The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-07-07

lAI ~OtA ANS|'
Af,sr some Introductory remarks addressed
Cisrially to Mr. Campbell, OF Galsna' MI
IN. : - the chair and the House in ths
Mr. Chairman, the bill upon-o-,, ..a ..n.
tIeInan from Illinois has made his remafss--s,.,s
most important to the people vhcm | have the
honor to represent upon This floor. They have
! cherished it for hvc long years They have
'ooked TO the result with most anxious feelings
| deep and lively. | can assure Won. air. they
| look to no result Of Legislative Character
none of political charact, r, VITA anything like
| the depth and sensi'veness of inlerss. with
which they regard this measure.
Mr.. Char,nan, let me ask you, and through
You; the gentleman who has just taken his seat,
fMr Cannpbell,l whether the people Of Iowa
| shall be permitted TO enjoy the control o iheir
own affairs, to select their own representatives
to speak for them, IN this high place of g;sli-
tion, or whether they will Commit that trust to
the gentleman from Illinois? When my con-
stituents are ready to choose the latter alterna-
tive, 1 hope the gentleman from Illinois will
present his credentials, and give US, who are
legally here due notice, at any rate, of the ex-
tent To which he claims to represent the people
ofan adjoining State. The gentleman has slid,
that there were those Of the people OF Iowa who
look with feelings Of opposition to the passage
OF bill which conteDplates the construction
OF road from one particular point to another
particular point which he has named How
much greater knowledge of the facts upon this
subject he may have than have, it is not for
me to say admit that the gentleman lives in
the neighborhood Of the district which repre-
sent l admit there is some commercial commu-
nica'lon from part of my State, to the town
in which he lives, and it is possible he may oc-
casionally have heard sentiments such as he has
alluded to to- day. But was there ever proecl-
ed great commercial channei to which there
was no opposition? | undertake to say, the peo-
pie whom 1 represent are as unanimous upon
this measure, as they could reasonably be ex-
pected 10 be upon a measure OF like character.
MIR. Chairman, have said that the people of
Iowa have cherished this scheme for long years
The gentleman from Illinois has intm ated that
so tar as the opinion and wishes Of the mass of
the people of Iowa are concerned, it was without
authority. Now, say to him that lie speaks
aside from the record-that he ialsiies the re-
cord when he makes that statement
Mr. Campbell desire not to be misunder-
stood. | said that had letters from respectable
gentlemen in the State of Iowa protesting in
the strongest terms against this grant OF land
for the construction Of the Dubuque and Keo-
kuk road
Mr.. Clark. Did understand the gentleman
to refer to any letters other than the one he
| received from the committee to which we allud-
ed
Mr.. Campbell. That was the letter refer
Mr. Clark asked the gentleman as to the
| authorship of that letter, but he did not inform
Mr.. Campbell. said it was signed by the
committee
Mr. Clark. asked him to read the letter, but
he refused. l utterly repudiate that evidence,
which cannot be produced. 1t may be fictiiou.
| and without the least force.
Mr. Campbell. | will state that this was
letter which was sent to me, and that do not
know whether it was the design of those who
sent it, that it should be made public and there
fore, cannot read it here. If The gentleman
desires to see it privately, can show it to him,
but cannot give it publicity unless know that
the writers intended it for such.
MIR. Clark. Then the gentleman has no right
to speak of it to this House. We have the
privilege to know the authenticity Of documents
which are presented here, and upon which the
gentleman plants his opposition to this bill
There are interests at which, it they prevail,
are, in a commercial point of view, to make our
people and which, if they do not prevail, will
leave them in leanness and poverty for long
years. Why, sir, in q court of justice, the ge
tleman would not be permitted to allude to
matter of evidence VIII ch he could not produce.
| know we have not the same stringent rules in
force here, but in consideration of the great
interests which at stake, submit that any
such mode of producing evidence is unfair and
unjust. pronounce 1t disingenuous it
would be if any other great interest were at
| stake in court Of justice. The gentleman will
understand that speak in terms nf no disrespeet,
when say repudiate the thing l say tina.
for myself, as trust other gentlemen will say
for themselves that it will not work the slight
est conviction or prejudice. Then, sir, l say
the gentleman misrepresents the people CT
Iowa, when he says they regard this pr@ject as
without authority,
But alluded to the record of the evidence
Of this fact. There have been not less than
three legislative memorials upon this very sub
ject. 1t has been contemplated. 1t has been
canvassed and recanvassed Ii has been exam
ined with care under counsel and with knowl-
edge of the facts for the last five years Our
| Legislature has sent its memorials here from
time to time, asking you to act upon the strength
of their request thus formally and authoritative
ly set forth. Yet the gentleman for Illinois
says this is voluntary proceeding. He says
the advocates of this bill are acting without
authority. That is the substance oft !; that our
scheme, like Jonah's gourd, has sprung up in a
night, and suppose he would be the worm
which would gnaw at its roots, and cause 1t to
wither trust that il may not be 50.
| What is the statement Of facts upon which
the gentleman chiefly places his argument p
Why, he says that object IS to supersede the
I,necessty for lllei Improvement of the Des Moine
Rock River Rapids in the Mississippi river. No
such purpose can be entertained by one repre-
| sentng district along side of those rapids
upon one side, and just much interested in
their improvement as the people upon the other
side can be. do net believe any such purpose
is designed by those interested in the Dubuque
and K Keokuk road do not put this road upsn
that ground, namely, that 1t is necessary to con-
struct it tor the purpose of obviating the rapids.
No man feels more sensitively than do the
necessity Of the great rivers of the country, as
the commercial channels of the country. And,
sir, if you make us this grant, so that we shall
be able to construct this road we will never say
that we will forbear to ask for an app-olriat en-
to clear out these rapids, 50 to give unobstruc-
ted vaga,on of the great river of the country
from its mouth TO the Fslls of St. Anthony
but, on the contrary, We tell you now, as we
will tell you hereafter, that we will labor as
zealously for an appropriation to improve those
rapids as if this road should never be construct
Mr.. Seymour, of New York. The gentleman
v ill permit me to ask him, whether, if this road
is constructed, he deems it a necessary work
for the Government to undertake to improve
lnOSe TdpluS Dy CutuuS Shohie' van oe0seS
to him, that the estimates from the Department
represent that it will cost between S$3Oo, 900 and
800 900 to cut a channel in the rapids.
Mr. Clark. Most unquestlonably. Why, sic
all that upper region OF country isInterested in
the Improvement Of the rapids. deny the fact
that the interest is confined 10 the region of ra.
pids themselves. All the districts, from New
Orleans to St. Anthony, are just as much inter
ested in the improvement of the rapids as the
district of the gentleman from Galena Mr..
| Campbell.] my own.
Sir, the Mississippi is great public highway
1t IS a commercial channel, but it is national in
its character, and appropriations ought to have
been made long ago for the removal Ut these OBJ
struc ctons, and the construction ofthis road can
never lessen that obligation nor the necessity
The gentleman has told you that there are
many towns growing up on the Mississippi river
which will be injured by road passing in this
direction. Sir, it is all fancitul; those towns
will not be inj ured to any very great degree, If
at all, by the construction OF this road; and in
consideration of the plans we have in view, for
system of roads in Iowa, all the chief towns
upon the Missss ppi river will be benefited if the