Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-01-02
Speech Of Senator D0Oliltle.
The AEssi-COmEmercial COnstruc-
ton OF tile Senate Committees.

The AEsi-COmmercial COnstruc.
ton OF tile Senate Com mittees.
Pending the question of confirming the
list of Standing Committees of the U. S
Senate, reported by Mr., Allen, (adm.,) o
Rhode Island, Mr.. DooLlTTLE submitted
the following remarks in regard to the in
Justice shown the commercial interests Of
the West in the construction of the commit.
tees:
Senator Doolittle, of Wisconsin, who fol
lowed Mr.. Hamlin, said:
In looking over the honorable names
which have been suggested to fill the com
mitteeeT on Commerce. l find that all these
persons reside in States where it is to be
supposed their interests and their sympa-
thies would be confined almost entirely to
the of the Atlantic and the
Cult. | speak not of the formation of this
committee, either in its sectional aspect as
between the North and the South, Oh be-
tween the Democratic and the Republican
parties in this body.
| look upon the construction of this com
mittee in a very different light. With the
exception of the honorable Senator from
Louisiana, Mr.. Benjamin., who is named
and who, of course, must feel an interest in
the m of the great river to a certain
extent.and the Senator from Pennsylvania,
Mr. Bigler, who may be said in a certain
degree, to represent the interests of river
commerce, and in a very slight degree the
Interests OF the lakes-with these evcep-
tons, the whole IN of the lakes and
rivers, as we'll as the commerce OF the Pa
ciic coast, is utterly ignored.
Sir, 1 have been looking into this sub
liect. A book is before me which refers to
the amount of the OF the lakes
in 1851. l beg leave to state the amount
lof that commerce, as estimated IN that
wear. The number of tons by measure
mept was two hundred and fifty thousand
nine hundred and seventy-five, and the
VALUE Of the transported in those
vessels was ~$3l4,472,45S. The value OF
the river III was estimated at$339,
SOP, 724. By looking into the book on
Commerce and Navigation, which has been
laid before us, l find that the amount OF
tonnage upon the lakes is now four hun
bred and fourteen thousand tons, and ton
mage upon the rivers is two hundred and
fifty five thousand tons.
1.-THE estimate which was made in 1851
of the value of the commerce be correct, and
if it may be assumed as a basis upon which
to estimate the present value of the pres
ent commerce of the lakes passing in those
vessels. it exceeds $500, 00O, O0O-an a.
mount almost equal to the entire imports
lof the United States to-day. Add to this
the commerce upon the rivers, and all The
vast commerce upon these inland seas and
rivers, as we'll as the of the Pa
elf. coast, is ignored almost altogether in
the construction of this committee.
l beg to appeal to the majority Of this
body to ask if it is right, if 1t be just to ig-
more this vast commercial interest? | APP
peal to them, before it be too late, to re-
construct this committee in such a form
that the of the Pacific, as well
MS that of the lakes and rivers, may be
represented upon this committee, as well
as the of the Atlantic and the
Cult.
Let me remind you Mr.. President, that
our relative positions may change on this
subject. When Oregon, and Kansas, and
Nebraska, and Minnesota, as well as Cali
~Ifornia, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and all
the other states which are interested in
the of the lakes and rivers, shall
be represented on this floor, they may be
prepared to speak in a voice too potential
here to use the language of appeal. Yes,
sir, as certain as the revolutions of the
earth, the scepter of dominion, even here,
will pass into the hands of Young Ameri-
ca. When that day comes, | hope and
trust that it will be in the hands Of those
who will know no North,no South, noEast,
no West, but the country and the whole
country. the of the Atlantic and
of the Gulf. of the Pacific, Of the rivers,
and Of the great lakes and of the contln-
ent. I trust that when the power passes
into their hands, if an appeal should be
made to their ~magnanimity, that appeal
will not be made in vain.