The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-02-17
Senator Norton and western Conn.,
MMwAn

L
the National Congress has any new
member been SO promptly recognized
as one of the leading men of those
bodies as Senator MORTON, of In
diana. From the first day that he
took his seat in the Senate he was
conceded prominent part in shaping
the LEGISLATION of the nation. From
the time of his first speech on Recon-
struotion, which attracted national
attention, every utterance OF his on
pending legislation has been received
with marked consideration. But IN
the estimation of Senator morton
there are other questions which are
worthy of the careful study and atten-
ton of United States Senators besides
those of political or party charac-
ter. and we are glad to know that he
has been giving them his careful con-
sideration. Prominent among these
is the important subject of Western
commerce and navigation. representing
as it does one of the largest interests
of the great central chain OF the
Mississippi Valley States. When the
navigation of the Western Rivers,
especially that of the Ohio, threaten
ed to be in a great measure broken up
by number of short span railroad
bridges. Senator MORTON, almost un-
supported, attacked the combination
in the Senate, and aroused the COM
mercial and shipping interests of our
cities to the danger which threatened
them, and thus far has succeeded IN
defeating their projects.
We are glad to know that he has
lust succeeded in rendering our steam
boat interests, and the whole OF the
Ohio Valley, a signal service in secur-
ing an appropriation of $45O.0O0 for
the enlargement Of the Louisville
Canal. Last week, when the Appro-
priation Bill came up in the Senate
on its passage, determined and con-
certed effort was made to strike out
this provision, and it would undoubt-
edIy have been successful but for
Senator MORToN's earnest and con-
tinued opposition to the movement.
He contested the motion from day to
day with all his ability; and from his
long study of the subject he was en-
abIed to answer all the inquiries of
Senators so satisfactorily. and to
reply to the objections of the enc
mics of the appropriation so con-
clusively, that he carried the Sen
ate with him by the decided vote of
30 to %. He has thus secured the sue
cess of a measure of vital interest to
steamboatmon and shippers generally,
which has been pending before Con-
gress for years. The section of the
Appropriation bill to which we refer
appropriates $3.50, 900 for completing
the work of enlarging the Louisville
canal, and assumes the debt of the
Company, amounting to 81 500. 900;
thus insuring the completion of the
work, and we soon may reasonably
expect to have a canal of sufficient
capacity to pass the largest steamers
in the Ohio River, thus removing
almost entirely the natural barrier
of the Falls of the Ohio. For the
accomplishment of this great work,
the commercial men and shipping
community of the West are mainly
indebted to Senator o. P. MORTON, of
Indinna, and we are confident they
will fully appreciate and remember
his services. There still remains an
important measure to be carried out to
complete the good work which he has
done, and that is to abolish altogether
all tolls through the Canal, and make
the navigation of the Ohio absolutely
free. This will be fitting conclusion
of his great service to internal COM
merce and trade.