The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-09-19

The friends Of the bill should. think adopt the amend
ment because ii il does not work well Il will deprive the
opponents OF river and habor bills OF the last yesge OF
ground TO stand upon. All men admit that this protec.
ton must be given BY somebody Let us Try and see
the States cannot do H. II they cannot, Congress must
Them let US reduce this plan OF tonnage duties to regu
lar and uniform system. Let Try il. and see how
will work. wish 10 see IL have fair trial
am led to il from another consideration. You have
not money in the treasury now to do any percephble
good upon the harbors and rivers OF this country. You
select few harbors and say they the principal
you expeud the money these few, and leave nine
enhs OF the harbors unprovded for because you have
not money enough TO provide for all. Now, would il
not be fair to let those which Insignificant not
TO get into the present bill have the power of levyng
tonnage duties in order 10 make barbos for themselves
You Justify yourselves in extending your bill
them, because you have not money enough Then, /
ask, let that be done by the States themselves. There
is point in my Stale which is not provided for In this
/ bill II is point where the people have gone on and
struggled, hazarding their commerce out on the broad
lake without any habor, although their boats liza
until they have built up population Of five thousand.
with large commerce, and yet they have never had
dollar from this government Will you refuse TO give
them money now 10 improve their harbor and al the
same time refuse them the privilege OF levying tonnage
duties that coTfsSce which they havn bnli up, in
order to make thelranrbor You ought to exercise the
power yourselvesor give them permission TO do it. So
il is upon every little harbo these lakes Your pres
ent system is complete sacrifice OF the small harbors
while al the time you do not provide sufficiently
and adequately for the larger ones believe that the
amendment which propose will provide abundanty for
the large aTbors and do all that be done for the
snail
| Sir take this position must either give this
sent either allow the local authorities to take
charge OF these works the extent that they proper
or must raise money and protect life and property
upon navigable waters ourseves and you have not
money to do the latter. Nothing short OF five millions
year is enough for the northern lakes. Those principal
harbors will from five hundred thousand to million
OF dollars each and yon will find it out before you get
through i IS useless TO disguise the fact-yoa have
many harbors commenced that million OF dollars
will not complete under the management OF this govern
| ment.
There is no use OF concealing these plain truths from
ourselves. The revenue OF this government for the last
half century has not been enough extract the snags
out OF the Mississippi river under the present system
and when you going TO get money enough 10 carry 1t
on | will not undertake to say how much will be
quired on the coast OF the Pacific, in California and Ore
gon.
1t has been suggested in private conversation that
my amendment would operate unequally in driving bnsi
ness from place where the duties were levled,hat if
town levied duties and another did levy them,
commerce would be driven away from the town that
levied them. The best illustration can give TO my own
constituency upon this subject is TO refer to the practice
steamboat that lands at ST. Louis Quincy, any other
point upon the river, far as am informed, pays
wharfage duty 70 the corporation Of the town for pe,ms
sion 10 land Did any hear OF commerce being
driven away from one OF those towns by The fact that the
steamboats, had 10 pay these duties for to land
against the quay! Certainly not; because if good
landing were not made the boats would not STOP and
commerce would not come TO the town. The owners OF
boats would rather pay duty for good wharf to anchor
q
hazardous landing Just in proportion as town has
rendered its landing place safe and convenient for the
slightest reference TO the duties collected have been al
most amazed when have stood upon boat at oil the
principal cities upon the Mississippi and landing
made accessible by appropriations OF two hundred
thousand dollars the federal treasury and yet city
charged five dollars boat for permission land against
ha, quay This principle prevails all over the western
country at large towns and small Ii is called
wharfage duty care not by what you call Il, the
principle that lay down s that you improve the landing
the anchorage to make the safe and easy
the proprietor OF the boat willing to pay duty Tor IT.
because it will money in the time gained in
loading and loading and the safety OF entering and depart
ng than the whole amount OF the duty. Wherever,
therefore, the money wisely expended in improving the
navigation OF the channels OF rivers, in the entrance
OF harbors the money paid more than three times re-
funded IN the cbeapness OF transportation Take any
two towns upon the lakes equally situated II one
should levy tonnage duties and the other should not and
thereby got good harbor and the other had bad
the good habor would draw the business notwi,h-
standing that Il might cost few dollars more. IN the
shape OF duties to enter It, On the contrary, alter you
have made haTbos safe and commodous. II you pnt
any more duty than is necessary tends to drive away
business
my proposition il will be the interest OF every
town 10 levy Just much money necessary to make
a safe and conmodous harbor, and no more; and this
precisely the provision OF the amsndment-ihat they
may levy much necessary for that purpose and
no more, provided 1t does not 60 above the limit
shall not deain the Senate longer. My state OF
health has been such that have been compelled TO dis
cuss the subeci irregulary and will only add let the
Remember that do not ask you to strike out an item
from the BILL ak Las addition, that may guard
against those irregularities that have taken place when
you make appropriations in ten years, and in the
time leave the works 10 go TO and destruction.
rest under the firm conviction a western deep
" interested in both lake and river navigation, that this
will do more for the protection OF commerce upon those
lakes and rivers and for the preservation OF life and
property, than all the appropriations you have made
will make from the national treasury Yet, sir
am compelled 10 vote for appropriations from the treas
ufy until we have tried this plan. and experience has
demonstrated whether not il will answer the purpose
which believe will result from IL.
Mr. CASS. will not deain the Senate FIVE minutes.
have listened with great attention TO the remarks Of the
senator from Illinois, tMr DoucLAs1 and would have
Tie has evidently collected his facts with great industry
and spread them before with great deal Of II
subject, well worthy OF our serious consideration
II is difficult TO tell the bearings of such proposition
this without someconsiderablc investigation inrodu
fundamental changes in legislation would therefore,
submit the honorable from Illinois, MI Douc
Lasl whether s within the limits Of legislative prac-
ucabty to have such system this perfectly eonsd
cred and passed by the Senate and the House OF Repesen
taves during the present session Would il not be great
deal better 10 let this matter 90 ont TO the country with
the honorable senator's able speech upon II, and LET the
public opinion be formed upon itl We can then come
back to this place winter competent TO lnves,
gate its details and ascertain its principles II seems to
marks and then shall have nothing more TO say upon the
subject at present
confess do moi see the tendency OF this proposition
sufficiently pronounce deliberate opinion upon It's re-
suits. But present my Impressions are adverse To
sho knaA hla 4 fouI