and inserting an amend
ment providing for $4,000, 900 to be ex-
pended on the SAME project, namely.
( ship channel from the jetties at Calves
top to Houston. Texas The senate and
! house conferees agreed to strike out the
senate provision and restore that OF the
house. with an increase of $4,000, thus
making 100000 intended to be approprl-
ated by both bodies for the project men,
toned in the substitute bill Just read
| AS the chairman OF the committee has
| stated, by an error in eugrossing the bill
! both provisions We're incorporated, and
as 1t now stands there Is a provision in
the existing law for the expenditure OF
both the $500, 900 intended by the con-
gress and the s2,0OO00O Inserted by the
senate amendment. This is an error, and
so far as the immediate representative OF
the district and his constituents are con
cerned there is no objection to the re-
| peal OF the provision in the senate ap.
propriating $2.000000 for this project, Tor
OF congress to do so, and It was not the
| intention OF the conference committee.
wish to say, as the representative most
| nearly interested in this project, that the
| bill now under consideration does not
appropriate a dollar that 1t takes away
S2000,000 that has been already errone-
| ously appropriated, and does not increase
the obligations of the government one
cent; and, ask that the measure b. per-
mitted to 60 through without objection.
The Speaker--Is there objection 10 the
present consideration of the bill? tAlte'
a psuse.l The chair hears none The
question is on the adoption Of the substi
tutc.
Tho substitute was agreed to-
The substitute was ordered TO be en-
crossed ard read a third time; and, be-
ing engrossed, was read the third time,
and passed
The Speaker Without objection the
original hill will lia on the table.
There was no objection.
on motion Of Mr. Burton motion to
reconsider the vote whereby the bill was
passed was laid on the table.
The report OF the survey as made by thu
board OF engineers on November 3, 1891
and referred to it in the amended act
as adopted, was as follows
War Department. Washington, d. c..
December s, iS97,--Sir; | have the honor
to inclose herewith letter from the chief
Of engineers dated December I, 1897, to-
gether with copy OF report from the
board OF three officers of corps OF engi-
neers dated November 3, 1897, OF an eX-
animation and survey made by them in
compliance with the provisions or an act
of congress approved February 1, 1897, OF a
water channel not less than wentyflye
feet deep and 100 feet wide. extending
from the mouth of the jetties at the city
OF Galveston, Texas, through the existing
ship canal and up Buffalo bayou to--the
city of Houston, Texas, and for a harboT
at or near Houston of a depth of not less
than twenty five feet and of a width OF
500 feet. Very respectfully,
r. A. Alger,
Secretary OF War.
The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives,
Office OF the Chief Of Engineers. United
States Army, Washington, D c., Deem
Der 1, lS97-Sir: BY the provisions OF the
act Of congress approved February /, 1897,
the secretary of war was authorized and
directed to make an examination and sur
vey, with an estimate OF the necessary
cost, for water channel not less than
twenty five feet deep and 100 feet wide,
extending from the mouth of the jetties at
tue Nlls OF GdiNtSlOu, leAdS, through Inc
existing ship channel and up Buffalo bayou
10 the city OF Houston, Texas. and for
harbor at or near Houston of a depth OF
not less than twenty-f FIVE feet ana OF a
width of 500 feet. and to make report
OF such examination. survey, and estimate
with its commercial importance, to con-
gress.
BY authority of the secretary OF war
board OF three officers OF the corps OF en-
gineers was constituted TO make the exam |
ination and report called for in the act of
congress, and I have now the honor to
submit the accompanying copy OF report
OF November 3, 1897. with map, BY this .
board.
The board is OF the opinion that in the
first division OF this water route Through
galveston bay including the Morgan
canal the width OF the channel should be
100 feet, with slopes such as the material
may assume, varying from l on to ] on
!, and that to do this dredging economi-
caiiy and within reasonable time the CON
struetion OF two large suction dredRes i.
deemed necessary. their estimated cos,
being 100000 each. Fer the second divIs,
Ion from the north end OF Morgan canal
TO Harrisburg) the board recommends a
width of channel limited to 100 feet. In
the third division between Harrisburg
and Houston) the removal OF at least one y
bend by cutoff viii be required, ana the
Strengthening and widening OF Others ,x