The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-18

with its large tributaries presents coast Of ten thousand
miles, or taking both sides, as have nghi 70 do wen
ty thousand miles. Two thousand miles on tle Aidhue
TO twenty thousand miles on the Mississippi ana lis
tributaries!
| WE'LL then, what is the relative amount of commerce
OF the two feglons' have not pfepated myself 10 go
into minute statement OF the commerce o ihe Auantc
coast bu am prepared 10 say with some degree OF post
yeness what is the value OF the OF the West
apart iron the lakes, which world almost OF them
selves The commerce OF the Mississippi river amt IT'S
main tributaries lar back as ls47, was 1000
wear Tbs lake upon the authority OF a commercial
suard at Cincinnati, which believe is generally re-
ceyed s good authority throughout! the country THIS es
Innate Is IA lsi7ve years ago. Upon the waters OF the
great Missssippl and its tributaries hoat thousand
steamboats, besides nnumeIable number o boats OF
dferep. description conveying millions OF property and
| of human beings III
Ia view MIR President, of this vas, peponderance Of
interest in favor of the West have we not the right to
CLAIM larger share OF The appropriations Tor works Of
from hayiDg received this greater share have hereto
fore received comparatively nothing. As stalled little
while ago. and as verify believe, not dollar in ten
have we received as compared with the appropriations on
the Atlantic coast ua e.
And only this respect but in another very i'm
porlant onea and one which must say goes TO shame the
been unaifly dealt with. We know, as had occasion
TO show one two sessions ago, IN the matter oi pro-
viding for western boa,men, what the conduct OF the
government has Since the year 1902 all the boat
men raitsmen, and other persons oyed on board OF
oang craft OF any sort, have been declared by act OF
Cong ress to be American seamen, and such subject
to of twenty cents month each, TO be taken out OF
their wages and paid into the treasury OF the United
States hospital fund and Tor that they are entitled
to have marine hospitals established along the whole
OF this river for The purpose OF taxing care OF them
when they become sick and disabled. What has been
done Why, these individuals, amounting TO than
100000, have been paying 81 40 year since the year
1882 into the treasury OF the United States and how
much have they received in the way oi these appropria
lions mot appropriation Out OF the copmon treasury,
paid for by all the people OF the United Ses but out OF
their own money earned by their own labor and ac-
CURED by their hardshps and prvaions upon these
riyers' Why this money, instead OF gong 10 their ben
eft, has gone into the public treasury and they have
been deprived OF il. II true that, within few years
past, beginning with The summer OF lelS some appro-
palons have been made TO establish these marine hos
plals, and few thousand dollars have been appropri
aed annually for tins purpose out OF tue millions that
these have themselves paid into the treasury OF the
United States, and OF which the government has made
Ii answer 10 this 10 say that the government
has received this money ao the treasury OF the uni
ted States or it has been faithfully collected from these
men The government OF the United States, by the act
OF 1882 made every commander OF boat or rait col
lsctng officer not only to collect The taxes from these
individuals, but to take from the pay that they were to
bave when 1t amounted TO $50 IN each case and pay
into treasury is the fault OF these people il these
collectors have not paid the money faithfully INTO The
| treasury.
Mr.. DAVIS, Of Massachusetts. Will the honorable
seualot from Arkansas allow me word
| Mr.. BORLAND. Certainly
| Mr.. DAVIS, OF Massachusetts presume the honor
able desires To be correct IN this matter think
he will 0d, he will look al the terms OF the law au
,horzbg these various collectors in the different coec
districts down the Nlsssailpi
have al all times been authorized ex9end the money
they have collected for the aid and assistance OF disabled
and that these returns will generally show that
that money has all been expended IN that way.
| Mr.. BORLAND, ! am very well aware oi the matter
of which the honorable senator from Massachusetts, has
spokeH. have had occasion 10 look into lhis SUBJECT
pretty thoroughly, not only at this time but heretofore,
and what say is this; moi that some money has not
been expended but that the government has not ordered
the expenditure OF much their officers have Obtain
ed. But also say that these persons appointed collect
collect IL
question about that And II the government has not
held these persons to srct accountability ior this reve
but has suffered 10 go INTO the pockets oil these
persons where IL did not belong instead OF obging them
To pay II into the treasury OF the United States still say
to those persons IRON whom
it collected for the benefits that were promised 10
them And these persons have been talthul they
oug be made So the law should be repealed II
they do not have the benefit of the law they should not
be subject 10 this tax imposed upon them That Is what
mean TO say
| | will say another thing that of the West have
been put dsad dvanageioI the returns, irregular as
they do show that the amount appropriated In the
West is less than the amount colleciednot much ad-
NIT, yet the amount collected has been some more !;
while the appropriations the Atlantic, aud the expend
iue money there have been greater than the amount
collected and the surplus and above that which was
expended in The West has been taken and added TO the
East,
Mr. DAVIS, OF Massachusetts think that must be
mistake.
Mr. BORLAND. That is a fac, which ascertaned
from examination OF the documents eighteen months
ago But that is not material 10 the discussion OF the bull
under consideration now. only give II IN illustration
The general spirit and OF legislation upon that
sublect that is regard TO appropriations in the West
Now. sir the objection has been urged against this
bill that II makes larger appropriations than any bill OF
the sort before That is easily accounted for How
long has been any appropriation has been made
Ii has been only few years since anything has been
done, and in many cases no appropriations were ever
made befoe and the result that there occasion Tor
great deal to be done Sir, the whole sys
TEN of appropriation for the western waters heretofore
has been mistake, and one which this bH hope Will
in some degree remedy What has been the course
Why small appropriations Save been made, which have
been almos, entirely consumed in making boats and in
making the necessary fixtures upon the banks OF the
for the purpose OF beginning the work and by the
lime tina, the work would be fairly got under way, the
appropriation would out. the work would have TO he
stopped the boats would be drawn OIL and the fixtures
be desroyed and before another appropriation would be
died wonld have re-accumulated The advantages OBJ
tanned had been lo- and il has been 40 long once
appropriation has been made that venture to saythat
the western waters condition at the pres
eni than they have been since they have been
navgated by the steamboat can speak OF the river IN
my State. When ! came out OF ], in the month OF
November The water was low and the snags amounted
TO many that they made regular ceUdnr de frtre
and several instances the passengers had actually to go
the ses of the boat and take hold OF the snags and
draw themselves along by them. single snag boat
would obviae all that difficulty tN
Bat the great advantage that in this bill for the
western rivers is this II makes appropriation SUN
civntly large to get position the banks to get the
boats, 10 put them fairly AT work. and then get nearly
through before IL expended and by the time IL eS
pended Congress will be in session, and then can
keep the work going on. The appropriations OF the
will prevent the necessity of large approprl-