The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-01-17

Letter or Senator Deagias to the Gsvornsr er
| Iliinsis. tha q
WAsaIxoToS, January Q. lssa
Sra; learn from the public press that you have under
the proposition 10 the Legislature
Ia special session In The sucL step shall be DE-
a0ded BY the public and necessities desire in
ve your attention TO sabject OF great interest 10 our
people. which may require legislative sctOn-l refer 70
the establishment OF efficient and permanent systr
for river aud haTbor improvements Thosc p0rtionD OF
the Union deeply interested in internal navigation
naturally feel that their interests have been neglected.
If no, paalyzed, by uncertain. vacating, anA pasl
sppi, or The shores OF The great northern lakes md
whose lives and property are frequently exposed 10 tho
mercy 81 INC elements for want Of habors Of refuge .nd
force of that distinction between fresh and salt water
which arms the power aud duty OF Congress, under the
The Tide ebbs and flows, and denies The existence Of The
right beyond the tidal mark Our lawyers may have rtod
IN English books that BY the common law oil waisfg
were deemed nav9ahe far the tide extended, and
urhef; but they should also have learned, from the
same authority, that the law founded upon reason,
and where The failed the rule ceased TO exi In
other waller which is in fact navisabe, except where the
tide rolls its hfiny wave II was natural that the law
should conform 10 the fact and establish that rule
which The experience oil all proved TO be founded in
truth and reason. st.g
Blu, il may well be questioned whether. If the common
law had originated on the shores oil Lake MichigAna
vast inland with average depth OF six hundred
| feei-it would have been deemed not nsvisnbit.,
merely because The tide did no, flow. and the wafer was
fresh aud well adapted 10 the and necessities OF
We therefore feel authorized repudiae, unreasona
Bile and unjust. all injurious tscrimnatons predcated
upon salt water and tidal Arguments, and 10 insist that
the power Congress TO project navigation has any exist
the constitution, reaches every portion Of this
Union where The wafer in fact navigabie. and only
csasss where the fact fails to exist. This power has
been affirmed IN some orm aud exercised greatsr OF
less extent BY each successive Congress- and every I'd.
mnsraon since The adoption OF the federal constitution
Of tishf
houses the planting OF buoys, The construction OF pe.
the removal OF the dredging Of channels, the In
IN short all enactmens for the security OF navigation ard
The safety OF lie and property within our naviKabe
ters assert The existence OF this power and The propsy
OF lis exercise In some FORM vi -
The great and growing interest OF navigation s too i'm
pouant 10 be overlooked dlsregarded. Mere negative
action will not answer. The Irregular and vaciilstng
policy, which has marked our legislation upon this sub
lec,, is runous. Whenever appropriations have been
proposed Tor river and barbor improvements and espe
ally on The northern lakes and the rves. thero
has usually been death struggle and doubtful ISSUE
We have generally succeeded With appropriation once
10 four or hve years IN other words we have upon IN
average been beaten about four times OF i've In one
house OF Congress ibe other both, by the prss
dental veto When did succeed, large portion OF
the appropriation was expended in providing dredging
machines and snag boas, and necessary machinery
and implements; and By The time The work fairly
begun The appropriation was exhausted. and iurther
operations suspended.
Failing to procure an additional appropriation 1t the
next session, and perhaps fof wo three or sue.
cessve ssssions. The admins aol has construed the re-
nss OF Cong provide the funds for the prosecution
OF The works into abandonment OF the system, and
accordingly deemed IL duty 10 SELL al public nuc
.oa lhe dfsaeing machines aud snss boa,s. mpsmsu.
aud materials hard for whatever they would bring
Soon the county again startled by irghul accounts
OF wrecks and explosions, hres snags upon the rv
ers the lakes, snd the The responsibility of
these appalling sacrifices lie and properly was charged
upoa those who defeated The appropriations for The poS
ecution OF the works. sympathy excited, and =
concerted plan OF agitation and organization formed BIZ
influence TO bear upon Congress in favor OF the Teesab
lisbnenl OF the system 90 enlarged scale, suiceut
ly comprehensive 10 embrace the local and In
hiencss IN majony OF The congressional distrcu of
the Uaon. legislative omnibus was formed, Ia
which all SORTS Of works were crowded together.
good and bad, wise aud foolish, national and locsl.
ali cramned into bill, and forced through COnEfsts
BY The power OF an organized majority, after the earte
and exnausiiDg struggle Of a night session The bill
would receive the votes of maoI,ty In e.ch houas NJ
because any senator representative approved al
the items contained IN il, but for the that human
ity as we'll as The stern demands OF injured and suf
terDg constituency required that they should make evD
ry neediu sacrifice oil money TO diminish the terbto o
Of human life By the perils OF navigation. The reanlt
was a simple re-enacment OF the oFmer A4h-
chinery, Implements and materials purchased The woss
recommenced-he money exhausted-subsequeni appso-
prations withbedand the operations suspended with-
out completing the improve mens contributing ma1e-
rally 10 The safety oil navigation. Indeed il may be well
questioned whether, as general rule the money has
been wisely and economically applied, and in many eDss
whether the expenditure has been productive of any NE
ful results. beyond the distribution of 20 much
money among contractors laborefs and supernendenh
IN the favored locali,es and in Others whether IL bss
not been OF positive deriment the navigating niesest
Far be i from my purpose TO call in question the in
,egrty science, skill Of those whose professional dsty
devise the plan and superin,end the coossruc-
ton OF the works But do insist that from the nature OF
their profession and their habits of e they could not BE-
expected TO possess that local know edge-thsf know-
edge OF currens and tidesihe effects OF storms noods
and ice always different and changing-in ssch To-
caiiy OF this widely extended country, which 10
ia IN determining upon the proper site and psn for
Improvement TO the navigation Without dsprseiafing
the value oil science or dsegardng iis preceps, have
captain or pilot who. for long series OF years. had
sailed out OF and into given port, in fair weather and
foul, and who had carefully and daily watched the
changes produced in The channel by the currsnfe end
storms, wreck and other obetruciions would Dsre
with confidence than that Of the most eminent pro-
esslona gentleman, whose kno and sciences in the
line OF his profession only equaed By his profound
ignorance OF all those local and practical Quesons which
ought determine the site and plan Of the proposed I'm
pIovemeni To me. therefore, !, is no longer matter
OF surprise that errors and bunders the mode of
constructing The works, and that olliee and extrava-
sance every where appear in the expenditure Of the
These evils 10 be inherent in the sys4em
least, they have thus far proven unavoidable and
have become 30 papable and notorious that il 10 wosss
than loily 10 close our eyes TO their existence.
Ia addition 10 these facts should be borne in mind
that arge and Intelligent portion OF the Americas yeo-
pie, comprising, perhaps majority of the democratic
stutng general system OF internal improvements by
he federal government, and therefore in violation 0f ahe
creed OF the democratic party and OF the consutoa os
be United States. These two.fold obectons--the one.
deoyng the constitutional power, and the other
dieney OF appropriations from the nalionai treasury