The daily union., 1854-02-26
nairman OF The committee thai shall personally be very


chairman Of The committee thai shall personally be very
Mr CASS. Mr. President. fully concur with what
my colleague has said upon this subject My desire is
have the resolution considered that the subject may
be acted upon BY The Senate early possible Asmy
colleague has very correctly stated these appropriation
bills uniformly reach from the House Of Representa-
lives late period that in the long sessions they are
under the most favorable circumstances, carried into the
months OF July. August. or September before they are
passed The consequences Is, that the business OF that
year is entirely lost or, ii not os is done so hastily
that i, is necessarily done badly aud e1pensyely can
speak upon this subject from experience for have seen
the efee, OF it. The appropriations should be made at an
early part OF the year, that ihe appropriation designed
for that may be expended before the season has pass
ed away the work should go on soon as the season
will permit. otherwise your time and money are lost
There are some OF these APPROXIMATIONS iot WORKS o.
character where expenditures have already
been madeas for instance The works upon the lakes
and appropriations for dredging boats and unless the
work goes on what has been spent will be utterly lost
and sacrificed. has been the before. Upon
this subject desire to sayspeakng for my portion OF
the Unionhat consider these appropriations essential
ly necessary or It's prosperity; and nave radical ob]ec
tions the transfer o tins Tor improving our NV
es and harbors 10 the Stale authorities In The hrst
place, believe IL would take ages, upon any system OF
tonnage duties that could be adopted, before the object
could be effected and. in the next place do not want
what consider the legitimate powers OF this government,
transferred any where ese; want them strictly executed
but | want them faithfully and consti,nlonay exer-
csed. There is "nolse and confusion about That
That is all plain.
Now, Mr President do not mean that would
push the system to extremes IT has been carried too
much TO extremes already. am opposed 10 canals or
roads being made by the general government under the
OF internal improvements but from the foundation
OF the government expenditures for the Improvement OF
habors and the mouths OF rivers have been made APP
preparations OF that kind have been made from General
w ashingtons day down 10 this day. and think the
power clear in The constitution, or 1t confers any gen
era power al ALI there power 10 carry on national I'M
pfovements of this sort am, therefore, exceedingly
anxious that this subject should come before the Senate
at early day. and come before us in such way that
the committee may act upon il and report bill.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. Mr.. President hope the honor
able chairman OF the Committee Commerce will not
insist posponement OF this matter. moved the
other morning to take up bill which had been reported
by the Committee on Commerce. Tor the removal OF the
distractions al the mouth of the Mississippi river and
the honorable senator from Michigan [Mr STUART OBJ
ected taking the bill up for consideration, upon the
ground that il proper subject to be inserted in
general bill Since that day, Mr. President, have
ceyed letters from merchants of the city of New Orleans
upon This very subject; and will state to the Senate
that from the foundation OF the government or al any
rate from the admission of the State oil Louisiana into
the Union, repeated appropriations have been made for
The purpose OF improving the navigation at the mouth oil
the Mississippi rivera navigation, sir, which interests
not only the State which represent in part, and the
whole valley of the Mississippi bu, j, interests in sps
cia degree the constituency OF the honorable senator
from Maine, and the citizens OF every seaport upon the
Atlantic seaboard
Las, year the sum OF $4,000 was expended under
contract Tor opening the mouths OF the Mississippi We
have report from the Secretary OF War which estab-
fishes the TACT that this s the first appropriation which
has been made by the ior that improve
ment that has had any beneficial effect This Of
S75 900, pul as is tor work OF that magnitude, has
been expended this beneficial result that for The last
twelve months have had depth OF eighteen feet
of water the bar at the mouth Of the Mississippi But
the reports ot the engineers, and the letters OF these
chants whom have referred inform me that The chan
mel is filling up, and unless an immediate appropriation be
made TO continue the dredging SYSTEM which has thus
operated with beneficial effect shall again be SUI
ferng the same evils which the commerce OF the whole
country suffering the period when tba, small appro-
pra,ion made lts therefore. amaer Of
to the commerce OF the West that any bill which contains
| an appropriation for this particular Improvement should
be reported and acted upon al early day. concur in
every word that has fallen from the honorable senator
from Michigan who last spoke, [Mr CAss All the ap-
propriatons that make will be made ya SO far as
regards works that have already been commenced If we
make them at 80 late period OF the session 10 allow
The works already begun be destroyed and rendered
useless before an additional amount is appropriated for
their completion. But If make early appropriation,
only will The already expended prove be me-
fetal, but we shall have seryiceable basis upon
which 10 complete the improvement AS the honorsb BILE
senator from Michigan has said. this is not a test
question which is now presented to us for decis
ion we are not now discussing the system OF inter-
nal improvements; and any senator who will vote for
this resolution now may wuh perfect consistency, when
the bill shall be reported from the Committee on Com
vote against any section OF the bill vote any
particular appropriation Tor object oil internal improve
meDi vote against the whole bill The object of The
resolution merely 10 enable us to act efficiently upon
the subject; and under these circumstances cannot
that IS necessary that the Senate should be yery full
when the taken upon the adoption OF The resou
ton hope il will be passed this morning
Mr. HAMLlN. llsvcry true that the passage OF this
resolution proposes test bill may be reported by
The Committee on Commerce, against which members OF
that comu ltee and other senators may vote when re-
ported That is all very lrue bat II is equally true thai
this resolution does propose radical and lhorough
change IN the proceedings oi the Senate proposes 10
report the appropriation bill o the Improvement OF rivers
and bors the Senaie-a thing That has never We,
been done Before the Senate shall take that course
propose TO say very few words giving my views and
the why think IT 10 nludcious TO adopt thai
policy. Perhaps can say what little | have 10 sa,
upon this subject well this morning as al any other
time bat there are senators who have spoken 10 noe upon
the subject and will refer to in particular. The
senator IRON Virginia, who sits upon my left mir MA.
sos and who IL not now in his seat desires to be heard
when ihe matter comes up therefore ask nasmucb az
proposes radical change in he OF proceeding
10 the Senate that the confederation OF this resolution may
be postponed until next Wednesday morning Nv friend
from Louisiana knows that have no meeting OF our
committee until Wednesday morning. and therefore IL tne
resolution sbal be adopted before Wednesday it will moi
be considered before that time II will, therefore do
equally well TO pass IL Tuesday morning az to day
therefore hope, ios these reasons that may 20 over
until Tuesday morning when II can be TAX en- up II The
Senae think proper TO do so.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. Why not name Monday morning =
We may not be able 10 get u acted upon on Tuesday
Mr.. HAMLIN. Oa Monday morning il is yery IN civ
that we shall have thin Sense and there are serious
objections ia the minds o senator's 10 reporting
bill OF this kind la order that they may have an oppor
iuniiy TO be present. would like 10 have Tuesday morn
ing named so that we may have full Senate the
subject comes np.
MIR. STUART. II may thus far control ID e rssolo-
lion. i'll poslpuse its her at,o,