Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-10


appropriation for is vigorous prosecution.
! By tha constitution, ii is made the duty Of
the Legislature 20 propose such amondments Of
that instrument as ia its judgment the public
welfare demands.
Sufficient time has not elapsed since the
adoption Of the Constitution to determine from
it's practical workings all the notifications
which the public interests may require. Nari-
Gus changes have been proposed, but owing TO
causes to which need not specially refer, none
OF them have been spprCved in tho manner
preacribcd by the Constitution The form Of
the proposition submitted at the recent election
for annual sessions of the Legislature, il being
coupled with a condition for biennial elections,
is believed, TO have prevented fair expression
Of the opinion Of The people upon the question
Of the expedienoy Of annual sessions.
submit the question TO your consideration,
respectfully recommending an amendment Of
the Constitution, providing for limited annual
! Invite your attention also to the subject Of
the unequal representation m both branches Of
the General Assembly, resulting from the sys-
tom of single, dual and plural election districts,
provided by the constitution, for the purpose of
Recommending TO your favorable consideration,
an amendment Of the constitution, establishing
a uniform system of single election districts,
u
| Such plan of apportionment, seems to me, to
be alike required by logical regard TO the
theory Of our form Of government, the security
of the people at large against the undue control
Of particular see'iOns of tho State, and for the
| Just protection of minOrities against the power
of majoIities in the more pOpulous counties
The geographical position Of our State for
ever Identifies her destiny with with that Of
the great valley of the West Whatever may
affect the growth or prosperity of this highly
favored region, must be OF interest TO us =
| Among the objects which have long attracted
the anxious attention Ofthe people ofthe West,
and which they justly regard as of paramount
| Importance 10 their material progress, is the
| Improvement of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, and our Lake harbors.
invite your attention TO this important sub
! ject, for tile purpose of respectfully requesting
your earnest application to Congress, to adopt
such measures, anl to make such approsria-
tions from the National Treasury. as will be
commensurate to the removal of the Obstruc.
tons to the navi, alton of these great high.
ways, aud to the needed Improvement of these
important depots of western commerce
When we consider the magnitude Of the re-
| gion directly interested in tn, navigation Oi
these rivers, and our western lakes, embracing
territorial extent of nearly 500,000 square
miles-a territorial superlicies greater than the
entire extent Of the original thirteen States,
comprising eleven States and two territories
and parts of three other States, with popula.
tiOn of at least thirteen millions, and but little
less than one half Of the entire population of the
| United States--we may well express oul
slnazement az the unwise and ilGberal policy Of
Congress, SO long and perseveringly persisted
|
of IFS dangers the navigation of these rivers
and for increasing the safety of our lake mar
bors.
And our sense Of this injustice is not little
heightened, when we consider that the people
of the States directly interested in these i'm
prOVements, have paid largely to the Federal
Government for the soil which they occupy
and cultivate, and are now, by their consump-
ton of the foreign imports, contributing quite
if not fully One-half, of the annual revenues of
theigOvernment,w while the national expenditures
among them are comparatively trihing. We
make no complaint because of the bountiiu
appropriations by Congress for surveys and
defences of the coast, for The improvement
of harbors, the erection of lighthouses, and
the various other purposes, in aid of thG
navigation and commerce of the ocean; buI
we do complain, that while cheerfully sustain
ing our full proportion of the expenditures
for these purposes, for the benefit of one
| branch of the national wealth and enterprise
suitable portion of lhe national treasure is
not expended for the protection of another
branch-our western comperoe-rivaling in
tonnage the whole foreign commerce of the
United States, its character equally national
and its protection equally essential to the
common advantage Of all the States. The
time has arrived when the west will no long
er consent that her just demands upon the
Federal Government for the protection Of her
great interests shall be disregarded. She is
no longer a frontier, and will no longer be
| treated as such. She is the heart of the Union,
the centre Of its population, its production and
its consumption. From the great living foun-
tains of her boundless resources, the nation is
enriched and sustained, and upon them its
prosperity and power must always chiefly de-
pend. Never denying to any section Of the
country its legitimate weight in the admins
| tration of the Government the West will be
resolute in the assertion of her rights. Con-
scious of her great political power, which will
| install her in the control Of the Government
after the coming national census, she will de-
mand the Inauguration of that broad, gener-
GUS national policy for guarding and promot-
| ing the enterprise and industry Of the country
which, while comforting its inestimable beDe-
fits upon the people Of all the other States
will secure to the agricultural and CONNER
cial interests that development and those un-
| obstructed and untaxed outlets to the markets
of the world which their necessities impera
| lively require, their value will abundantly
compensate, and the dignity of the West de-
mands shall be no longer postponed.
/ D.. k.,E -, al IL 7 T,.a
gard it as my duty, to urge you to invite the
Immediate attention of Congress to the impOr.
tance of its granting prompt and liberal aid
for improving and securing the practical free
dom of the navigation at the Falls Of the Ohio
river.
The necessity of some more extended and
complete work than the Louisville and Port
land Canal, as now constructed, to cheaper
and facilitate the conveyance of property
around the Falls, is recognized by every per-
son familiar with the navigation and trade o.
the Ohio River. Owing to the insufieiency
of the construction of that work, and the con.
traeted size of its locks, it is estimated that
more than one-half of all the tonnage of the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers is prevented
from passing through the canal. The practical
effect is to destroy the unity of the Ohio River
as great channel of commerce, by dividing
it at the Falls, and so making the portion
above a tributary to the portion below them
The consequent injustice and heavy pecunia-
ry loss to every branch Of industry above the
Falls, are too obvious to need argument. NoI
does any other interest, or any other section
Of the country derive any benefit from these
results. The serious delay from the obstruc-
tion to the transportation Of the millions ol
property that annually pass through the ca
nal with the excessive tolls imposed upon it.
inaict most grievous and unreasonable tax
upon the industry and enterprise everywhere,
that contribute, in any way, in making up
the commerce of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers.
The subject, therefore, is not of mere local,
but Of the highest national import.
The canal being virtually owned by the