Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-29

eses are favored and others overlooked What 10 this bill
would say to my honorable friend from Georgia Mr. Daw-
sos) that s like many other measures which, rom une
to time, have been gotten up and received the s:ncou
Congress. Il is compromise. This comp.omslns spnn
runs through all legislation It is doctrne OF e'ner
practice which always has BEEN and always w oo'am upo
such questions How often have heard Iung 'n'ousn
this chamber that the constitution itself gea loa -
compromises, made BY sensible and lnte'ssn. r.
wished 10 effect great purpose and founded upon me nm
possibility of harmonxng al minds and all Interests great
country to the perfect satisfaction OF all Inc enmenc
the wisdom and virtues Of the statesmen whe formed mat
instrument is illustrated BY their Prscuoaa soas
sacrificing their opinions upon some SUBJECTS upon some
points Of policy ia order greater good
sure was ever the Congress OF the Oned a
commended itself TO the intelligence and :pProval OF every
member Of either House Of Congress, or which was enue
,a,isfactorv to any one member undertake to say, not
one admit this bill, like all othci huEan works. has ina
peections II does not commend itself 70 me In all It's De-
tails Honorable Senators speak Of amendments and COM
pan that many important objects excluded The sggre
gate amount proposed to be appropriated is larger than
desired it expedient to make any change would
cut down the bill instead ofaddng to it. But have opposed
be to lose the bill Irepeat that were to vote to amend
hould for diminishing and not for increasing ns APP
preparations Why, Of the most useful and IN some re-
specs one of the finest in the world lows y my
door-he Cumberland river i IS navgaole' O. some
seasons Of the year. for six hundred miles, boats
Of small class and in the principal business season noas
steamers Of thousand tons burden distance more IMAM
wo hundred miles. II flows into the Ohio and then us
waters reach and mix with the Mississippi APpropauons
have been made for it in former times, but the House OF Re
representatives. this year did not choose to incorporate IN
the bill Yeti would not offer an amendment for tnat nve
and would have voted against any oneed or
that by any Senator because should consider the
effect to be to kill the bill There is an appropriation IN TINS
bill for stream which flows in part through the state which
have the honor representative Tennessee RIVER but me
most important improvement 70 be made on tnas ser W"
of
the Stale of Alabama quite much portion Of Ten
nessee. So that properly speakng except small portion
Of that appropriation, not cent of money n this bill goes 70
the Of any object ver OF naiDoi
which affects and every other citizen Of one
urgent thal has had Prspondeatng influence on my
judgment in regard to this b-n regsrd to the expectancy
and policy Of this The Mississippi washes the west
ern border Of Tennessee All the waters which drain the State
Of Tennessee ow into the Mississippi directly or nd their
way into by uniting with the Ohio. Most Of the rich pro-
ducts Of the Stale it's thousands OF bales us Tobacco
and corn transported upon these waters and down the
Mississippi the great market of New Orleans The OBJ
structions and mpedmens the navigation Of the Missis
spp have become great OF late that learn that Passen
gers who once slept 10 security and passed ~ comparative
comfort and composnre down that gigantic stream. now fear
to seek repose in sleep by night or BY day. That stream
washes the border Of the State Of the honorable gentleman
from Mississippi my right (Mr Foorr, who 50 sternly
opposes this bill. II drains and carries of the produce
Of the States of Arkansas and louisiana and all the
States upon its upper tributaries The Senators from all
these States have and deep interest in the b
local and general They have Interest," ALSO IN the I'M
provements of the Ohio an interest in every stream which
drains every portion Of the magnificent valley Of the Mis-
sissippi.
Look at the condition Of the friends Of this BILL and judge
if they be denounced for their in its sup
port The question is whether we shall yield now, when
have decided expression Of sentiment in favor OF the
MEASURE This bill has been under consideration for two
daysfor hours Of actual and laboous session
We have had manifestation Of majority Of eight or ten
vote upon numerous propositions to give the gohy
great 1t is called for by the necess
ties of the great West It is called for by humanity. is
called for by higher considerations than mere property 1t
reaches the interests Of life itself for pes by night and by
day encompass the thousand lives well as the millions Of
property daily embarked upon the tubid Violent and now
dangerous current Of the father Of rivers to nothing OF the
perls in the navigation Of its great tributaries No gentle
knows this better than the honorable Senator from Lou
sana (Mr DowSs who sits before me, and who has dis
tingushed himself BY his opposition to this bill Shall we
give up such measure under such circumstances
Mr.. DOWNS will say to the gentleman, that it the
friends Of the bill will strike out its Objectionable features, no
Senators will 60 further than my colleague and myself to
prorate for clearing out and removing the snags and impede
mens from the Mississippi river But the Senator believe
voted against increasing the appropriation for that great river
Mr.. BELL. did, and would do II again with the great
est pleasure and most patriotic motives The proposition
from the enemies Of the BILL consider that the effect
of such proposition would be kill the BILL whether it
50 intended or not-and / imputed motive. There is
already proposed be appropriated every cent that be
usefuy and economically applied by any Execu.ive-he
most rgetic and industrious
Sir, the West demands such appropriation this, and
this time. Sir repeat that the safety Of the lives and
Of the property Of the people Of the great Valley in the prose-
cuton Of commercial enterprises and the enjoyment OF social
inercourseso intimately connected with and dependant upon
the navigation Of those great rvesdepends upon the sue
Of this Their great channels Of ntercommu-
ncaton should be improved They entitled to protection
and the fostering of the Government not what
particular clause Of the constitution may be considered
power the power to regulate commerce do not care
whre you locate the power You May place upon all three
you choose, il placed thirty years ago by the
distinguished Secretary Of War at that time the late Mr.
Calhoun. The power we have. These appropriations are
demanded not for the purpose Of the local expenditure Of the
public money, mpute but for the safety protection
and advancement Of internal and intercourse Nine
or ten millions Of dollars appropriated annually for
the protection Of foreign commerce. in the support OF navy
What do you with navy but to support and protect
your foreign commerce. You would have foreign wars
you abandoned your foreign commerce II is our foreign
and commercial intercourse that involves all our foreign
wars And besides that you will have need OF fortifca
tons you abandon your commerce. No foreign Power will
come here TO attack but for the interests and relations
growing out OF your foreign trade We Chinese en-
pre- Our civilization not Of such nature, nor are our
riches Of such kind that foreign nations would come 70 our
shores. and insist on trading with against our will Even
your war with Mexico is alleged to have out Of vio-
country Abandon your foreign commerce, let it shift for
ITSELF and you will have for navy, for expensive
Notifications sudding your believe that for
tcations alone twelve hundred thousand
dollars annually There also your lighthouse establishment
for the benefit Of the foreign and the coag trade costing