Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-15
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
ROAD, HARBoR, AND RIVER IMPROVEMENTS


reference TO document printed by the Senate il
January, l647. In these remarks we referred tc
the practice Of the Government from the first Con
gress of 1889 up to and including that of ls45 il
which we think it was very clearly shown tha
Congress possessed complete control over these
matters, and had invariably exercised that control
either through the defective plan Of State author
ties its agents, through the better plan of its
own engineers. We think it was clearly shown
also, that the system cannot be considered as the
peculiar avore of either of the great parties which
have divided our country, but has been sustained
by both, according 10 the existing wants of the
country, although fortunately for the Democratic
party it in power when these wants called
most loudly for assistance and when the assistance
rendered was greater than at any other period.
We shall now endeavor 10 exhibit the value OF
these great interests, in which we shall derive i'm
portant aid from another Senate document printed
in January, lS4S, which we shall make very free
use of.
This document is report upon several queries,
involved in a resolution of the Senate of the previ-
Gus year. The document is itself so condensed
that it is very difficult 10 reduce it. 1t has also
been extensively circulated But yet, there are
no doubt many who have not seen it, and who will
on that account appreciate the value of our effort
to make them acquainted with it.
The report referred TO is divided under various
heads, in conformity with the resolution of the
Senate.
lst. The Commerce Of the Lakes.-A consol-
dated return is given of the commerce of forty-one
LII ~
Sl23,S29, ,S2l. But of this number of towns, no
fewer than seventeen have no amount of trade
stated, :" because no returns have been received
from them, or because the returns which have
been received were too defective to be used. -
The amount stated is therefore in fact only the
amount of returns from twenty-five of the forty
two of the lake towns and districts enumerated
1t is unquestonaby on this account an amount
much below the real value of the lake commerce,
for which, however, the industrious author of the
report is in nowise 10 blame, as he could not pro-
cure the returns, and most iudiciously confined
himself in his report TO data which could not be
questioned. The report goes on to remark that
the amount of returns received is no doubt the
amount . OF duplicate commerce-the exports OF
one place being the imports Of another" Apply
ing this consideration to the amount stated the re-
port reduces the nett moneyed value of the COM
Of the lakes for the year 1916 10 SOL ,9149lO
The report, then, from very sound data, shows
that not less than 25O,O00" persons as passen-
gers traversed these lakes in 1916, and supposing
the charge each to have averaged the very mo-
derate sum Of five dollars, it makes the passen-
ger trade" for that year 81 $50, ,oOO-makng a
total of s63,l64,9lO.
Then. from :" Treasury Department returns" it
is shown that the number of mariners employed on
the lake trade in 1916 was six thousand nine hun.
dred and seventy-two.
In endeavoring to state the probable increase o.
the lake trade for the future, the author of the re-
port remarks
at is difficult to approach this part of the in
'quiry without fear of appearing TO exsggerate
Those who knew these lakes thirty wears ago
and who know them now, will admit that exist
ing facts have baffied human antcipations, anC
that the widest speculations Of the Imagination
have been more than realized by the vast increase
of their commerce."
Then taking the subject up under its moneyeC
value its enrolled and licensed tonnage and amounts
Of merchandise transported, and going back to thu
year ls4l, at which period there were regular re-
turns of lake commerce, the author of the report
shows that under each of these aspects the lake
trade had increased fer the last six years at ar
average rate Of more than II per cent. then as
suming this rate of Il per cent. for the future, the
report makes the probable moneyed value Of the
lake commerce amount in 1857 to sl7O,5452
To this amount the author Of the report adds tn,
following remark, in which we fully concur:
q can see no reason 10 doubt the correctness 0
this estimate, and feel under no apprehension o
being reproached for exaggerating, after ten year
shall have passed away"
The report then takes up the Z" commerce Of th
Western rivers and its probable increase" mean
ing. under this head the Mississippi and its direr
and indirect tributaries. This subject is treate
with the same rigdness, in reference to data an
closeness OF reasoning, applied to the commerce Q
the lakes From these the report deduces thre
nett moneyed values Of trade Of the Western river
for the year 1916, viz:
First sI5I 4qs 7Ol
Second 100 gSs
Third l76,694,463
The report considers the first value too small
giving reasons for that opinion Then taking tn
second and third as nearer approximations 10 III