New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-28
,rr1rs OUTLAWS Or THE aIIssTssIPP1.

l@ TEIE OUTLETS OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
III Tie interesting letter d our Washing cores
pondent vt ch We publish to-day, ausioI is made
to The action Of tile United States Senate On the 18th
inst, opriating in the aggregate, $6SooOo to
improve the channels and outlets Of the Mississippi
river.
s The bill was introduced by Senator Sliden some
time sinee, and was considered in Committee OF the
Whole On the day above mentioned. The bill pro.
poses tos pirate ssoo,0Oo for the purpose Of
Aopening keeping open ship channelsof sufficient
capacity to accommodate the wants Of commerce
throu the Southwest Pass and Pass "a outre lead
ing from the Mississippi river into the Gulfof Mexi-
co.. The money is to be expended under the supern
tendence Of the Secretary Of War; who is to contract
and Mt an early the next session
of Congress he report the progress Of the work
the amount to complete IT. and an estimate
Of the annual cost Of keeping the channels open and
any contract made is to be limited to the amount APP
propriated BY the BILL
also proposes to appropriate S330,00O for contn
ung the Improvement of the channels at the mouths
of Tie Mississippi river, which 10 applied by
4 the Secretary of War; by contract or otherwise
Several Senators asked for information on the sub
iect which was freely given; and then the bill passed
the yeas and nays, 50 for and against the measure
This vote was not only exceedingly attering in ITSELF
hut indicated clearly that the matter considered
lin national lightthat the works proposed were
Il viewed lis national works. 1t is to be hoped the bill
4 will be SO received when it reaches the House Of
and TO il We invoke the earnest at
4 tention Of our immediate Representatives They
could not perform more acceptable service to the
State their and to the millions of people
residing III The Valley Of the Mississippi and along
the great tributaries Of that gigantic stream than to
aid efficiently in causing this bill to become law.
u The bill has been before the Senate Committee on
Commerce. and has been thoroughly examined in all
4 respects. The estimates and recommendations all
Il emanated from the War Department and we presume
are in accordance with accurate and searching sur
Il veys. $55
Whatever may be the fate Of the bill in the House
and we anticipate its early passage, because right,
and justice, and sound policy, demands ione thing
a is certain : If the improvement Of the outlets of
the Mississippi is mott national duty devoving upon
the Congress Of the United States, we would like to
know what national duty signifies Or Whit constitutes
4. ii. Atleast eleven States and almost as many mil
lions Of Inhabitants are directly indirectly
cerned in all projects calculated to improve the egress
from, and the ingess into the mouths of the Father
of Waters of ships, steamers and other water craft
n New Orleans is not alone interested although she
has greater direct interest than any other CONNER
cial emporium--by long way. All Of the cities and
u shipping ports that gem the margin Of the Mssis
sppi and its tributaries from Pitsburg and ST. Louis
down to the debouch Of the great food into the Gull
of Mexico, are concerned in many essential respects
Every particle Of Western produce that finds its way
to foreign or Atlantic market, is effected by the
good bad condition Of the navigation over the bars
created by the deposits and currents of the Mssis
!, sippi.
4 The sum appropriated is quite large, comparatively
N speaking, but when taken in connection with the
4 enormous annual commerce involved it dwindes
/, into insignifcance. Why, six millions of dollars
instead of six hundred thousand dollars would not
4 be extravagant if tRoud tend to cheaper, expedite
and advance the progress of the mighty trade which
flows in and to the great Western valley. In fact no
figures could be too large that required by the
exigencies Of the case.
We hail this action of the Senate as an suspicious
token that the reign Of constitutional old fogyism
inherited from hair sptters of past age, is passing
away, and that We may now look forward to improve
ments by the National Legislature Of the rivers and
4 harbors Of the country, Oh scale commensurate
with their Importance In this respect the General
Government has been sadly dereict; and the conse-
quence has been to embarrass the operations Of
commerce and paralize the arm Of enterprise. True
Congress has frequently sanctioned liberal River at
Harbor appropriation bills, but they generally nee
u with executive vetoes, notwithstanding the voice 0
the representatives of the people and the well ben!
. and wishes Of the masses.
!, Althoughwe always have been, and ever expect t.
be, politically opposed to Mr. Slidell, it is but jus
and proper for us to say that outside of parsanshp
7 he is a useful and influential Senator, and Keeps
careful watch over the material interests of those VIII
! have advanced him to place among the magnates 0
3 the republic.