to violate guaranteed constitutional privileges to American citizens, and the native force and energy of the American people still assert itself. But we cannot have bad financial legislation without destroying the American people, because in finance there is no such thing as State lines or geographical distinctions. There is no such thing as establishing a distinct monetary system for the United States, because the United States in the realm of commerce and in world of finance must be in accord with the rules which govern the world's trade and commerce, or else lag far behind in the race for national wealth. [Applause.] Therefore those who represent distinctively business interests, whose life is spent in the marts of commerce and in the marts of trade, who at all times must have known and realized the importance of this thing, of having business principles dominate in business legislation, ought, above all other people, to congratulate themselves this night that this has been recognized by the legislative body of the United States, and rejoice that at last the American people have put themselves on a footing where, if they but couple with their financial legislation, wise revenue legislation, the products of this nation will be seen in every market of Europe and of Asia; and the American people become as unlimited in wealth as they are unbounded in energy. [Applause.] At the conclusion of Mr. ECKELS' speech the company separated. Monthly Meeting, Thursday, December 7, 1893. A regular monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held this day, at half past twelve o'clock, P. M., at the Rooms of the Chamber, on Nassau-street, between Cedar and Liberty streets. PRESENT. CHARLES S. SMITH, President. ALEXANDER E. ORR, First Vice-President. And a quorum of members. The minutes of the last regular meeting, held November 2d, were read and approved. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. J. EDWARD SIMMONS, in behalf of the Executive Committee, reported the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: Resolved, That the President of this Chamber be and he is hereby authorized to receive from the executors the legacy bequeathed to the Chamber by the late A. A. Low, and that the matter of its investment and the application of the interest therefrom be referred to the Executive Committee, with power. A. FOSTER HIGGINS, Chairman of the Committee on the Harbor and Shipping, called up the report on the bill pending in Congress to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Hudson River, which the Committee submitted at the last regular meeting, and addressed the Chamber, urging its adoption. GUSTAV H. SCHWAB offered the following resolutions and moved their adoption as a substitute for the report: Resolved, That in the opinion of this Chamber the passage by Congress of any bill permitting the construction of a bridge across the Hudson with piers in the river bed will be an obstruction to the commerce of this port and an injury to the entire country, particularly to the great West, whose products find an outlet through the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Resolved, That the Representatives in Congress from this State be requested to strenuously oppose the passage of any Act which will permit the building of piers or other obstructions in the river bed. Speeches were made by Mr. SCHWAB, ALEXANDER E. ORR, SAMUEL D. COYKENDALL, J. EDWARD SIMMONS, JOHN D. CRIMMINS and CYRUS CLARK in opposition to the placing of piers in the river bed, and by LOUIS WINDMULLER and G. WALDO SMITH in favor of the adoption of the report. The question was then taken on the substitute offered by Mr. SCHWAB, and it was adopted by a large majority. On motion of Mr. SCHWAB, the President was authorized to appoint a Special Committee of three to present the resolutions to the Conference Committee of Congress and to the Secretary of War, and urge the objections the Chamber entertains against the passage of any bill which requires the placing of piers in the river. The President appointed as the Committee, GUSTAV H. SCHWAB, SAMUEL D. COYKENDALL and J. EDWARD SIMMONS. RESOLUTIONS. Mr. WINDMULLER offered the following resolutions, and on his motion they were referred to the Executive Committee, with power. Resolved, That the thanks of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York are hereby tendered to the Committee that erected the National Liberty Pole at the Highlands of Navesink entrance to New-York Harbor, to bear upon it always by day the flag of the United States; to the General Government, for the location and for taking charge of the raising and lowering of the flag; and to every contributor that have thus made it possible to see the National colors from aboard ship the last thing in departing and the first in approaching the metropolis of the nation. Resolved, That an appropriation of fifty dollars is hereby made to the fund to keep the pole in repair, and one hundred and fifty dollars to furnish a full set of flags in the name of the Chamber. The Chamber then adjourned. Monthly Meeting, Thursday, January 4, 1894. A regular monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held this day, at half past twelve o'clock, P. M., at the Rooms of the Chamber, on Nassau-street, between Cedar and Liberty streets. PRESENT. CHARLES S. SMITH, President. MORRIS K. JESUP, Second Vice-President. And a quorum of members. The minutes of the last regular meeting, held December 7th, 1893, were read and approved. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. HENRY HENTZ, Chairman of the Executive Committee, reported the following named candidates for membership, and recommended their election: WILLARD BRAMAN, HERMANN II. CAMMANN, Nominated by JAMES TALCOTT. FRANK A. FERRIS, JOHN D. PROBST, GEORGE R. SHELDON, HENRY C. SWORDS, GUSTAV J. Wetzlar, Nominated by AUGUSTUS C. BECHSTEIN. JOHN D. CRIMMINS. THOMAS RUTTER. GEORGE RUTLEDGE GIBSON. THOMAS RUTTER. These gentlemen were, on one ballot, unanimously elected members of the Chamber. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. A. FOSTER HIGGINS, Chairman of the Committee on the Harbor and Shipping, submitted a letter received from Lieutenant-Commander DANIEL DELEHANTY, United States Navy, Supervisor of the Harbor of New-York, dated New-York, December 26th, 1893, asking the co-operation of the Chamber in securing amendments to the "Act to prevent obstructive and injurious deposits within the harbor and adjacent waters of New-York City by dumping or otherwise, and to punish and prevent such offences." Mr. HIGGINS reported that he had a number of interviews with the Supervisor of the Harbor, and examined very carefully into all of the complaints made by that gentleman, and found them fully justified. Mr. HIGGINS offered the following preamble and resolution, and moved their adoption: Whereas, The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York has repeatedly laid before Congress its unanimous opinion of the great and almost irremediable injury done to our harbor by the unlawful and willful dumping of solids and obstructive matter and substances in its waters and channels; and Whereas, Congress has heretofore wisely recognized the facts, and by the enactment of law has forbidden all such acts except strictly under rules and regulations to be established and enforced by a line officer of the United States Navy, designated as the Supervisor of the Harbor of New-York; and Whereas, After the experience of five years the evil still exists and is being continued, and whilst numerous offences have occurred, but one conviction has been practicable, owing, it is now known, to defective construction of the present statute and a lack of provision therein to meet and defeat the many ingenious excuses and evasions whereby its terms are set at naught, and also to a totally inadequate appropriation of money to provide the tugs, men and other means absolutely required to enforce the law; and Whereas, In the opinion of this Chamber, to adopt the most complete system and means to stop this vandalism, will be a positive economy to the Government of the United States, as a much greater cost of dredging out and removing obstructions thus created must necessarily be hereafter incurred; therefore, be it Resolved, That this Chamber most earnestly solicits that Congress will enact the proposed amendments to the existing law on this subject, hereto annexed, and will also make such appropriation of money as will provide the needed tugs, men and other requirements set forth by the energetic Supervisor now in charge, as absolutely needed to accomplish the desired object of ending this great and crying evil. The preamble and resolution were unanimously adopted. RESOLUTIONS. AMBROSE SNOw offered the following resolution, and, on his motion, it was referred for consideration to the Committee on the Harbor and Shipping: Resolved, That in the opinion of the members of this Chamber the early completion of the Sandy Bay Breakwater and Harbor of Refuge, Cape Ann, Mass., is of vital importance to the commercial and maritime interests of our whole country. In its present condition, with two hundred feet of the superstructure above water, it is a menace to navigation, and we, therefore, call upon our Senators and Representatives in Congress assembled to exert their influence to place the appropriations for this great national work upon the permanent list of Government appropriations, to the end that it may be completed at as early a date as is compatible with other expenditures of the Government. JAMES MCCREERY offered the following preamble and resolution: Whereas, The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States has, in his last Annual Report, estimated that the expenses of the Government would exceed its income for the fiscal year by an amount equalling $28,000,000; and |