Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-14
The s. clair FIats shume.

Our readers are aware that the bib which
passed Congfess approPristing s55. .OOo for the
St Clair Flats Improvement, was conveniently
pocketed by the President. The Washington
correspondent of the Detroit Tribune explains
the curious proceeding by which this bill was
shufied out of the way, and an appropriation
of S7I, 900 for the improvement of the Missis-
sippi, was vitalized by the same ID B The
writer says;-"The friends of the st. CLAIR
Flats improvement. SO important to the COM
merce of the lakes, were unwilling to allow
special resolution for the improvement OF the
Mississippi at and below New Orleans, to 60
through in advance of their own, knowing the
clannishness and perfdy of Southern men IN
such matters. Accordingly it was arranged
that both should pass by nearly the same vote.
This understanding was carried out, but 1t
could not prevail against the bitter and cease
less hostility of the Democracy to improvements
at the North, nor intercept their partial and I'M
lust donations for the same objects in the South
Buchanan quietly pocketed the St. Clair bill,
and it would appear signed, and then poeketed,
the New Orleans bill, in such way that the
money will be expended at the latter point.
The appropriation for the Mississippi Is bal
ance of 81, 900 left of $3.50, 900 expended
within the last four years upon the bar at the
Belize When the operations began it is al
legged that the depth of water on the bar was
Is feet. and that it is now reduced to 10 feet.
A contract was made with company, of which
Colonel Stark was President, and in which SEN
ators Slide and Benjamin, and representative
Davidson are large stockholders, for doing the
work, and through this company $260,OOO has
been disbursed to the end of stopping up the
harbor, SO that one hundred ships laden with
three million dollars worth of cotton are lying
aground"
at is recorded in the Senate journal that this
resolution re-appropriating the S7l 900 was GP-
proreS on the Sd Of March, and that undoubtedly
was the message delivered by the Presidents
private Secretary, but there is no such act or
resolution in the State Department. and it GER
tainly reposes in a pigeon hole of the Executive
desk. The object Of all this legerdemain is to
avoid the appearance of gIaring Inconsistency
in vetoiDs OF suppressing the appropriation for
the st. Clair Flats, and applying that one OF
larger amount on the Mississippi bar. 1t is said
thai the President has informed Mr.. Benjamin
that the money lcM be disbursed for the bene-
fit of his city under the old act Of appropriation
1t is the old game of tool OF the South pro-
scribing his native North, DC"
The blocked up condition ofthe New Orleans
harbOr may be judged by the statement of the
Picayune of March 5th. Itgives a list ofthirty-
three vessels detained inside the bar on the I'd,
waiting for n chance to I'D to sea- some of
which cleared from New Orleans as long ago as
the 18th of January The amount of cargo on
board was 95,Os2 bales of cotton, $500 hhds.
OF tobacco, beside other articles. The estima-
ted value of the vessels and freights is 1885,
600. The Iist did not include the vessels on the
bar and outside waiting to come up, which the
Picayune says it is safe to value at as much
more, making total of say fifteen millions