Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-07

from Illinois and myself shall not dages about T. that within
ten miles Of this canal at this day. you may End sxcseD
farming land that may be purchased for dollar and ousr
That 10 the effect On the Surrounding country Nj
an a;, operation y q s'ns twenty ys;, sdmit ~ m
these lands wes in some measure pehaps u cause
ing into existence. But wbst do msaxt d ssx M
lands are money, and public works most be cousuc
by the aid of money The sale of lands cannot take nss
in season the works. and therefore, n the STATE
Michigan going to undertake this great work. she must I'd
forward with funds II she to indemnify herself out 81
these lands II cannot be done in any other way The rse
n the value of the lands grows out of the improvement and
YOU must therefore wait until the improvement is made.
That was Of the embarrassment Of the State Of
Illinois as the Senator knows well do II the
cause of embarrassment TO the State of Indiana, also and
very great embarrassment too. They had means 10 carry
on The public works while they had lands in out
which they be UNIDENTIFIED. That has been the
suit Of all these operations and nothing be certain
than that land alone will not make public improvement,
unless the party possessing has power to into the
ket and realize money out OF IT, t4
There are MANY great projects Of this descripionhee
are half dozen railroads TO the Pacific beeveo throw
forward great public improvements before there any public
existing which demands hem and before there is any BUSH
ness existing which requires such facilities and improvements
Nothing can be palmer than that population must precede
improvements Of this sort Population creates business and
railroads and canals made for business What them is
the use Of making canal through country where there 10
business know that when there may possibly ceste
the growth Of population and business but II hard and
pensive mode Of populang country by means of this de-
scrp,ion As said BEFORE the State unsuitable body
for this purpose Still if they can do it; they can give us
assurances here that they do its If they will show US how
they can do it, will certainly not withhold my support from
at ALL Mo- on the contrary should be very glad to
il done; but like to refer to something like facts. We
have been told here that the United States are to be greatly
enriched and the treasury largely benefited by schemes Of this
description Now, should like to know If there IL in
uuhi States have
lands The Senator from Illinois says that the reason s be-
have made the provision raising the price OF the
alternate secionsto two dollars and half which has been in
serted in the bills passed this session Well have you
lzed that Has any body bought your lands at that price
they to be taken up and the money paid into the
Treasury, then shall give credit for it; but it remains 10 be
whether they will be taken that price, and whether
the United States will realize the amount which is now
placed to her credit in these operations,
Mr. DOUGLAS replied to Mr.. DAVIS, and the bill was
further discussed amended and ordered be engased for
third readings when the Senate adjourned to Monday.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER Q, 1850. s
Mr. DOWNS, in pursuance Of notice, asked and obtained
leave to introduce bill aid the State Of Louisiana in
claiming the oveowed lands therein, and for other purposes
Mr. DowNs, in asking leave to introduce this BILL said
Mr. President this important bill to the State
which in part represent; its introduction has been delayed
for some time for report from the Department Of the lne
nor; have devoted attention to the subject than
supposed the Committee Public Lands, to which shall
its reference could find time do this late and busy
period Of the sessions and might be construed to grant
than does, wish make few remarks in expana-
ton Of it.
great calamity has twice. in less than years. afflicted
Louisiana, and there is TO fear unless prevented
will become annual No prudence foresight employ
ment Of at her command, could have prevented ii
aude the nundaon Of the delta Of the Mississippi and its
tributaries in that State. SCI
To form conception on the subject is proper to
look at the extent Of the land in Louisiana subject to
aow The Mississippi river, which forms boundary line
TOR many other States through Louisiana alone and
tiers the ocean by its many debouchments in her bode its
western shore, from the Arkansas line to the Balze dis
lance of hundred miles, and its eastern shore,
from the line of the State Of Mississippi, distance Of
hundred and fifty miles, the Gulf Of Mexico being ia that
State, thousand miles both Sides and all aluva
and subject to nundaon except few spots the eastern
border above Baton Rouge where the high lands first appear
on the river In addition to this the banks of Red river,
Oucha nve Black river Atchafaaya and other naygable
rivers and bayou with many thousand miles more Of shore
are thus subject to iHundaton.
The quantity Of land subject nundaon is about ten
millions Of acres, than onethird of the Staie To
idea of the destruction of these overoy will quote
descriptions of them by competent public officers who saw
them and made reports the subject. And FIRST from the
State engineer of Louisiana in his last annual report speak
ing Of the overflow Of s49 that of 1860 not having then
occurred He says
Between the mouth Red river and the Baize nine large
crevases oceurred above that point the whole region
under water Red river spread destruction from the Raft
ions dollars ,,orM PROPERTY destroyed and who
tell what woad have been the fate of New Orleans and the
lower coast had not these crevasses occurred"
He might have added indeed that all the exeons of the
city authorities and the expenditure of 900 could
not prevent the overflow Of about onehid Of the city for
more than month have here an interesting map Of the
inundated district at the time in the city and vicinity taken
from surveys Of able engineer Professor Forshey and en-
gaved for and published in the Delta on ls Of July s49
showing clearly the injury and danger the city Exsen-
sve entertainments were, after the overflow Of that year had
subsidized, thrown up; yet all this is hough would not
have saved the city in the last great overflow Of $780, if the
great Bonnie Care cevasse than thousand yards
wide and five or six feet Deep had taken off SO much Of
the water above the city as to prevent it.
So much for the overflow Of Is49 That Of the present
year. which has now just subsidized still more extensive
and destructive PREFER in this instance as in the other
to adopt the language another public officer highly cope
tent to judge Of such matter and citizen Of the State
OF having any bias or sympathy with her the subject
John Wilson, Esq, the able and experienced head Of the
surveying department of the General Land Office who was
sent to Louisiana last spring by his Department put in
operation the system Of selections Of the swamp lands coded
to the State by the act of the I'd of March, 849 being in
that country when the overflow highest point thus
describes in his report sent in by the Secretary Of the In
terror, on the call made in the Senate recently
'The river having broken through the embanlments or
rent carrying ruin and destruction in its course Where the
levees sufficiently high and strong to resist the
the water the lands inundated by the river ow
through the