Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-05-30
CONGRESSIONAL.
INT RNAL IMPROVEMENT BILL.

When the bill making certain internal improve
ments fol. 1882, was under consideration in COM
mittee Of the Whole on the state of the Union,
on Thursday last, in support of his motion to
amend the bill by appropriating $4,000 for the
improvement of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Mr.. ASHLEY addressed the House at length
in, support Of the amendment After adverting
to the national character of the improvement pro-
posed, and apoligizing for OBTAINING the House
by the details of the subject, he went into stats-
tical statement, showing what balance remained
unexpended of appropriations heretofore made
tor improvements of the same character, and sta
ted facts to shew that the losses that had occur
red in valuable steamboats, at single spot in the
Mississippi, exceeded in uurouut tho uhnia
that would be needed for the object he proposed.
Mr. A. said that the snag boat had been employ
ed in improving the navigation OF the Mississip-
pi, between the mouths Of the Ohio and Nilsson
ri As days, and had removed in that time $50
snags from the most dangerous parts of that river.
The whole expense attending the operations did
not exceed SO dollars per day, making gross
amount of 3735 dollars. At one place 60 miles
below St. Louis, Mr.. A. had seen in one view,
and within the distance of one mile, wrecks OF
four large steamboats,, which had been destroyed
by running against snags Their value previous
to their being wrecked was not less than 100000
dollars, and since the operations of the snag
boat, no accident of the kind had occurred. Mr..
A. said he had f.~ Days eso received news
paper, published at st, Louis, wherein seventeen
steamboats, were advertised, on the same day, for
their departure on that day and in the course Of
few days thereafter, of which eight were bound
up the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. He had
in the course of the last summer, witnessed, with
great pleasure, the difficulty experienced in pas
-sing along Water Street, in St Louis, from Its
being in great degree covered with the products
, Of the Missouri and Upper Mississippi and, on
expressing his surprise at the quantity of Tobac-
CO then on the wharf, he was informed, by mer-
chant Of the, city, that in the course of a short
time previous, one thousand and four hogsheads
of tobacco had been landed at that place. Mr..
a. estimated the amount ofgoods annually trans.
ported up the Missouri, including those intended
for'the Indian and Santa Fe trade, at a million
OF dollars The amount intended for the latter
trade in 1881 was about $3.50, 900, one third of
which consisted Of domestic cottons Out of 81.
uUO dollars worth which he had himself purcba
SEQ LOT two young men entering into that bust
ness, 5000 dollars Of it Consisted Of domestic
cottons. And it struck him at the time he made
the purchase, that IN that one transaction he had
witnessed the union Of the great interests of our
country. The people of the South had raised
the cotton--the people Of the North had maufac-
tured It, and the people Of the West were carry
ing it to market. The trade was now but COM
menclng, e. there was every reason to believe that
1t would increase with as much rapiditv as that Of
any other par. Of our country. Mr. A. further
expressed as MS opinion, that within perhaps
o. az the utmost 10 days, Mr.. Shreeve, with his
machinery ana nanoa, could sweep out all the
snags from the Missouri river. and thew const,t,.
ted all the obstacle to it. NAVIGATION He ax.
pressed, In very explicit terms hs exnectat,on all
an ina.an war of the most tremendous character