Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-07-29

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igatins it, byproviding 1hat :'vessels: bound !
to or from one State shall not be obliged
to enter clear, or pay dulies in another, 10
the conclusion is irresistible, that its COM
merce comes as fully within the power to
regulate commerce as that Of The coast it.
self. There is. Indeed, nothing 10 the
terms by which it is delegated, or in The
nature oil the power, or the reasons for
delesaling it, which can possibly exclude
it. !
Assuming ii, then, as unquestionable,
that the power is as applicable 'o'the one
as the other, il follows necessarily that the
right OF; Congress TO establish light houses,
buoys, beacons, and public pie,s,' as far as
they may be necessary for the safety and
facility of navigation, is as full and per
fec, in reference to that Of the Mississippi,
as that of the Atlantic coast. Thus far.
there can be DO doubt Indeed, they have
been established on the lakes ofihe ST..
Lawrence, where they are as necessary
as on the coast, without! objection OF qaes-
lion, although their commerce was as
lille in contemplation of The trainers Of
the ConsituIion- as has been stated, as
was that of The Mississippi" . -.
"The doubt, then, if doubt there be, is
reduced to the single point. that the dan.
gers 10 which The navigation of The Mis-
sisippi is exposed are, from their charac-
Ter, such as canuol be guarded against by
light buoys, beacons, and public
piers. except to a very limited extent
They consist of 0bslruciiOus 10 lis channel,
and can only be well guarded against by
removing them. The question, then, is.
whether the powerto regulate commerce
among the States, which authorizes the
establishment of light houses buoys, bea.
cons, and public piers on the coast Of the
Atlantic and the lakes, with their gulfs
and bays, docs not also authorize the re-
movaI of snags, logs, aud other obstruc-
tons, which enlanser or iInpede'the navi-
galIon Of the Mississippi ''.."tr' r. a''.
"You- committee, after fulland impartial
consideration, eau see no reason which
would authorize The one. that would not
the other. Tho dangers To be- guarded
against are not only as great :insreference
10 the navigation Of the Mississippi, as
has been shown, but!the reason nawty the.
government should baYescharge of iisi,n-,
provement is not less slrongiasif Light.
houses, buoys. heacons.e and publicapiers,'
would be neglected, ,ifs not placed under
Its charge, because iIeitheE individuals nor
i lSlalesavould have :adeqp afesiad leemsnt
itovpo@eE- esfa Siisli heJHs EsRiye
lHe remUVar OF slIagS, anu OTTerrUbSrruv-
tious. which endanger or impede its,navi.
salon, woul'! be neglected.. and for the
same reason, il not put also under its
charge. The only difference, indeed, be-
tween tholn, s,q that in the ons case The
money is appropriated to make visible, or
designate, the cause OF danger. by estab.
lislrns light houses. beacons, or buoys,
while in The other il is appropriated to re-
move them. But it would seem ilnpossi-
BILE to dnubt that the righr to make them
visible. or'to designate their place, in or
der that they may bo avoided, involves
that of pointing them out, to be avoided.
Whether The one or the other should be
adopted in either case, is not question Of
right, but one of expeuiency, depending
on their respective practicabiIity, cheap.
ness and efficiency. Reverse the causes,
aud who can donbs if The dangers against
which light houses, buoys. and beacons
were intended to warn were of a. nature
That they could be removed as cheapIy, or
more SO, than they. cou ID be pointed. out,
but that the same power which would all
thorize the former would also authorize
the latter; or that the. power TO remove
the cause OF danger, would not authorize
The warning against it, if ii could not be
removed !! ..t:u .t
Having now shown tha: The power to
regulate commerce among The STATES is
as applicable to the, commerce of The Mis-.
sissippi as il is 10 that Of The Atlantic
coast, and that The removal the obs,ruc-
tons which endanger or impede its "navi-
ga,ion is as fully embraced by it, as the
establishment oflight houses, buoys. bea-
cons, aud public piers. your committee
will next proceed 10 consider how far that
power. as applied to the improvement Of
lis navigation extends. 80
"They are Of the opinion it extends to
the removing Of distractions within its
chanpel, The removal of which would add
10 the safely and facility of its navigation
including such as might eudanger or i'm
peJe it by siding'in or rprojec,ing from its
banks, or islands, over The channel. II
includes Ito os more specifc) the removal
OF snags, logs, rocks. shoals, saudbanks,
bars, including the one atils mouth, and
trees projecting over or liable to slide into
its channel, where The removal would i'm
prove Or secure its navigation. These all
are either within The channel of the river,
or hang ovor it, or in danger of sliding into
it, so as to obs,rucl it as The common high
way of Tie commerce Of The States on its
borders; and as it may truly be added now,
through the power of steam, of The States
having intercourse by continuous nayiga
lion with Them, Oh the gulf and even At