The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-09-25
SENATE.
p.vrp AVN HARB0R BILL.


Mr. ATcH[SON understand the proposition before
he Senate 10 be this that the Senate disagree TO all the
amendments made TO Ibis bill in committee oil the
The PRESIDING OFFICER (AIr. Foor in the chair)
The question now before the Senate is upon eoncurnng
with the committee OF The whole IN their hrst amend
men changing and increasing me appropriations loi ,ne
improvements OF the Mlssssipp river and ITS trloua
MIR ATCHISoN Well. il is the same thing to agree
or disagree. Now, ! believe that every amendment
made 40 This BILL admitting that the principles upon
which the bill based are corect-l think that every
amendment adopted Improvement upon the bill, be-
ause /, is distributing The funds thus taken from the ma
onal treasury for ihess purposes mote equally and as
believe more benehcially. Now, take The tennessee
;vsr and compare that with other objects for which
appropriations are made N inns bllI Inc question Is
whether that river not OF mS.e Importance in com
mercal point OF view and 10 national point view, than
The Bayou Laionrche. ~ Louisiana, or the Appomat
ox river The James Ver, IN Virginia, or the lrinity
river or the Colorado river, in Texas. Now, although
there are not appropriations here for the Improvement oil
the rivers have named yet there are appropriations for
surveying them mean disespect 10 The great state OF
Texas or her great rivers And admit, too, that the
rivers upon the Atlantic seaboard OF great import
ance and should be improved But these appropriations
are contained in the original bill hold that the appro
praton of $i50.000 for The purpose OF building snag
Boats and other machinery TO be used upon the Mssls
sipp Missouri, and Arkansas rivers is great improve
ment the bill and seems 10 be admitted on all hands
that proper TO make an appropriation for that pur
pose or the other appropriations will amount to moth
ing And the increasing The appropriation Tor the clear
ing out Of the raft OF the Red river from 1000, as was
in The bill when it from the House, TO $780,
OOO as it now stands is think, another improvement
upon bill, you intend effect the object in view.
And 30 think OF most every other amendment in the
bill-each amendment is an Improvement OF the bill.
Them 10 disagree 10 these amendments is to say at once
that the Senate has been wanonly and foolshy dspos
ing OF the time OF the Senate for the last three or four
days in thus making amendments to this bill for
Of them have been made by large majority OF the Senate,
and some OF them without any opposition at al
Now, do not say thar shall vote for this bill as
povemen upon the bill But how my friend from Louis
lana mr. DowNsl can reconcile il 10 himself when he
objects TO certain amendments made TOR the survey OF the
Rappahannock river river of decidedly
cial importance larger stream, and watering larger
district of country, and with larger commerce than
many other rivers in this bill, il came from toe
House-how he reconcile himself 10 vote for the
bill with those appropriations in IL and then raise OBJ
lection 10 the amendment appropratng money for the
survey Of the Rappahannock liver, cannot well see,
Mr. DOWNS. The gentleman from Missouri Mr..
ATCHIsoN] 10 have eatrey forgotten the current
Of debate The other day. in which this great matter OF the
Bayou Lafourche fully explained | admit that
taking the OF the alone into consideration rs
stated the other day, the Bayou Lafourche might be
Questionable as the Rappahannock nver. But STATED
the other day that did not consider the two 10
under the rule al this time, taking all the cir
cumsances into consideration. because the Bayou La
fourche has been obslructes by the government OF the
United States in time OF Tor purposes OF defence and
the appropriation was TO remove these obstruction.
which informed the Senate had been placed there by
the United States Now why does the gentleman recni
to this thing in this conneson Those who framed th.
bill must have been satisfied, suppose, from the facts
that have stated that this government did place hess
obstruclions there. II those facts do not exist Then
strike this appropriation out, and will not object to u
But il they do exist then the gentleman IS not so tfi
umphant in his Argument upon this matter he ihak:
he II is matter OF very little consequence; and o
that reason do think that when the United States makes
obstruction in time OF war, however small II may be-
whether il be 10 stop railroad, canal or anything
else which may tend TO lDure the locality IN which that
obstruction is made, il ought TO be remoyed-he govern
ment ought at once 10 remove The lmpedmenl which they
Mr. ATCHISON WELL sir, | will abandon this
Bayou Laiourche; will give that up although am told
4 is perfectly dry @ whenevvf The Mississippi Is low 9,
this thing, and il is the effect OF human nature
When there is an appropriation for an improvement
within the limits OF our own Stale, that fact renders
somswhat constitutional than similar appropria-
hon in another State; and therefore is proper and right
Now, want the Senate TO take into consideration this
appropriation Tor the Appomaitox nver, small strea,
which, am told, Is navgable Tor twelve miles, aDd
emp.ies into the James riyer Now, atlke thai out; 4
does not cosRe wpn Jour rnle IL is not work o ma
tonai importance. Bot nnk The amen lm.nIs 70 The
bill decidedly improvements. Now, will call the
attention OF my friend froa Iowa Mr.. DoDGE] to the
$4,000 additional appropriation Tor The upper rapids o
Mr.. DODGE, Of Iowa. That was Iosl.
Mr. ATCHlSON. Then regret II very much. for
think that appropriation might have well been made
But viii vote for The amendments; will sustain the
amendments made TO this bill and trust that majority
OF The Senate will do III the bill must pass, lei Il gc
in lie very bes, and mos, equitable form Now il iher,
is anything in the argument al all Il is this Ii the Sen
ate amend this bill, there is danger of losing II in IN,
House OF Representatives. That is tbs argument Nov
do not think there is anything in that THIS bill passed
the House Of Representatives BY large majority ant
yet The senator from Tennessee Mr. JoNEs tells you
Shat all the members IRON the States oil Kentucky snC
Teppessee, with one exception, voted against this bill
ssa be now believes that the additional appropriation.
made TO the bill here viii tend rather TO strengthen Il in
the House than TO weaken it, But suppose tmainians
bat The same strength in the House that il required
send il here-tha il really bad when was sent here
Why, sir there il week left before the close of h.
aesson; and II you send the bull to the House morrow
II you please venture TO say that the House of Repre-
ssnaiives will act upon IL under the previous question
and find some way by which the passage OF this bill wal
be secured before the end OF the session And sup
pose that under The operation OF their rules they are
hhed 10 postpone il Tor three months; that is ali the,
can do; and then understand that under the rules o
The House Of Repfeseratives and this body, the matte
g, haye s position upon our calendar Tor acuon at az
early period Of ,he next eessiog
MIR DOWNS. They can reject the bill.
Mr. ATCHiSON, That il Impossible A large ma
oriy OF the members OF the other House are IN favo
Of the bill They disagree TO our amendments,
win admit but then we can back out. iIsnsstttss.
Therefore can see nothing in that argument see ne
eeleeen 70 the senate certifying that these amendment
are hight, as they have slteady certted IN committee o.
,Gs whole BY very large votes sometimes upon ihc cal
OF ,he yeas and nays, sometimes upon division, ant
sometimes without II il is admitted that these amend
nenls are right and proper objection al all TO the
Senate saying so nov
M BurlER | shall net 20 al large into this subiec
py any means hut dlsnEty und derssnd iEom all ih'
parues VINO are lfendy to this bill that The great pom
menis.
MI BADGER. Not geaeral system.
MT tAoS Not 10 commence bat 10 continue, a sys