The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-23

! Okechobee is 70 miles north OF Vinon's Level 1t is a
lake 80 or 40 miles in diameter, and from 30 TO 80 feet
deep Nobody proposes TO drain IT, Ii is proposed 10 Gu,
two canals for vessels from ione east to the Atlantic,
and the other te the Gulf The small drains
dltehes through the gades ii is not supposed will be
used for any purpose except to carry of the waters
in the gades as they rise and if they five six feet
deep, they will drain most of the glades that can be
drained. They not expected TO be more than from a
few hundred yards two miles in length, and will be
small drains bitches The canals from lake Okechobee
area different matter, entirely; and ii seems 10 me my
| tnend has COMPOUNDED the two
Mr. UNDERWOOD resumed IF my friend would
have heard me out he would have had no TO
PLAN dd read that portion OF the report and i makes
The matter so much the worse IA intended TO show.
am speaking now about the canals TO be dug through into
the basin. To get this river the canal must be
some ten or fifteen feet deep understand that this river
IS not more than ten fifteen miles from the Atlantic.
You have, then TO make these canals according to the
first part OF the statement 10 get into the basin before you
go 10 the lake Okechobee, some 100 miles beyond. But
what is 10 be done then 1t is stated that the lake is
considerably higher how much higher we do not know.
ltmly be necessary to extend your canals, when you
get the river some fifty or HUNDRED miles further
and how deep this must be, is entirely unknown. | IN
tended 10 state all that, which, instead of obviang the
objection makes II somuch the stronger
My objection to the whole hes beyond that. do not
know that anything can say will arrest the course |
complain Of in the administration OF the public lands |
have long, sir, been in the minority OF that committee,
and do not know bat shall remain to the end of my
official life here in the minority wish now to see if
the true policy cannot be maintained. My wish Is TO al
low the general government to retain It's jurisdiction and
control over all this great terrOrynot only in Florida,
IN Arkansas but IN Louisiana and IN other States wher
ever lands be saved from their present useless cond
,hn Id soii III w.. liz, ,ar Sat-, -,
~ ,h nro6, V''' mus ~ 'i0" WY N'''0 ~ POI
! While | avow this 10 be my policy, frankly confess
his thn ,ro II VIII M, tat bnI Of ,bse s,a no y"
Eakesha the work might not be left undone, would not
play the policy OF the dog in the manager would not pre-
Inc ,hn oJs now ,eIasa - nna msaf;I nnrnoSa bn,
Vii or, Win b ns,a fon EioJn I ; un,
80 f;ami IS .a,sna al + or;.;ana o. NV, S. -;
49, 49, hnnaGnaI ~ H. S,atas ny, 81 ~ 10
USELESS Iods RI baGova tho General overnma,t 90
do i battr than The States and haI;sva tbn General
rovrnToan, onbt to dn - "'' ''''''' '-0
rba nran,ce zoo bave adon,oJ that ,yo bavo rb, N
maize in to onr nnbI;c domain in
The Sain. las hesn lony sanctoned and there ;s no
constitutional objection therefore, TO the course which
nronosa IN taka II ia snnIv mattar of noIrv What
@ ona,ess Js do nni wish o art ~ unon be m,iar
nntl we ee, proper inflammation unon which 70 base onr
go, 7 al nnwlodre as , non,har NJ tho Cnmo;,taa
m public lands ha, hav NOT been able n fnJ Thai
Un fna,ion am mt irn 70 nrant thesa l., ads n,i
II ca b oscort,inad vbe,Iar we nav NOT
reca;rn then, and snnronriae tbem ~ nuhiic nsa
NV cir snnnos;n, ,hat wa send ont connsta,t ero;
rn ~ vnlola and Survey before WE Give ibe land 70
anired will be Of great value to the States themselves
10 which we surrender The lands Will !, moi facilitate
heir operaons hereafter ask then if if he not GOOD
nocv to nrov;de for his evnor,ton y, tho exnons 81
he limited States even if we after wards surrender The
iands, Wy
observe sir in this report of Mr. Smiths that upon
the of of he ks
mos, indenitev indeed he does not Aven venture an
estimate He saws in one mart If the renor, that il has
beon estimated ~ he be,yeen Ihree and FIVE HUNDRED thnn
sand dolIarsa wide qan-almos pon of one hundred
per cent If il cos only three hundred thousand dollars Ia
drain This fine teTritory-for gentlemen will allow TO
saw that if it can be Drained we agree it will at least be-
come one of the finest orange districts in the world if
may not be used for sugar and other planting purposes
if il can be DONE | say, for that amount, | do not
hesitate to say that the value will compensate the
penditure fifty or hundred fold But whether it can or
cannot be done, we have no means of ascertaining.
We have mere conectural estimate. The sum |
mentioned is the minimum But suppose that the work
can be done for five hundred thousand dollars, and
for that amount this valuable land could be saved why
sir the proceeds resulting from its sale would be ample
remuneration and would venture to say, sir, that il
over the way Mr.. WEsTcoTT,l if this government will
undertake it,
lie proposes sir reserve two Years in which be-
Gin the work and len years in which 10 accomplish it,
Now sir if you send out your typographical engineers,
and they report that be done by outlay of three
or five hundred thousand dollars; why sir, in two or
three years. the farthest the work would be
pshed whereas, by your State action, according to the
provisions of the bill, if they commence the work, YOU
need not expec-particulary under the condition of the
finances mentioned by the other gentleman from Florida,
Mr. lULEE--the completion OF the Work m less than
ten or fifteen years. Now | ask the gentleman from
FLORIDA II you can get the government to undertake II
upon the report OF Typographical engineers will not be
as wen done, ana sooner gone anu VIII not your oa'e
seute faster, 'hail II !, 70 'ei' W ue p'ato :,
itn sIeH " ese ue seise VI the neha'e upon .le
SUBJECT, VIII ioM oist NY dnenuh1ll' whIl Is W ap
ptopae uoi,S 70 We eApe'loea uauel .lie d,iec.lo
rlonua' WIN we" OF asCeHahhS .he PfdcucaDlty OF
draining ana the estimate on tne COST ana lnat report De