East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-11-01

ours was simply what have stated,
and wholly beneficial the other plan
involved . monopoly which had power
to subject the whole commerce Of the
riverto its exactions. And had a bill,
which actually did pass the Senate,
also passed the House, where il was
arrested by the firmness of'Mr. Wash
burn, Chairman of the Committee on
Commerce, it would have proved q
severe blow to the navigation of the
entire river, and absolutely crushing
to the interests of Bay City, TETN
| 1t was only by accident / found out
that such measure had been before
Congress. Lam confident that few-or
none in this Valley, outside rethe ring"
which expected 70 profit by it, ever
knew of this attempt TO saddle q tax
on. the. commerce and navigatiouof
this river. I have never heard it
alluded to here before or since. When
Senator Chandler informed me that
such a bill had passed the Senate, 1
could not understand what no meant,
and asked Mr., briggs forAn explana-
ton which he seemed unwilling and
failed to give. TWAS not till l had,
by searching the archives of the Sem
ate, obtained the clue, that he could
perfectly recall the circumstance. 1t,
therefore, seems probable that the
unfolding Of maps and charts before
the Committee on Commerce of the
House was in the interest and advo-
cacy of this prior scheme, which was
just such one as l have described it.
l am the more persuaded. of the
correctness of this view, because on
my first interview with Mr.. briggs in
Washington, he told me it was no use
to go before the Committee Of the
House with eur plan, they would
not sanction il, he was positive. He
also stated that he meant to ask for
an appropriation, and mentioned the
sum Of $4,000 as a proper amount.
Very soon, however, he informed me
that the immense amount of business
devolving on him by the size and inn
portance Of his District, left him no
time to pay attention to this matter,
and that he had turned it over to his
friend, Mr.. Longyear, member of
the Committee on Commerce, who had
promised to do every thing he could
for the measure. After being thus
handed over to Mr.. Longyear, so far
as can remember, L had no farther
conversation or correspondence with
Mr. briggs on the subject.
Seeing no prospect of immediate
action by Congress | returned home,
but from time to time wrote to Mr..
Longyear to urge him to get either an
appropriation from Congress to do the
work or its assent that our company
should do it. The following is the
first letter 1 received from him which
will explain itself:
WAsuISoToS, ID. c., April 6, 1866.
II. NJ FIrznuGn, Esq Dear Sr:-lours OF
the 18th Of March was received some time since
The Committee on Commerce having determined
upon a basis for appropriations for Improvement
OF IIarbors and Rivers, am able Ia reply TO your
queries, The eases before the Committee are
divided into two classes, First those as TO lich
the Engineering Bureau Of the War Department
has made examination, survey, and estimates,
and, Second, those rs % which that Bureau has
not yet made such examinations, ae., but which
the Committee deem worthy Of attcRtion, The
mouth Of the Sagindc rirer comes under The
second class. 10
The Committee has decided to recommend APP
Iruprat ms n0r TO the hrst class As to the
second class, ibcral appropriation will be rec
commended tor examinations, surveys, aud esti.
mates TO be made by the Engineering Bureau, 10
.s s.po.ted q. ce"srs-s 80 al. son,.s."sv.ent Of
have no doubt this course will insure an np
propriatIon for the mouth Of saginaw river at the
neat session OF Congress. The Committee will
not report in favor OF Congress giving its assent
TO your Company to proceed under the State law.
Truly Yours,
W LoSGYEAR.
Upon receipt Of this letter / imme-
diately wrote to Mr.. Longyear, to say
that i was happy to have it in my
power to give him information which
would enable him to get the Saginaw
changed from the second to the first
class in the order of appropriations as
he had defined them. While in Wash
ington, after good deal Of trouble, 1
had found the report of Capt. ] M.
Macomb, before referred to, made in
1856, accompanied by plan and es-
innate for the improvement Of the
mouth of the Saginaw river, on file in
tho War Department. / had been
some time corresponding with Mr..
briggs, and directly with the War
Department, TO obtain copy of this
report, of tho existence Of which l
was aware, but had never been able
to do so. 1t was only after a long
and careful search that it was discov-
cred at all. l saw that, with this re-
port in his possession, Mr.. Longyear
could get the appropriation ut once,
and therefore told him where it could
be found Ny letter was of the most
urgent character. 1t contained Stats
tics showing the Importance of the
work, and, particularly, contained
request to get the appropriation en-
larged to at least $4,000. The fol-
lowing was his reply:
II. r., WASHINGTON, D. G.,
~ April l6, 1866
II. NJ Ffrznrou, Esq, Dear Sir = Yours 81
tho 9Th inst, is just received. l called immcd-
atcly on Gen. Deafeld, Chief Engineer, lie
will send to the committee his estimate, founded
on Capt Macomb's report, adding 30 per cent. to
Capt. Ms estimate, which amount have no
doubt i can get inserted in the ILL for immediate
appropriations.
requested the General 10 increase the amount
10 $4,000. lie said he could not we'll do So
without making an exception In this particular
case, but would bear my request 10 mind, and do
80 IL he could consistently. You may rely upon
my doing everything in my power to accomplish
what you desire, and what seems so mcritorious.
Truly Yours, J.W. LosGrEAn.
These letters of tho real author of the
appropriation. demonstrated ] think,
pretty clearly whether was friendly
to it or instrumental in obtaining it.
L will also state that when the bill
was in its passage through the Senate
l prepared a memorial from our Board
of Trade in favor of the appropria-
ton and sent it to Mr.. Chandler, by