The daily union., 1846-05-01

W the Nhiob itcHlt thctciOiob "e' ps
into the bill on my motion, under all the circum
stances should not be doing justice TO my friends
or myself or giving 10 the measure itself fai
chance, II were 10 urge Its retention IN the oli.
have another bill upon the calendar OF thus commit
tee, devoted specially TO this work, which VIII en-
deayor TO bring 10 the consideration OF the com
mitlee the earliest practicable period, when, hay
ing no doubt that my friends will give me the .op-
portunity, | will be ready TO show the constitution
ality and propnety Of the measure.
am not very much surprised, sir, that gentle
men from the South, who not familiar with the
great West, should be opposed TO measure for the
Improvement Of its navigable waters. These gen.
temen can have no id ca Of that part Of the country
Their opposition proceeds as much, perhaps, from
ia want Of knowledge from anything else. am
not therefore, surprised at H. We OF the West can
readily forgive southern gentlemen for opposition TO
western appropriations, because in the language Of
the Scriptures, "hsy knou not what they do u
They are not acquainted with the extent and value
of the commerce OF the West, nor with the dangers
and difficulties Il has TO encounter and surmount.
But sir cannot lind words express the surprise
4 fek the opposition which was anifested sanst
this bill IN this House on Yesterday by western
member. repeat, sir, cannot express the aston
ishment which felt that this bill should be OPP
posed by u representative from the West, and that
representative from the State Of Illinois, State al
most surrounded by navigable waters, and perhaps
more deeply interested in the provisions OF this bill
than any other State in the Union. That gentleman
opposed this bill both constitutional grounds and
grounds Of expediency. He certainly does not
speak the sentiments Of the democracy of the Vest,
nor do believe he did of the democracy Of the
State OF Illinois, upon either the question Of const-
| tutonaty or expediency.
Mr. McCLERNASD here rose and inquired if the
| alusion was to HIM
Mr.. TwBArTs answered that it was.
| Mr.. McCLERsAE said that he was aware to what
al. frnun had lstp hptth hat
the gentleman from Kentucky did not understand
the state Of the facts in relation TO the matter he
had reference TO.
Mr.. TIBBArrs replied that, whether he did or not
would appear from paper he would now send u
the clerks table, with a request that he would
read, for the information of the committee the parts
which were marked. The clerk then read certain
extracts (see Appendix y from a document pur-
porting TO be an address to the people Of Illinois,
by the Democratic State convention" lately held IN
that State, for the nomination Of candidates for
governor and lieutenant-governor, IN which address
the convention approves Of the whole Of the recon-
mendations OF the late Memphis convention, assertS
the consututonality and expediency of approprla-
tons for the objects contemplated by this bill, and
more especially the Importance, necessity, and JUS
tice of such appropriations to the improvement Of
the navigation OF the western waters.
Mr. McCLERNAsD here explained. He said he
would do the gentleman from Kentucky the justice
10 say tnht nc nhu dppflhou nlHl, me- WI
IT, had obtained the floor, that he Mr. I. intend
ed TO use the address, from which the clerk had
been reading in answer to the position which he
(Mr. McCLERNASD) had taken in his argument up
on this bill; but he (Mr McCLERsASD) denied that
this document was the address Of the democratic
convention of Illinois, and declared it be the pro-
ductien Of an individual member Of that convention,
and as such entitled to no more weight than the
opinions of any other single individual; that the ad
dress did not express the sentiments or opinions OF
the Illinois convention, Of the democratic party Of
that State. Mr.. McC. said his statement was made
upon the authority of letter which he held in his
hand by which this could be established, and that
several highly respectable gentlemen now 10
the city Of Washington, one Of whom was now in
his eve, (Mr. McC. here alluded to a gentleman
who was sittingnthe ladies' gallery who were pro-
minent members Of that convention, and by whom
he was informed that the address had never been
adopted. Mr.. McC. here read an extract from
newspaper, which he, (Mr. McC. said expressed er
caihedra the doctrine of the democratic party o the
State Of Illinois
Mr. TrBBArrs here resumed. Mr.. Chairman, the
address which sent few moments ago TO the clerk
processes to be the address of the democratic con-
venton Of the State of Illinois find it in the Hi
nois State Register, "the official democratic State
paper of Illinois, published at Springfield, on the
9Th of the present month" The editor of that pa
err states that il is the address Of that convention,
and that he presents the "address to the public it
passed the convention" (See Appendix 2) Now,
sir whether this be the address of the convention or
not is question to be settled between the gentleman
from Illinois and the member Of the convention Sin
his eye," and the editor of the "Illinois State Regis
ter" The address certainly presents the sentiments
Of the great body of the western democracy and the
opinions entertained by the eminent men of that
party throughout the Union, from the commence
ment of the government to the present time, and in
no wey differs from the sentiment expressed in the
ey whIch the Uentleman has read with which
| fully concur.
This, Mr.. Chairman, is a subject of great interest
to the people of the West. There is subject, sir
in the ordinary legislation Of Congress in which the
people of the West feel deep and abiding an in
erest as in the objects of the appropriations contain
ed in this bill. Gentlemen who do not reside in the
West, who oppose the granting the appropriations
which we ask in this bill are but little acquainted
with the vast extent and great fertility, the bound
less resources the immense productions of the west
ern country; with the Davig gable waters, with the
commerce Of the great valley of the Mississippi 1t
is but a few days ago when the honorable gentleman
from South Carolina Mr.. RnErrl in his speech up
on the Oregon question, declared that the western
country had no commerce. | was surprised at this
declaration, and astonished at the want OF knowl-
edge exhibited by him as to the commerce of the
West-a commerce which is computed TO exceed
two hundred and thirty millions Of dollars,
which far exceeds the whole external COM
merce of the United States. We have
country sir, exclusive Of Texas-once dismember-
ed but now restored to the great valley Of the Mis-
MISUNDERSTANDING from the 26tho the 47th degrees
of north latitude, stretching from the Alleghanes to
the Rocky mountains, embracing more than 400, 900
square miles of land unsurpassed in fertility, and
unequalled in its productions by any country on the
habitable globe-a country ntersected in every di-
| rection by rivers which afford more than 10000
miles of navigable waters.
| Bountfu as nature has been to us, something
| still is left us to contend with and surmount OBJ
sructions exist in navigation which cannot be
overcome by individual State enterprise, and we
must look to the national government for the means
| Such are the falls of the Ohio, and the rafts and
snags, and sawyors of the Mississippi and its trb-
utares these not only constitute distractions to our
commerce, but our enterprsing river men are in
danger of their lives at every stroke Of the piston
or Of the oar Millions Of property have been lost
and hundreds of lives have been sacrificed by the
neglect of the general government to make ade-
quate appropriations for the removal Of these OBJ
structions and the construction Of harbors on the
western lakes. Scarcely mail arrives in this city
from the West which does not bring the news of
some sad and melancholy disaster upon our lakes or
our riyers--the very breeZes which come over the