Washington telegraph., 1850-03-27
RAFT MEETING.
LEwIsvILLE, LAFAYETTE CO., ARK.
March, 10. 1850.


past yon published in your paper letter
from our Representative III Congress. r.
w. JOHNSON. in which he requested the
citizens Of this and the adjoining States
interested in the removal of the great
Raft in Red River TO hold meetings aud
memoriali2e Congress upon that subject
Partly from this letter, aud partly from
the INJURY we have and are -,,H .utfering
from the obstruction TO the navigation of
Red River, large number oil the citizens
OF this county met at the courthouse OH
on the 9th day OF this month for the pur-
pose of petilloning Congress to make an
appropriation for the removal of the Raft.
The following are the proceeding of said
meeting:
On motion of Lewis B. Fort, Morgan
Crver was called 10 the chair The
meeting being then called 10 order by
the president
On motion Of J. III. Caruthers, Esq,
Alex Byrn was appointed secretary.
Tie president then requested j. II.
Caruthers. ESD, tc explain the object OF
the meeting, which was done IN All elo-
quent and iorclble manner. referring 10
most cut off iIom market on account OF
the Raft obstruction III Red River; and
he also dweit lpon the heavy losses sus-
tanned by The frequent Overfiows of said
river on account Of said Raft. and the
importance of taking some steps for the
removal of sad obstruction. He then
presented and read the following me-
mortal:
To the Honorable the Senate aud House
of representatives. in Congress as
senbled
The undersigned memorialists state to
your onora bic body that they are citizens
of the county Of Lafayette, in the State
of Arkansas. aud many of US emigrated
to this country when the Government
had made an appropriation TO remove the
Raft in Red RIVER, being confident that
said obstruction would he speedily re-
moved; but your melnoriallels state that
they have suffered llntueuse losses on ac-
count ot said obstruction, aud we nov
there has ueeua constant accumulation
ot dr!it wood Tor many years, aud tne
channel OF Red River has become so
much ob>tructed aud choaked up IN the
Ralt region aS TO cause eald river 10 over
flow almost the entire country contiguous
To it III this county and thereby render
ing valueIes> thousands OF acres OF the
finest lands Iii the world
our memoriallsts state that nearly all
of the plantations on said river i'll this
county were entirely overlooked several
iaS #
cotton entirely cut of aud ruined, aud
unless we receive some speedy relief from
the Congress of the United States our
prospects tor the future will be gloomy in
the extreme, as it is impossible for private
enterprise 10 remove said obstruction
Your memorailsts state that the very
poor and uncertain navigation which we
have had hrougn bayou that runs oul
OF Red River immediately above the
haIt will soon be cut OF, as the Raft viii
IA very short time extend above SAID
bayou and we state that the difficulties
vi i2aliug sand River and The frequent
o.erfiows OF The same CAUSED by SAID iiait
oDetfuciIon. Is fast rendering vaueles>
not only The lands IN this couuty but also
Tie lands OH SAID river for hundreds oi
miles above, in fexas aud IN the Choctaw
Nation, aud there Is also portion OF the
State OF LOUISIANA suffering from this
same growing evil.
Your nenorIalIsis state that there is
Government above The Raft which never
can he sold unless said obstruction IN
Red River is removed. but we state thai
all OF said land would soon be sold, aud
the Government therby be more than
reimbursed the amount of money neces-
sary for the removal Of said Raft.
Your memorialIsts state that they con-
slider the Government very much inter
ested IN The removal of said Raft OH ac-
count OF the sale of public lands, and the
additional facility the navi CATION of said
ing supplies TO our forts out west, and
sending lr9ops to defend and protect the
large extent of troutler country west OF
tins Stale, aud we regard the removal
oi the Rail as strictly national Work, as
there are three sovereIga STATES interested
IN said removal also the Choctaw Nation.
onr inenorIailSts state that II The
Congress of the United States would at
this session make all appropriation OF TWO
hundred and fifty thousand dollars they
are IF opinion that said sum would be
sufficient TO remove said obstruction at
this time, but unless an appropriation be
made at this time constant accumulation
will require more, and we therefore most
earnestly request your honorable bodies
10 make an appropriation of the above
amount. and thereby save from entire
ruin large scope OF the finest country
in the world, and your mernorialists will
ever pray. Which was received, adopted
and signed by large number of citizens.
and ordered to be sent to our Represen-