Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-20
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Regular Monthly Meeting YES
te!day.

- S1A1AAH@NGC toA-sAINA4H VI AAN1EA-
, T0pp, Hill and Moore were appointed {
I draw up q suitable memorial for the OF
Jeet in view, and after q short absenc
] the following was presented and unan.
mously adopted:
To the senate and Horse Of Representatives
, The Chamber Of Commerce OF the cit
of Memphis, believing the reclamation
OF the oveIfiowsd lands Of the Mississ'pp
! to be fIsught with interest to the who'll
I country, beg leave most respectfully t.
9 submit this memorial to the Congress @
the United States.
r The alIuvial lands subject to inunds
ton by the Mississippi river, SIRE sbsu
81. coo square miles, or 20. coo 600 sores 0
land. Formed by the wsshings OF many
centuries from the entire region dr8inet
by the Mississippi and its tributaries, con.
stitutiug more than half OF the territory
OF the Uaited States, combining The
salts, mineral properties and enriching
elements OF the immense region thus
drained, they may properly be classed
with the NEST valuable and fertile lands
on the globe.
Since Holland, nee q vast nlOrass or
swamp, the greater part below the level
Of the sea
TO the stake q struggling country boUu -"
by the energy OF its inhabitants hes been
reclaimed-the sea and the rivers which
penetrate it held b0unds-we 10 not per
nit ourselves to doubt but that the over
flowed lands of TIE Mississippi, by q
proper system OF %levees, can be edectu
ally and permanently reclaimed.
Allowing Oue-fOurth part for lakes,
rivers and forests, the remainder which
can be reclaimed ana cultivated is about
equal to the acreage Of the present cujti-
va eds land of Ma ne, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut. New York and New Jsr-
sly. In 1860, although the area opened,
cleared and cultivated, compared with
the whole, was about as the seam is TO
tbs garment, they produced two hundred
and thirty thousand hogshesds OF
sugsr, .dfteen million gallons mOlasses,
and near enc million bales, or One-fifth
OF the entire cotton crop Of the United
States.
The levees heretofore Constructed, did
not afford ample water wsy they were
bIdIy located and insufficient. By the
d~epredaticBs OF armies they have been
destroyed, and this country, once SO pro
ductige, contributing so largely to our
wealth, commerce and prosperity, nov
lies comparatively uncultivatHt and
rapidly growing into a Jungle. Toe peO-
pie living in this valley, wrecked IN
their fortunes, are wholly unable to re-
build them, Tor can the States in which
they lie aEsist them.
Believing that the wealth OF a county
depends upon the Wesith and prosperity
Of its ciCzsns, we doubt not bug that
every section OF the country, and every
interest will bs promoted by causing
these oveTfiowed laCds to be reclaimed,
and the culture Of r!ce, sugar and cotton
extended.
For remedy whereof, we respectfully
ask that the Congress OF the United States
shall aid this great measure, By passing
Au act nr resolution making 1t the duty
Of the President, or some other Officer OF
the GGited States, to IndOrse the bonds
Of the States Of Mississippi and Louisi-
ana for SO, 00G coo each, and Tor the State
Of Arkansas for IS. COO, coo. Whenever,
said States, or either Of them, shall by
or ls8s authorizs the Issuance of said
bonds FIR the amounts named ia sums of
5000 each, payable in thirty years fcOm
late. a New York or some other com
nercisl city, with coupons for seGi an
lual interest, at the rate of six per cent.
Der 3nuura, and shall In the act or Gcls
If authorizing sueA issues, provide & tax
N the Productions and laws within the
limits proposed TO be reclaimed, sufficient
pay the annual interest, and q sinking
und annually, sufficient to pay the prin-
at maturity.
Vita this Enforcement and guarantee
he money can be obtained ard the lev
es rebuilt.
For the following reasons we believe
he Congress Of the United States Will
u fully justified In granting the all re-
u sted
lst. These levees rebuilt viii guarantee
he security OF lsOOT-iuCrease the pro
.uctiOn CT cotton and sugar immensely
q time to come five fold.
81. BY referring to the statistics of the
it will be seen that whilst our
productions exceed 81. COO, 600, coo,
,ut a very small proportion, including
OttOn and tobacco, finds a European
those States, like ourselves, hav-
ng negotiated to create a home market
bresdstuifs, importing only in seasons
I scarcity.
By referring to finance reports il will
e seen, by excluding gold for the years
SG6, 1867 and 1868, that cotton consti-
utes one-h3lf in value OF our foreign *
Iorts. BY referring to the same table it
a. &c - HAA4 vGA - ~ N&NA-A4D Nl0
Increasing beyond the rates Of the in
resse Of population. Describing frsc. {
in 1915, with Is population Of 20
10, 0u0, our imports exceeded Sl2l ,OG0,- i
10. 10 1866. with a population OF shout 5
2,O00, 600, our imports exceeded S437,-
20 Geo In p period OF twenty years,
-om 1916 to 1865, cur imp3rtstions have :
1creased nearly f0Crf0id, whilst cur ,
opulatiOn for the same period has not .
lcreased in a like ratio.
Economists, orators and statesmen
l2y protest against the eXtrava ant and
xcessiye importations of the people,
nt, ia spite OF protests, importatiOIs
ill % op. They may perhaps be re-
as the insspaTebIs coucCmitsut
( an enlightened, refined and highly
people. Our annual importa-
.ons, the interest on the bonds Of the /
rnited States, OF the States, cities and c
ounties, held abroad, must be met with I
xnorts of products or coin.
Every bale Of cotton exported for liz |
alue, is a bag Of gold or sterling ex-
hapge on London or any other ri4ito Of
omnercial States. =
DuFing the var this article Of export q
,as cut off. Specie, IS in 1854. exceeding
hundred million dollars, took its /
lace, and gold wac selling in the market
{ 279B. In the minds of 6nanciers, this r
ave rise to the grsvest sppFehensions. 5
q the midst of war, aGd contrary to its &
we were compelled to open aom- !
intercourse with i-nsurrectioRary &
tates thai cotton might be procured and q
xpOrted in the place Of coin. This fact q
significant. Cotton, of ali other pro- q
uets, being most reliable for export, it is Z
polite TO encourage and extend 3
production. :
g. The cultivation Of cotton and sugar .
u these sIigvial lands being most profit 9
BILE, yielding, when secured from over .
1W, drained, and moderately cultiva- .
ID, one bale Of cotton to the sore, two y
ogsheads Of sugar, when highly culti- =
ated, more, worth, ct present prices for .
otton, 800 per acre sugar at present
rices $500 per acre, viii exclude every =
Their production, AMI In consequence Z
ae producers will depsnd upon others :
n every luxury, comfort or necessary. q
his gives to manufacturers OF the u9i- {
q states q iatge demand FOR their pro- q
ucts, and to the producers of fruits, CO. j.
GALS and growers of stock, an ample =
ONE market. In this respsct it is OF J
lual interest to the manufacturing !
iejn growing and stock raising StateS 7
This Union, and TO the shipping In "
4. With much solicitude the people
esire at an early day TO return to specie a