The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-04

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foreisn countries and seriously nconvsnen
greaI number OF our citizens.
These statements and recommendations of the report
naturally suggest the following considerations. among
others
| lst That the important object OF preventing these
overfows cannot be accomplished without further
grant, in addition to that already made, though the
most liberal construction be placed on that grant.
That grant the act OF lsi9) thought adequate to
the state OF things that then existed But that time
two of the greatest oyeraows that have occurred
have taken place The whole state of The question has
been changed II has been found that the evil IS much
greater and will require much larger means to prevent
T. than was then contemplated Besides, the nature OF
these evils such TO render that grant necessarily
unavailable for long time-ndeed until the work is
completed which is now necessary.
you would assist us, them in present misoTtunes,
you must not conne your grants 10 the lands to be re-
claimed but give us something that may sooner De made
available TO give these lands and nothing else,
under the circumstances, would be like sending other
petitioners for relief from the government dive and
search the bottom OF the for property lost in the
fortunate Missouri steamer, other national wrecked
vessels.
The grant, then, made by the act of 1919 ought not to
be urged. and ee sure will not be urged, argu-
ment against the relief now sought 80 the proper de.
partment Of the executive branch OF the government
considered it, and hope will Congress consider it.
The report shows how much the nation a, large is in
teesed in this question: because, il these oyeows con-
tnue, the production OF the great staples OF sugar and
will be reduced and the price enhanced TO the
sumers The writer might have added other considera-
tisns this point II low estimate to suppose that
the sugar crop o Louisiana for the present year dl
mnlshed by the overflow $4,000 hogsbeads, worth S2,
0o00 and that the cotton crop diminished 100 900
bales, worth $i,0Oo000, and that the injury TO pana
ons and STOCK and the expenses to rebuild the broken
levees will be $2, 500, 900 more. This would make the
loss 80 100000; and il we add hall the Tor the
year previous, which is too low we have loss OF 3d.,
500 600 in little more than year. How great must be
tie injury of such loss this 10 our foreign COM
merce, and consequently TO from customs,
our navigation, and our exchanges. How great must ii
diminish the sales OF manufactures TO the planters
thus INJURED and internal navigation and commerce.
How greatly must the destruction OF much capital de-
precaie the value OF all property all the Union.
leave others TO make these esiates but doubt
the loss all would be great and that would not be
confined to Louisiana, though she might feel il first and
most. -
But this is not all these injuries relate the country
but there another which relates TO the city of New Or
leans, in which the nation and the people OF the whole
Mississippi valley more interested. Though in
louisiana New Orleans is fact the city OF the great
West and Southwest; all these interested in II alike
II is much the city OF the inhabitants OF Kentucky
Ohio Indiana Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee Missouri
and Arkansas as OF Louisiana Il was one third OF ii
overiowed in ls49, and perhaps the overflow OF the
whole OF in 1850 was prevented only by fortunate accl
dent-the great Bonne Care crevassc Who calcu.
late the destruction OF property that such calamity would
produce! Consider, sir that at high water the river is
feet above the level OF the city, and this increases
you 20 back that in addition 10 all the millions worth OF
cotton, sugar. tobacco provisions, NC always in store at
the OF the year when these overows occur In her
thousands of warehouses, nearly all of belonging to
the people of other Staes-he wharves at this
being literally covered by whole OF these articles,
and with much more OF merchandise that has been
brought in by consider say, that all may be swept
away night in one hour, and then you may form
idea OF what would be the consequences of
flow OF New Orleans. And think, too, of the thousand
of capitalists interested in her real estate and IN her bun.
dreds of and ships and OF the thousands OF in
dviduals dependent for daily support on the great CON-
mercial wants of that emporium OF the Test, and you
may then-and not till then1form some inadequate idea
of the destruction that would be caused by the submer
sion Of New Orleans cannot describe H. and lis effect
would not cease for years.
So much for the overflow, and the damages caused by
it, shall now proceed TO examine the extent and value
of The land proposed 10 be ceded by the bill The Com
missioner OF the General Land Office, in his report 10 the
Secretary OF the Interior recently made on this subject
says:
ernment after the swan and overowed grained by
Of ID March, lsis shall have been certified to The
That 4.7oo. 900 acre. have been in market 10 years
!. asos S'sns aaS !" /" 20
This is exclusive Of the lands in the Geensburg district
that they cannot be classified with the other public lands.
the whole Of the surveys having been reported as lraudu-
money ordered for those which had been sold by the
act of 10Th August, 1872
The 3o acres of private land claims unadj djusted
in the State and acres granted by the act OF lS4l
yet INDICATED might be Offset against the unappropr
aed land in GreeRsburg district ii were not sufficient
that the resurvey OF IT would be worth more than
what remains inappropriate
When we consider that the length OF the gulf and lake
coast in Louisiana $50 miles, where the seamarsh
more than an average of mile wide, which is perfectly
worthless, and examine the map which accompanies the
report showing the extent OF the swamp lands, and
feet that ALL except the more valueess lands were long
since brought into market may fairly be assumed that
the quantity mentioned in this extract (764943 acres)
is the whole amount of the embraced by the bill
that is OF any value, all OF which has been in market
more than years, and much of il for than thirty
OF these lands the Commissioner his report gives this
description:
The general cha Of those lands from examna
ton OF the field appears be poor scarcely aveag
Some good lands reported on the water
courses and approaching the "satmarsh which the
timber oak hickory beech, gum cypress, 3c but most
all these have been sold, covered by private
claims aad IL is believed that the unsod lands be
characterized pine lands from second quality down TO
very poor,
And in another statement, worthy OF full confidence,
told:
The expenditures that win be required by the government
to the Ia that STATE to complete
the unfinished and To settle the land titles will
probably than will be received from the sales OF
the lands in future. Tne overlooked lands having been
granted the STATE those that ain chiefly
nos Of ohioh probably not hoasand acres wM be cold
Ffom experience OF the past Is to be inferred,
probable least of the old viii have
tho general government and will probably than
will be realized from all the vscan lands that remain the
property Of the general government.
On examining the map Of Louisiana, now nearly com
ew sales have been made in the part that still
mains the properly Of the general government.
There opinions confirmed by the tables in the ap
pendx 10 the report OF the Commissioner at the last
sion of Congress and his report at the present session
From these IL appears that the sales OF public lands in
Louisiana for the last five years have been rs follows
In 1915 81 497 acres
4o axc