Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-08-19

hlii NdliAl't VI my WI W lHNNluai lll
proycmenl 10 State.
= There Is one more restriction 10 which
it is subject, in common with all the pow
ers delegated to the government. II IL held
like it's all other powers, not absolutely
but as a trust, and as such IT is limited il
lis exercise strictly 10 the nature and Oh
Jet Of the trust. Thus regarded, it is re-
stricted not only to the regulation OF com
nerce, and commerce among the States
but TO regulate it 80 as 10 preserve harmo.
ny, as far as practicable among them, and
to promote the prosperity Of their mutual
commerce with each other, as far as the
nature and extent of the power may nd.
nit; these being The great objects for
which il was delegated.
Your committee have now shown what
power 1t is that auihorises the federal 60.
yernment 10 appropriate money to improve
the navigation Of the Mississippi, including
its great tributaries, the objects il embra-
braces, and the restrictions to which it is
subjected. II remains 10 consider what
annual appropriations and expenditures
would probably be required to remove all
distractions, susceptible Of being removed,
which endanger aud impede its naviga-
ton, and what preparatory step should be
taken to insure proper and efficient ap.
pIcation of the money which may be APP.
Proprlated.
They are aware that the great obicc-
ton, practically, to the execution of the
power, originates in the impression that
sums have already been appropriated and
expended in the improvement OF its navi.
CATION, and that their amount would be
greatly increased if it should he admitted
that the federal government possesses the
power. What they propose is, to show
that this is very erroneous impression as
10 the amount OF past appropriations and
expenditures, and as TO the probable
amount that would DO required, should the
the power to make them be admitted to be
constitutional,
So far from being vast or extraVagani,
they have been moderate, whether regard
be had to the great extent Of the nayiga.
ton Of the river, including It's tributaries,
or the magnitude Of It's commerce, compar.
cd with that of the Atlantic or the lakes,
The aggregate amount of appropriations Of
every description, for the Improvement Of
the navigation of the Mississippi and It's
waters, from its commencement in 1924
until the present year, is S2,52s, 500 --
For the same period, the amount for the
coast of the Atlantic and the gulf, inclu.
ding appropriations for harbors, is Sl2,.
00l, 1913; Of which $S,4S5,04G have been
for the establishment Of light houses, buoys,
beBcons, and piers, and the residue har-
bors. The appropriations for the i'm.
provement Of the navigation Of the lakes,
for the same period, amounted to $3,ll9,.
757 of which 81, SO 1854 80 was for hur.
bors, and the residue for the establishment
Of light houses, buoys, beacons, and piers
1t thus appears that the appropriations ior
2 Improvement on the coast, including the
Atlantic and gulf, have been, in the last
twontyiour years, nearly five times great
er than those for the Mississippi and its
waters, Notwithstanding the previous large
appropriations for the former during the
long antecodent period extending back to
the commencement Of the goyomment.--
Compared with the respective amount Of
the value of their commerce and tonnage,
and the length Of their line of navigation,
it may be safely asserted, without going
into any minute or exact calculation, that
the appropriations during the same pc
rod for the coast are many times greater
than for the Mississippi and its waters.
Compared with the lakes, the dispropor.
ton, although great, is not equally so as
that with the coast. Taking their ton.
mage us the standard of comparison, and
estimating their respective amounts by the
last official returns, the appropriations for
the lakes including the upper and lower,
are more than double those for the Missis.
sippi and its waters,
l(harbors be excluded as not properly
belonging to tho power to regulate com
merce, but internal improvement, even
+ then tho average amount Of the oppropria-
tons for the coast will be more than three
times that for the Mississppi the former
being, ON an average for the period, $685..
1852 annually, aud tho latter only Sl09,.
9A7.
Turning from the past to the future, and
J assuming that the appropriations hereai.
ter shall be strictly confined 70 objects fair
" embraced by tho power in reference TO
both, your committee feel assured that the
sum annually required for the coast will
be amply sufficient for the Mississippi, in.
GLIDING its great tributaries; aud much
more than sufficient after the distractions,
which now endanger and impede its navi.
CATION, are eilec;uoIy removed, as they
may be in few years, fla sum equal to that
for light houses should DO annually appro.
priated aud properly applied. Nor will
the power be more liable to abuse in prac.
tee in reference the the Mississippi than