Democratic banner., 1846-11-30

to improve that stream, while tho
country which is destitute of any navicatin,
IS denied even the means Of bridging anG
Improving the commo roads.
1t has been urged that the counties would
not make the best application of this fund
If it were certain that they would do so
then thafshould be a conclusive argument
in favor OF the distribution law, because il
IL very certain the State will never make d
proper application of it. Public funIS are
i~sel!om properly applied either by States or
tine United States. They are funds to be
wasted. This has been proven by almost
all experience.
If the Legis' AZURE should repeal the dis
triEuiion law, then thu proceeds of the lands
could be applied to the Improvement of the
Usage, Grand, White and the Current riv
ers, and the southern swa;nrs, in such a
manner as to lee of much spr,iccto tie sew
eral sections Of country in which the mo-
ncy is applied. NJ extensive improve
inrn:. however, Of Il permanent character.
could be made with ST small a sum divided
between so many ohjcct>;yctsuc improve
mentS as are best adopted to the condition
of the country. and sach as would answer
our purposes till an increase of wealth and
population justified a larger cxr enditurc
and other Improvements, m;g!t be made
with the proceed S Of the distributed lands.
if properly expended. The improvement,
If these rivers would be Of great service
20 the people interested in diminishing the
cost and danger Of sending their produce
t" market, and in bringing back the mrr-
~ichandize received in exchange. 1t would
be of great service also TO the State. BY en-
HANGING the value IF tie property within
the influence of the improved rivers, and
TINS increasing the revenues. OHe of the
richest. most Interesting and best located
.par's Of tIr State-tIic south eastern cor
.ncr, embracing several couilies-migHt be-
greatly improved by some small aprropria-
tons judiciou,ly "p,plicd, in making roads,
and for other purposes. The plan Of asking
alternate sections, to enable the State {,
reclaim the Submerged part Of that c"un-
try, is p:nhtb!y the best which has been
suggested for that purpose, and tic Lcgis-
laturc would do well to urge the natter up
on IL" attention of Congress in the shape
Of Il memorial. South Grand River, lying
beyond the limits Of our territory, is IN OBJ
jcct winch cannot be Improved by the state.
and yet the inn Pavement Of that r':cI is .
matter Of the greatest inn Glance tn ( "r-
al OF the southwestern counties. The pro
prietv Of bringing this subject 10 the atten-
ton OF JnCrr>S, is also recommended.
I'll. action Of the General Government
in reference to nur large Ia igablc rivers,
is found to be of tire most uncertain char
artcr. If one Congress makes an appro-
prialion, several others may fail, ard by
tie time the work of improvement is f'Iriy
al operation, all hands are STOP 81, :l:c.
bna:s are lad up To rot, and the benefits Of
the improvements made are mainly lost for
.lle want Of CONT ued attention. The OBJ
.tructi0ns in the Missouri and Mississippi
are OF two kinds-,hc bars s. snags. The
first are troublesome only i'll low water; and
the Missouri, and perhaps the Mississippi
too, might be improved by dredging. In
the Missouri. the bars are generally short,
and are formed of light, loose sand, which
gives way easily before a ra lid CURRENT
The time which each steamboat, loaded
i little below the depth of water, spends
in dragging through one of these bars:
would b. sufficient fer a boa! properly con-
structrd to open a channel, which, in most
eases, would continue to improve till the
next rise in the river. No work of this
kind would be permanent in the Missouri;
vet there is probably no other river upon
which such a work would be SO easily per
formed and at so little expense, compared
t, the value. If we reflect that hume reds
OF boats are stopped for hours on the Same
bars, and that al are heavily laden with rich
frcights and many passengers, and detained
at heavy costs; and that one dredge at half
the expense of an ordinary boat, could re-
move the obstruction, and let the steamers
pass without loss, expense, in jury or deten-
ton, then we can form some estimate Of the
value of such n mode Of improvement
The next distractions are the snags, made
of the green trees, with heavy roots, which
fall from the washed banks, and roll to the
deem channel, and there settle and tastrn IN
the mud and sand. The number OF these
snaos is constantly increasing. a trlPa-
long the river will show thousands OF trees
which a heavy freeze in the winter and a
sudden tllaw in the spring, or tie annual
flood in the summer, will add to the sn'Gs