The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
REMARKS or ma. DOWNS,

easmag the oUerJiooed lands az that State delivered
IN The Senate. Monday, September 2, 1850
| Mr. President; As this is important bill 10 the
State which in part represents its introduction has
been delayed for time for report from the Depart
ment OF The Interior; | have devoted attention
to the subject than supposed the Committee on Public
Lands, TO which shall its reference could find
time TO do at this late and busy period of the session and
as II might be construed to grant more than II does
wish TO make lew remarks In explanation OF II.
great calamity has twice. in less than two years, af
cied louisiana and there reason TO lear unless pre-
vented. il will become annual No prudence or fore
sight, or employment OF al her command, could
have prevented it, aliude 10 the inundaon Of the delta
OF the Mississippi and It's tributaries in that Stale
To form correct conception the subject, is proper
to look al the of the land in Louisiana subject TO
overflow. The Mississippi river which forms bound
ary line for many other States through Louisiana
alone and enters the by It's many debouchmens
her boders its western shore, from the Arkansas line
to The Baze, distance OF some seven hundred miles and
It's eastern Shore from the line oil the State OF Mississippi
distance OF two hundred and fifty miles. to The Gull OF
Mexico, being in that State thousand miles
both sides, and all auval and subject to nundaton
cept at few spots the eastern border above Baton
Rouge, where the high lands first appear the river. In
addition to this. the banks OF Red river, Ouacha river
Black river, Atchataaya, and other navgabe rivers and
bayous, with many thousand miles OF shore,
thus subject 10 nundalioD.
The quantity OF land subject inundation is about ten
millions OF acres than one-third of the State
TO give idea OF the destruction OF these overows
will quote descriptions OF them by competent public
officers, who saw them and made reports on the subject
And FIRST from the State engineer OF louisiana in his
last annual report, speaking OF the overflow OF 1919, that
Of 1850 not having then occurred He says:
"Beween The month Of Red river and the Bslize nine
wa under water; Red river spread des,ucion from the
Ran the MississpEi iy rs i,iuated floods from three
to fDs millions If dollars north of property destroyed
and who tell what would have been The fate OF New
Orleans and the lover coast had not these
cured.
He might have added indeed. that all the exerons OF
the city authorities and the expenditure OF 100000
coud not prevent the overflow OF about third OF the
city Tor than month have here interesting map
OF The inundated district at the time the city and vicn
y, taken from surveys oi able engineer Professor
Forshey, and engraved ior and published in the Delta
on st Of July, 1s49, showing clearly the injury and
danger TO the city Estensive enbankments were, after
The ove flow OF that had subsited thrown up; yet
all this, is thought would not have saved the city
the last great overflow OF 1850 il the grea, Bonne Care
crevasse, than thousand yards wide, and five
six feet deep had not taken oil much OF the water
above the city az to prevent it,
So much for The overflow OF 1919 That of the pres
ent year, which has now just subsided was still more
extensive and destructive prefer in this instance, as
IN the other, 10 adopt the language OF another public
officer, highly competent 10 Judge OF such matter and
citizen of the State or having any bias sympathy
with her on the subject
John Wilson, esq the able and experienced head OF
the surveys ing department OF the General Land Office.
who sent to Louisiana last spring by his department.
TO operation the system OF selections OF the swamp
lands ceded to the State by the of the I'd OF March,
lS40 being that country when the overflow at lts
highest point thus describes in his report, sent in by
the Secretary OF the Interior, the call made IN the Sen
ate recently
The river having broken through the embanknents
ievees. Washing the country with the force OF
torrent. carrying and destruction its Where
the evees sufficiently high and strong resist the
pe,snse O. ,he water, the ra lands We're inundated by
the whole, except cw hundred feet OF the front land,
next the levees, was oveIf,~ed.
great number Of plantations and settlements
rey submIgd and ,he only mode q access left
psctcsble, frames the surrounding This
state oil things was not limited 10 the county some OF tue
vileges towns aong the ver IN like condition,
the being wholly under The inhabitants
thus deprived Of every opportunity OF engaging any
ing subssenoe the land could be cutyaed and in
many there was not sufficient dry ground which
for fue, steamboats, the
The cattle had taken refuge on the most elevated spots,
and were seeking scauy subsistence from the leaves OF
bushes tops OF the young and frequently
ting INTO deep wrer were carried away by the force OF The
current and drowned
The many miles presented was narrowing
IN the extreme, and appeals 10 every principle Of humanity
Tor all the soccer and relief that he extended
premises. Neither temporary in s character or
was assured by many that was nearly as bad as la, ea
abatement the evil since the early Of last Jan
uary.
II estimated that property the Of millions OF
dollars has been destroyed aud although city New
and considerable portion Of the southern section
the State have been preserved by the drainage OF the
Plus through the and the county
above those portions OF the State can have no gnaantee OF
an immunity from like incuon I'll radical remedy Is
applied.
Such is fanly-for no language could adequately de-
scribe 1.-THE extent OF those great caamues, which II
there too much TO fear will become
annual unless some adequate remedy can be speedily ap
Piled.
In ordinary afuicuons, aln aware may ne saldmiDat
the States have right TO demand and the United States
government have no power to grant, relief. This may
be correct general principle, but can have no sppl
cation 10 a such we are considering, Tor
many reasons, some OF which wall mention. The pow
OF the national government 10 grant relei presume
cannot and will not be disputed in such this
for II has never believe, been seriously questioned that
may, great landhoder contribute portion OF its
and the proceeds, 10 increase the value OF the other
II in accordance with this principle that Congress has
frequently before, and at It's present session. granted land
aid the construction of railroads other improve
mens Mr. Calhoun the great champion OF a strict
strucon OF the power OF the geners government never
believe doubted such power, and once proposed 10
cede all the public lands in the States to them; aod Pres
iden Polk, who went as lar any public man against
appropriations for internal improvements by the general
government, OF the last acts OF his brilliant and
successful administration signed the act oil the al March,
lo4g, 'to aid the State OF Louisiana IN draining the
swamp lands therein" which granted lands the State
Tor the purpose as is intended by the bill
der consideration The power, then, cannot be doubted
dom OF such relief is here sought be drawn in ques
ton II Just and equitable because the levees here
tofoe made entirely at the expense OF individuals and
the Stale, have reclaimed, the official documents
show, l,719,iss acres of overfowed land, which has
been sold by the government for S214s,sS5 The whole
OF The receipts from sales IN the State up to the LIST Of
January, 1s49, amounted TO 81 0s6 409more than
benefit OF the United States They oug to make some
remuneration for this The expenses of making and
keeping up these evees be exactly estimated but
they doubt amount TO many millions
Hear what Mr.. Wilson says in his report on this
subject:
All the lands that OF any value have been re-
claimed 10y tho construction aud perpetuaton OF those