The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-03-01

notice.
Township officers are also to be elected this
Spring, which it might he well for democrats 10
note they axe passing.
THE HARBOR IMPROVEMENT.
This subject attracts deeper interest just a,
this time, than any other local question, that
we have to do with !; and it cannot be consider
ed waste of time, to submit few observations
upon its merits.
Attracted by the numerous communications
which have recently appeared, to dispassion-
ate investigation of the'subject, the practicable
ity and expedency of the present improvement
is as apparen, to our mind, as the novelty and
discrepancy of the various and conflicting pro-
positions submitted by those, who rank them-
selves as opposers Of the present. plan Of inn
provement.
TO commence with, there is one proposition
upon which we can all harmonic, namely
that We want good harbor. There is also an
other proposition upon which we will all agree,
namely-that any given plan which will cost
the least money and accomplish tie object de-
sired, is the one for the citizens to adopt The
ment and expended considerable sum Of money
upon it, which BIDS fair to give rs good harbor,
if not obstructedby new ard underlined pro-
jects. 1t is tie plan " hch strikes every man
of scieptIfc knowledge and experience the
most feasible for improving the harbor end
which has been adopted by the of the
community. Still we find many. no seem
willing and anxious to abandon it, before fair
test has been had and that too, without agreeing
upon and submitting specific plan to take its
place. That it is important and necessary to
employ, and that promptly, every energy at our
command, 10 secure an easy ard safe transit
from boat and land none deny but in the de-
sire to abandon the present improvement, no
substitute is recommended. The opponents Of
the present improvement differ as widely as the
poles One class is for filling Ip with solid
embankment Of earth; an other is in favor Of
running out to the main river, the east and west
way from First street, with draw bridge; a
fourth is in favor of the causeway without the
draw; fifth is favor of filling up the Islands
without obstructing the navigation; a sixth is
for trading off the Islands to a company who will
fill up the sloughs; and how many more plans
there may be in embryo we are unable to say.
The idea of filling up the sl"ughs, the paternity
of which we believe belongs TO that suggesnpe
head, which directs the dcstines of the AuxiI-
iary Print, is so entirely absurd, that but few
are now found WILLING to risk their reputation
upon it, although at first it seemed to be the
favorite theory. The plan for running streets
out to the main river inv Ives an expenditure
which the City Is li,tle able to assume at the
present time. We may be wild upon the sub
ject, but it looks to US, though the most tenn
porary structures which could be erected to an
swer the purpose, would cost from fifteen to
twenty thousand dollars street. This is merely
a rough guess, without calculation from anv
data. Admitting that the Improvement of one
street would cost this sum, would it net be in
fntely better TO expend the amount in deepen
ing and widening the NAPLES cut, finishing the
Barney cut and widening and deepening the
channels between the two cuts, thereby render
ing the navigation easy and regular, than TO
throw it away upona temporary structure, which
would probably become a nuisance in few
months and be removed? Would it not be bet.
ter to expend it upon general and specific plan
of improvement, than upon temporary exi.
gency, copnected with no general scheme for
the improvement of the harbor. Let the
Dredge boat be put to work in the Spring clean
ing out the two cuts and the channels between
them anu be kept steadily at work for three
months, and we will have as good a harbor for
all present purposes as could be desired. The re
is no great amount of work required to accom-
plish this, ift could be agreed upon
There il aEe thing that we cannot understand
with those who oppose the present improve
ment. In one breath they denounce the present
yet repudiate the idea that they desire to inter.
fere with it, in any new plans they propose.
Why not interfere with the presen. improve.
ment and abolish it at once, if, as they say,
ev ~ dollar expended upon it, is SO much money
thrown away. If they mean what they say,
they do themselves and the City an injustice by
not opposing it with their utmost influence and
energy. But we imagine with portion of this
class and perhaps we are safe in saying, that
portion, which originated this agitation, the idea
is not SO much to get good harbor, as to man.
ufacture a little local capital and personal glory
upon which to feed and fatten. This WI do not
who are hostile to the present improvement, are
Sc from SINCERE and conscientious convictio Of
its inutity. AT the same time, is there not
want of information upon this subject, Have
those who are so anxious for change in the
plan Of improvement, given the subject that
calm investigation lis Importance demands p
We fear not
No one we presume is opposed to the cree.
loo Of a causeway below NAPLES Cut, with a
drawbridge, except so far as it may be regarded
an unnecessary expenditure Of money. The
great object is, to get good harbor, with the
least possible outlay and as the means required
to construct this causeway, expended upon the
two cuts and upon the channels between them.
would in all probability give free ingress and
egress to every description of craft that floats
upon the Mississippi, during The entire season
of navigation, many think it bad policy to divert
the means necessary to be expended for this
purpose, from the present plan. In this we agree
with them.
NEW STEAM BoATs.-We understand that
three Of the very FIRST class stea mers, have been
contracted for, to run between this place and st.
Paul. They will take their place on the line in
The spring.
STEAMER EXCELSIOR SUNK.-Capt. Ward
receiTed q dispatch from Keokuk, Yesterday