The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-21

men, with vivid imagination, have maxniAed Ne Mie.
sssippi into sea. with coastas believe hoard il
said here o-day-of 20, 900 miles in extent tn Nj
ssspp then. is object worthy Of the coaside
ton OF this government worthy OF the patronage o ~
government. and ought 10 pour out portion OF ID
asure improve it, And why! 10 il because OF The
quantity of water that flows in The Mississippi No. IN;
but because it is the common highway OF many Of he
States OF this Union. II is because ia highway hsns-
be improved WE'LL then. if this 10 the principe--if u
because there a large commerce n0annE uPon ~ sor-
acef il is because it is highway indspsnsasle y the
public the producing public to send its products p shs
markell then that is the why il 10 constitutional
TO improve it, Well, sir. may not this sans eosro OF
reasoning be applicable TO much smaller hieavay
Take that If you please, which is now propoaed 10 be
stricken of this bill Take the Illinois rivera river
which, has been justly observed Of national import
ance on account OF great work which has been bal al
great expense by the Stale OF Illinois, standing upon the
summit between the lakes and the of the Mssis
spp and connecting the basin OF the lakes with the val
ley Of the Mississippi and thus making circuit Of nav
saton from the Gulf oi ST. Lawrence around the Cult
o Mexico. Well, sir need not stand here to discuss
the Importance OF such a chain Of communication
importance Every | one W who Will Consider this lOr mo
ment will that there IS large commerce. aaoat upon
the Misssslppi-a large commerce afoa on the lakes
that the products OF Louisiana and that portion OF the
country upon those waters; that there large
to come from the basin OF the lakes through into
the valley OF the Mississpp-they must that this
river is part and portion of the highway that ia to be
employed Tor that purpose. Then, if there great pub
lie exigency existing for highway here to give facility
to commerce. il thus becomes humbly apprehend. what
is termed here national object think however, that
little apt TO confuse our ideas upon that subject
by the employment OF the term national !" II we would
look however, 10 the usefulness of the thing, 10 the
manner in which the public employs it, the necessity
which exists for it in the public eslmatlon that is the
better criterion by which to settle and decide the matter
Well, sir, many remarks have been made in regard TO
the surveys. Many remarks have been made IN regard
to what termed the nsD asorks and also to what
termed the old 0orks and the senator from Lou
isana Mr.. DowNs imagines that he has drawn the at
inf thinUna vha ho nj
/" Big Sodus" aud g Little Sodus" Why, these are old
works and appropriations have been made from time to
time to carry on these works BY the government Pretty
large OF money have been expended al these very
points, and why these subjects now before the Sen
ate /! II is because these works which the government
have constructed, and which have proved useful to the
public, have become 10 extent dilapidated il 10
because they demand repair otherwise they would fall
much decay that they could not he enjoyed That
the why the subjects now brought forward
But in regard TO most OF these works no question s
raised at all. .Ea Iftt@
Now in regard to those works 10 which senators
obecn regard those works Tor which there " no es
timatelet make appeal TO the senator from Mich
CAs with regard to his own part Of the country
You heard the voice OF that senator in regard to the
flats oil the ST. Clair lake There is bar there that consti
tues very serious obstacle to the navigation OF that
ton of the country is serious impcdmenf TO YES
sells passing from the lower into the upper lakes The
voice of all that portion OF the country has been Easeds
and petition after petition has been seat here and sur
veys have been made ascertain whether improvements
could be made 10 facilitate the navigation by d:epenng
the channel there 1t is declared 10 be feasible for
OF money. And this is one OF the new
works much condemned But apperlans to The enba
ject and has undergone thorough investigates And st
add, in regard these works. by far the most ot
them old works, subject to the remarks that have
already made The works are-such ~ the hats Of
the ST. Clair-many of them. but not all, equally iM-
por,ant with that remarkable Improvement and many Of
them much more important than the old works them-
selves. ,a.t
was nothing this bill against which government could
raise their yoices-nothing that could not be called
anti national. as lacking the qualification nsssons.
which is much used here. That woud'be very AZ
traordnary But in the main the great features OF this
bill such Congress have usually bestowed their
attention uponsuch have found favor in this body or
in the other House. Well sir. under all these crcNn-
stances willing to vote for the bill a. is; end
very frankly, because have nothing 10 diEnss.
the reason why do IL understand a. that there s.
upon the BILL il goes upon the table when II returns %
the House, and it takes two.lhirds OF the msm6sl 70
take ii up from the table. Now, know that the bill
will be defeated there is such rule operating 10 that
way in the House OF Representatives we put an amend
men, upon il here for know that two third vote can
not be obtained there Tor that purpose Ihe bnl l1st
as much defeated by putting amendments on j, under
that rule, as II the final day Oh he session nad passed
Now, while agree with gentlemen entirely that this
is debeatiye body that this pressed for ward here at
a moment when have great deal OF business upon
our hands and under unavorable circumstances YET
think nobody here is 10 blame Tor that Ihe commitee.
when this bill went 10 them, Immediately took 1t into
considerations and they passed upon IT, th,nk ~ soon -
the Senate could expect They laid 1t before ths Dooys
and il has been here for their consideration, wnen ahy
gentleman fit TO move a consideration OF 1t, IL VA
my wish that 1t should not interrupt the course Of
business gong on here The sense OF me senate naS
been ha, il should be taken up; and all have to ask
is that gentlemen will let have vote upon u now,
and let go with the appropriation bills think we
ought TO do IT,
Mr BUTLER have very frequently asked the ques-
ton of gentlemen who favor OF this bill How The
money be raised to clear out all these rivers, and 70
effect all these improvements for commercial puSpoees
have ask ed the question private and in various iorms
The reply has been, We will borrow the money upon
the credit OF the United States How will you meet the
demand when II comes TO matuniy| l believe the uni
versal reply has been, We will increase the tard upon
must vote for with the perfect understanding that
bill take from the treasury two and hall millions ~
this time and il is but the commencement OF ay0om
and hereafter instead OF two millions. ve or perhaps YEN
millions OF money will have TO be borrowed on the
credit of the government to make the payment and, -
understand, the only mode IN wbich the payment 70
be made is by increase OF duties upon forega con-
merce.
IL gentlemen will tell me that they are ready ~ neces
sity to make use OF the public lands fairly, they were
intended TO pay off the public debt, or II any OF them
win tell me that they ready al this time to submit 70
direct tax am willing 10 meet them believe thus would
be a good government IT, II were responsible govern
ment II the people knew how they were taxed. and
the manner in which their money was appropriated,
believe this government would be good government.
But so long you disguise from the people the form in
which money is raised and you leave 10 combnaaons
of maiores 10 appropriate for sections and combaaa-
ons OF sections there responsibility IN thls gov
ernmen and it is not that can maintain itse!I up0"
any principle whateverl the great principle upon
the representatives How you raise your money oy
horro,rnu in The frat instance How you 10 meet