Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-08-15
Mr. stuart's Letter.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ]
WAsHINGroN july %, lS46. {


The grant to The State of Iowa, under the
oct Of the 9Th of August 1916, for the
improvement of the Desmoines river,
does not extend above Racco0n Fork.
No steps will be taken, however, for
bringing into marke, the lands claimed
by the State above that point. until after
The close of the next cession of Congress.
in order that the State may petition Con.
gress for an extension Of the grant.
lam Sir, Very Respectfully.
| Your Obedient Servant,
| ALEX. Ill. I'll. STUART.
Secretary.
V. VAN ANTWERP, ESQ.
Commissioner &c,
Keokuk, Iowa.
Letter fom the Commissioner.
KEoKuK, August 8, 1851.
+. B. CuMING-ED. DIspArcH.
Sir: The very great, may say in
truth, without a shadow OF exaggera.
ton, the intense anxiety, withdrawing
lately returned from trip up the 0es-
moines,-I know TO exist in the public
mind, every where throughout the val
ley, founded upon the faiiering pros
poets recently held out for The vigorous
| prosecution and early completion Of
the improvement of the ri-er-prospecis
which are now suddenly and most unex-
peciedly blasted for the time being
must serve as my apology for adj
dressing you this communication, and
asking its publication IN your paper of
| 'o-day
j You are aware that, ever since the
10Th OF April last, have been engaged
in correspondence--thas running
through period of four mon,hs-wuh
a New York firm (Messrs. Bangs
Brothers & co., OF heavy contractors
and extensive internal improvement OPP
orators in different. States of the Union,
in order 10 consumma,e. if possible an
arrangement with them, by which they
would undertake the construction OF the
/ works; and carry them through to a
cempletion; and that, in consequence of
that correspondence, having first made,
by letter, bid for The whole improve.
ment, A. Bangs Esq one of that firm.
arrived here from New York on the
26ihe ultimo--twelve days ago--for the
purpose of examining the works, and
concentrating the contract.
You are also aware that, very soon
after his arrival here, Mr.. Bangs, accom-
panied by myself and the engineer upon
The works, proceeded to examine them,
ard The river at other points where he
desired; going up for this purpose by
land; Mr.. b. and the engineer returning
in ekif down the river 10 its mouth,
and thence To this place, which we all
reached on the nigh, Of Tuesday last,
the 9Th inst.
| And you are further aware that since
our return, to wit, throughout all OF
yesterday and the day before. Mr..
Bangs, Mr.. GiIlaspy (my colleague as
Register Of the Desmoins Improvement,
and who came down with me from Or
iumwa for that purpose.) and myself,
aided by the Engineer, who had CON-
pieted copies of the specifications,
which were made out new, and much
more full and comprehensive than they
were before,-of every work (locks
dams and canals) embraced in the pro-
| posed mprovement-were engned in ar
ranging the details Of the. contract, the
main features Of which had been agreed
upon by us, and partially blocked out.
! On last evening we had arrived AT
such a point in the negotiations. as 10
believe that by the came honr to-day the
whole arrangement might be consnmma-
ted. and the contract signed; when, on
going 10 the post-olfice. | received from
the Secretary Of the Interior Depart
ment, al Washington Ciiy,-so whom
also | had addressed two long COM
| municstions upon The subject OF the
lands above the Raccoon Forks, and
received no answer from him until now
1.-The enclosed letter under date Of the
26th ultimo, deciding against the exien-
sion above the Forks Of the grant Of
lands made by Congress for the Des-
moines mprovemenl-which oil course
defeats, for the present, the arrangemen,
as first proposed, and upon the point Of
being consummaicd with The New York
Company, and blasts the hopes, SO con-
iden,ly and reasonably cherished. as to
the speedy completion Of the entire
work
What makes this decision Of Mr..
Stewart and the opinion Of Mr.. Crit
,enden the more surprising and yexa-
tious, are the facts, as stated by our
Senators, Generals Dodge and Jones,
that The former. prior to The adjourlmen,
Of Congress, in March last, gave them
the assurance that he should snsiaia the
former Attorney General (Hon. Reyer-
Idly Johnson) in the ground he had taken
in his very ably written opinion in favor