The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-11

that Judge swayne contemplated resign Ing if the proceedings resulted in a re- fusal to vote for impeachment, but the present plan will allow him ample time, to make the best possible showing for himself with the chance of times meilowing tho acrlmony of opposition to him here and there. It is no easy mat terd to work up impeachment proceedings against q federal judge, however grave and abundant the evidence of guilt. It was thought early In the nineties that Judge Boarman would certainly be inn peached, but for one reason and another was postponed and finally allowed to peter out in the Judiciary Committee. swayne's case Is said not to be as bad as was Boarman's.
 The Rivers and Harbors Committee of the House and the Commerce Committee of the Senate have devoted most of their committee time to listening to hearings for Improvements and new projects, ana wlll thus continue to the end of the ses- sion. The passage of the emergency ap- propriation of sS.oooooo for the use of the engineer corps of the army marks the only iegisiation coming from the two committees at this session of Congress. New Plan of Burton.
 Chairman Burton of the House Com mittee. says that the time has about ar- rived when the government must insist upon local authorities and interests shar- ing the expense of certain projects for improving channels and streams. The proposition, he says, of dredging water ways at the public expense have reached proportions so gigantic that pause must be made to consider a change in the old system. He thinks if 1t is continued, the government must call upon State, .S-S oMthnritins ttnOn persons or corporations whose property Is to be benefited by the improvements pro- posed to bear a fair proportion of the buden.
 Some time ago Mir. Burton pointed out ak various hearings that the. aggregate of the amounts asked for already brought to the attention of the committee was not less than $500, 900, ,000 This alone was persuasive of the necessity of a change in the system. The present force or army engineers, Mir Burton thinks, Is large enough to superintend the cx- penditures of only about $20, 100000 of ap- negotiations a year. Indeed that is the limit which the committee has placed upon rivers and harbors appropriations for any single year. At that rate lt would tako the engineers about twenty five years to carry out projects that have alreay been formally approved. Moreover in addition to the SoO0UU,UVO mentioned by Mr. Burton. the committee | has been asked to authorize new enter prises involving the expenditure of s126.- | 0Oo, 900. Hence it is Inevitable that the | ardent advocates of rivers and harbors | improvements in many instances are to encounter a great deal of disappoint- l ment.
 Homer P. Ritter.
 Homer P. Ritter, of Ohio. the new Mis- sissipnt River Commissioner who was ap- pointed to succeed c. s. Marindin, de- ceased, 1t is believed will prove worthy successor of the late representative of the Coast and Geodetic Survey on the l Commission. MT. Ritter's principal ser vice with the Coast Survey of late years has been in hydropgraphic survey work an the New England coast. Before he entered the government service he was an engineer with the Mississippi River Commission and became familiar with the excellent methods Of MT. Marindin, whom he now succeeds Mir. Ritter left thi! week for San Francisco, where he goei to take command of the coast surve! steamer MacArthur, and will at onc' proceed with a party up the Alaskan coast, surveying the Aleutian Islands With the party in a position of responsi bility will be Hugh Denson, of Alabama son of former Congressman William II
 Denson, of Birmingham.
 R. 1T. Watkins.