The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-18
RIVERS AND HARBORS
THE DEEP WATER APPRoPRIA-
TION TAKEN UP.
is NOT so ExTRAvAGANT
CHAIRMAN BURTON EXPLAINS THE
MEASURE.

Hiver and HarbOr Appropriations
Decreasing Instead of Increasing,
He Says-LarEer Part of Present
Appropriation is Under COntinu-
ing Contract System-Mr. BeIlamy
of North Carolina Very Sore be-
Two Friends of the Beers Heard
From.
Washington, March 1.-THE House
to-day began the consideration of the
river and harbor bill. Mr.. Burton of
Ohio made an extended speech in ex-
PLANTATION of the measure, in the course
of which he presented many interesting
facts relative to it. Several other
members spoke briefly to the measure
among them being Mr.. Bellamy of
North Carolina.
Mr.. Burton, in charge of the river
and harbor bill, discussed some popu-
lar Interpretations with reference to
it. In the first place, he said, the inn
preston existed that the bill carried
something over 10000 900 for the ensu-
ing fiscal year, whereas it carried but
$24,000,000 of actual appropriations, the
remaining 36OOO,O 600 being simply au-
thorized to be appropriated under the
contract system. There was also, he
said, mistaken idea that the pending
measure carried larger appropriations
than any previous bill.
In 1890, he said, the actual appropria-
tons in the bill exceeded $25, 900, O0O For
the current year the appropriations
contained in the sundry civil bill, to
provide for continuing contracts au-
thorized in river and harbor bills, he
said, were $37,000,000 against Sal 900, 900
for the two previous years. MFR. Bur-
ton said that the appropriations for
river and harbor work instead of in
creasing with other governmental ex-
pendltures as was popularity supposed,
were in reality decreasing
Mr.. Burton also denounced the popu-
lar idea that unworthy projects for the
improvement of bays and creeks alb
sorbed a proportion of the appropria-
ton in the bill. The appropriations
were not divided UP according to states
ana localities. The great projects in
which the whole country was interested
absorbed $50,O00,000 out of the $50. 900, =
900 carried and authorized by the bill.
North Carolina Given a Bad DeaI.
Mr.. Bellamy of North aCrolina crit
lclsed the bill for unjust treatment
accorded North Carolina. He was
particularly aggrieved because of the
omission of appropriations for Will
mington and the upper Cape Fear
river. He charged that there had been
a willful discrimination against North
Carolina. He contrasted the treat
ment accorded Alabama and her ports
with that received by North Carolina
and her ports and said it was most
unfortunate that North Carolina had
not had a member upon the River
and Harbor Committee. The states
represented on that committee, he
said, received SAT, 200, 900 of the $780,
100000 carried by the bin
Mr.. Reeves of Illinois, a member Of
the River and Harbor Committee, re-
plying TO Mr.. Bethany, declared that
the committee had not dealt unfairly
with North Carolina.
Mr.. Foster of Illinois discussed the
Boer war, denouncing the ma jority for
failing to allow Congress to consider
a resolution expressing the sympathy
of the American people with the
struggling Beers.
MIR. Cochran of Missouri denounced
the failure of Congress to express It's
sympathy for the Beers in South Car
DINA and called attention to his reso-
luton to invite the President of the
South African Republic, Paul Kruger,
to visit this country, which he said
had been pigeonIholed by the majority.
Old Lady Was Demonstrative.
While Mr.. Cochran was speaking an
elderly lady in the gallery with pro
British tendencies frequently shook
her fist at the gentleman from Mis-
souri, and at one time became so vio-
lent in her demonstrations of disap-
prevail that one of the doorkeepers
was obliged TO admonish her to keep
quiet.
At the conclusion of the proceedings
to-day Mr.. Wachter of Maryland de-
MED a newspaper story to the effect
that Speaker Henderson had attempt
ed to influence his course on the ques-
ton of Cuban reciprocity