The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-05-05

sixty or seventy miles in length, aud from three
to twenty in breadth. 1t is in some places very
shallow, in others from fifty TO one hundred feet
deep; which is much more than the depth of
the Mississippi river in that quarter. In sail
ing over its surface in the light canoe, the voy-
ager is struck with as.onishment at beholding
the giant trees Of the forest standing par tally
exposed amid waste Of waters, branchless
and leatiess. But the wonder is still further
increased on casting the eye through the dark.
blue profound, to observe cane brakers cover
ing lis bottom, over which a mamoth species of
testudo is occasionally seen dragging lis slow
length along, whilst countless myriads Of fish
are sporting through the acquatic thickest''
That, Mr.. President il truthful description
ofthe country for whose rec very from its pres
cnt depinrab!e situation the senators and repre-
seniatixes from Missouri and A. kansas had f r
thirty years implored the in,erposton of the
federal government, but without success. The
federal landlord would neither give the lands to
The States, nor appropriate a frw thousand dol
lars to remove the RATS OF fallen timber which
contributed much to cause the subnergng of
those lands. In vain it was represented that
these lands were valueless; that they spread
death and DISSOLUTION among ,ke people and sur-
rounding country and furnished naught hut an
abode for wild beas and lcalhsoine replies
For thirty years these repre- entatons were uu
needed and it was not until the session bef re
the last when, by the successful oxerions Of the
spna or from Arkansas, Congress consented 70
surrender It's barren scpptre over those doomed
spots of earth.
Ii the crssion Gf tie swamp lands in Iowa is
Ia be brough, forward here, and assigned either
reas.n why the amendment If the senator
f ON Kentucky should be adopted or as a reas,n
why you will MT make this gran, am pre-
pared to vote for proposition repealling the
swamp law $, FIR IS my State is concerned II
is a matter OF snail consequence to Iowa and
if 1t is 70 be used t, d,.ftat hel in one Of deep
moment, say am willing to wipe it from the
statu e-book.
Mr.. President, am perhaps too la.itudinarian
in ms views OF the proper construction OF the
constitution of the United States The fear
that am so in The greatest weigh; that resi
npon my mind III the performance of my public
duty have declared my willingness On all
occasions 10 vote money TO remove obstruc' ions
in those rivers and lakes which can be fairly re-
gardcd as of national Importance and there
wish 10 stop. Most other improvements Of m
internal character can be much b. tier and more
economically made by The s ates
NV. the senator from Kentucky, in expatia.
ing on the value of these swamp lands, express
cs his deep regret that the government IT The
United ST, is dill n4t undertake their reciama-
ton rnther than surrender them 10 the Sales
1 cannot believe that this great federal govern
mens, which was Trained to conduct the foreign
relati MS of the country and other general mat
ters. should enter he limits OF sovereign States,
spade in hand and become a digger Of di' ches sr
drainsf at swamps. think The very best dis
position which could have been made of them is
tha, which has been made s-4
Now. look at The State Of Louisiana. In
dividuals in that STATE, for hundreds # miles
almos, mp to her northern boundary, hare