Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-03-22
IMPROVEMENT OF the HlSSlS.
SiSSIPPl.
APproprlstien for shs Rock Hs'
lana and Dos Naeines Rapids.

Approprlstien for shs Rock II.
lana and Des N1eanes 1fa pl<Is.
The following Comprises extracts from
speech in the United States Senate by Hon.
John Il. IIsnicrson, when the River and
Harbor Bill was under consideration:
Mr.. Hendsrson--I hope that the amends
ment Of the Senator FROM Vermont will not
be adopted. These rapids hsve been IN he
way Of navigation in the Mississippi river
many years. They have been In the way
Of . largely increasing commerce, . conn |
merce increasing from year to year until |
now tie commerce upon that river largely |
exceeds, IL mistake not, the whsls c0sst> |
wise commerce Of the United Unites. There
Is scascely any osnesptioa Of he immeusity,
the greatness Of the commerce upon che
Mississippi river.
The Ssnstor from Michigan. the Chsir.
naa Of ~ Committee on Commerce, insists
that $500, 900 10 very liberal appropriated
indeed Tor making ~ improvement that the
engineer estimates will cost between tive
and three millions; aud even II il costs that
amount II will be the best invested money
tha, was ever invested, perhaps, In public
imDroyemcnt The Senator from Michigan
esvs this is very liberal indeed. Without
Rejecting upon the bill which he has re-
ported, | must say that I find decidedly
greater iiberality in favor Of TIE rivers and
harbofs in his own State. | find in this
bill for the improvement Of the St. Clair
flats, in Michigan, $4,000 for the im>
provement ut the mouth Of the Saginaw
Iver, Michigan, SIS, 900 Tor the improve
mcnt Of St. Msry's river, Michigan. $sO, 900;
for the improvement Of the mouth Of Au
Sable river, Michigan. $4,000 for im>
proving the harbor Of Aux Bees Scies, Mich
isan, $4,000 for the improvement Of
Black Lake hasbor. Michigan. $50, 900 for
improving tho harbor Of 81. Joseph, Michi-
ysn. $4,000 for improving the hasbor Of
Manistee, Michigan, 100000 for tho i'm
provcment Of White Rivcs harbos, Michigan,
k57 900 for the improvement Of Ausksgea
harbor. Lake Michigan. $4,000; for i'm.
proving the hasbor Of South Haven, Michi-
gan. $4,000 for improving the harbor Of
New Buffalo. Michigan. $4,000 and for
the hsrbor of Ontonagon, Michigan, e97,
U0o-m liking t747 900 in the single State
Of Michigan, asd believe have not counts
ed Nil the items for that State. Here IL an
appropriation 10 remove obstacles in The nav.
igatisn Of great inland sea, . river upon
which floats commerce greater than the
commerce between the United States and
ali the cations Of the world.
Now. these rapids are in the way Of M
easy navigation Of the river; in fact, at GER
tain Seasons Of the year they stand In the
way Of any navigation 1t oil, even with the
liehtcst vessels, and Il is exceedingly desir-
able not alone to the State that I in fact repre-
sent. but TO the people Of oil the Western
states that the Rock Island Rapids aad the
Drs Mones rapids should 10 improved.
hope tho Senate will not hesitate 70 give
the amount that may be necessary for the
purpose. What that amount may be ! Of
course know but little about. can only
rely upon the reports which we have here.
We authorized last year tho Secretary O.
War to make this Investigation. The in
vest!sation has been made by compctcn
engineer, | presume, or else he would no
have been ordered to do il. The Senate
from Vermont tells us that he is n yer
Young man. lila report Il approved by IN
Engineer in-ChieS whom l know to TO
competeD, man. suppose that no mcmb,
ol this body will doubt the capacity an
ability Of the Chief Engineer, Gen. Hump
Ieys, and J do not suppose any ono wi
hesitate 10 say that if he has approved II
work Of ten. Wilson he would not lla.
donc 80 without knowing what he was ds
ins. He says in his letter already read: q
concur in the views and conclusions of Gen
Wilson as 10 the best mode Of improvin
the Des Moincs rapids; that is, building
cansl with locks"
Mr.. Edmunds The Recommendation. i
You call il a recommendation at all, o. d,
NOT, was that by tho 3Oth Of June, 1867
Ia :
million, and up 20 June 80, 1868, another
million. IL that does not mako $4,000, 00C
In little over year | do not understand
arithmetic.
Mr. lirewn. So much the greater reason
FIR increasing the amour, allowed.
Mr. Henderson,. 1fthat argument amou mt
ell . anything, il only demonstrates tn,
necessity Of appropriating the $4,000, 900
rs my coleagu su.g ests Il is useless fol
us 10 hesitate about the amount of money
To lac appropriated for the improvement OF
these rapids. provided that they can be i'm
proved at all. That is the zeal question -
u they can bs improved the people Of the
"td States ought not TO hesitate one me
urwi about going 10 wcr, to accomplish
tlt object. Whatever is necessary to ht
ac ought 10 he d-ne in order that nayiga
u9A may % facilitated over that part of The
fycr Here is river thirty>six hundred
itn4r' IA length, tho mos. ma gniheeut stream
-. tie world. with its navigation unimpeded
Md uninterrupted through its entire length
except hy these two rapids at kcoknk and
~ heck Island. At these points CONNER CT
has to he entirely ieshiped; freight has T.
be removed from one vessel 10 another a.
order TO pass over these rapids during .
large portion Of the year, carried over then
IN lighters AID again removed above or be
low 70 the other vessels. This ought TO b,
ohviatei If 1t is possible TO do 40, and espe
chilly IN consideration Of the richnes,
aud the wealth Of the commerce pass
ins over than No idea Of . parsimoni
GUS appropriation should " permitte,
10 enter into the brains cf Sena
tors on the subject. do no, want lavisl
expenditure If money do not desire tina
one dollar shall be needlesrly and recklsssll
expended, 90 that We shall now appropriat,
collar beyond the amount absolutely cs
Se"uH 10 tc'novc those obstacles in the VA,
VI Navigation upon this stream bat what
ever sum msy be necessary for that pur
pose, the Senate oush. without hesitation /,
appropriate.
Tho Senator from Michigan has in hi
bill f.i',ooo fos his own STATE. and frcel
Accord II TO the State Of Aichiean. becau,
with the exception Of ak OF seven stat,
s,'ii vest Of Michigan Il Is psrhaps Il
greatest State IL the Union CLauehter
have never hesitatsd 70 vees sppropri,
tons for building hArbcrs; but il ought
10 b. remembered that We In The Wet ,
this great river build our own h,rbors v
do not ask you b build . harbor q |
Lo iis nor a Ksekuk, nor At Burlingtc
nor at Galena. We are not asking you
this bill to build hssboss on the Wsste
rivers; but along the Esstcrn sea>bca
and along the great likes, have from "
!" year voted appropriations for harbc
without hesitation. and the people tina,
represent do not ask tue to do otterwi
MAN to vote tie most liberal appropriate
Tor such purposes. We will build hal o
Tor YOU; VIC take as much pride in van >
par ding commerce AS you can take Won
selves, and 10 not hesitate 10 give al IN
you can in reason ask. But this 10 not /
= harbor; this is to remove an obstacle
abe way Vi navigation itself upon the gre
cat river Of the earth. II ~ can give Y
ga, 900 for improving harbors 10 the ST