Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-22

previous question. Before it was put
John Martin, jr., of Kentucky, a men,
Der ofthe Committee, demand the right to
present a minority report. This was
quite unexpected to the other members of
the Committee, who were very much
taken aback byit. 1t, however, was moth
ing more than a protest against the Com
mittee's allowing so much scope or range
to their report. In Mr.. Martins opinion,
they should conhne themselves tothe Mis-
sissippiriver.
The previous question was again called,
when a gentleman from Georgia moved
that the first four resolutions only
be acted on. He wished TO have the
fifth clause voted on separately. The
request was not acceded to, and the pre-
question called, on the adoption of
the report. 1t was carried. the gentleman
from Georgia voting on the affirmative, so
that he could move a reconsideration in
respect to the fifth clause, which was
done, and the said clause 1.-THE one relating
to the bridges and laying double tracks,
etc. twas, at the motion of one committee,
recommitted for further action.
The report on levees was, or motion,
read again and passed.
Mr.. Davis, of Ohio, said that Gen. Alcorn
had read a most valuable paperonthe ques-
ton of Government aid to cotton culture.
the meeting of the committee owing
10 the shortness OF the time remaining to
them for deliberation II could not be read
then, but he moved that it be printed
along with the levee report. Resolution
adopted.
Mr.. Marshall, of Mississippi, asked leave
to offer a resolution. 1t was out of order,
but on pledge that he would not occupy
five minutes, he was allowed to introduce
his resolution, which was in relation to a
scheme Of his to relieve b Mississippi
river. by artificial channels, of its surplus
water in times of overflow. The reverend
gentleman was just warming up with his
subject, telling rs about the warm "
river when time" was called and he
was chOked off.
The report of the Committee on Tennes-
see River Improvement was next in or
der, and was rs follows:
REPORT or TENNESSEE RIVER IMPROVE
MENT COMMITTEE.
WHEREAS, The report of asuryey of
Tennessee river, made under act of Con-
gress of March 2, 1857, by Col. William b.
Cav, Civil Engineer, under the direction
of Brev't Mai. Gen. G.. Weitzel, Major l..
$. Engineers, which report was made by
Gen. Weitzel to Gen. A. \. Humphreys,
Chief of Engineers L.. ). A. demonstrates
LndL Lllt lEIlItHStt nv CT llEt SiAll III iii
portance of all the rivers of the continent
in point of length and extent of country
drained, draining an area of $500 miles,
requires only the construction of a series
of canals around the Instructions COM
monty known as the Muscle Shoals, at a
cost extremely moderate in comparison
with the benefits to be derived therefrom,
to make it nayigable, including It's tribu-
for 800 miles, during nine months
of the year; and,
Whereas, Gen. WeitZel, in transmitting
this report to Gen. Humphreys, indorses
particularly the recommendation for the
construction of a canal around said OBJ
structions in the following language: "In
addition TO the many good reasons given
i'm the appended report for making the
Improvement at this time, and to those
which have been given by many able men
who have reported on this subject during
the past forty years, there occurs to me,
not only would Il work bedOne which
should have been done years ago., but
which would have repaid the Government
a large interest.
Il am perfectly confident that if the
distinguished soldiers who commanded
armies operating along the line OF
this river. during the late war, would be
called upon to testify in this matter, il
be found that enough money would
have been saved to the Quartermaster's
Department by an improved river in one
campaign, to have trebly paid the expense
Of doing the work T" and,
Whereas, Gen. Humphreys transmit
ting the report to Congress, urges the
Improvement st%renuously, saying: THE
Elk river shoals, the two Muscle shoals
md Colbert's shoals, all between Browns
ferry. thirty-five miles above Florence,
Waterloo, thirty miles below it, con-
- rs
the river below Chattanooga, and if.
would open a navigation for
months in the year throughout the
whole length of the Tennessee river, and
upon its tributaries. All other impede
are not insurmountable al most
stages of the water; and
Whereas, The Tennessee river, from Elk
river shoals to Bainbridgc, known as the
shoals, is not nayigable at any
season of the year; and
Whereas, The people of the Tennessee
now engaged in developing their
wonderful mineral by the es-
adjustment of extensive blast |urnaces
the opening of rich mines of coal, de-
cheaper facilities for transportation
the products of these enterprises as
well as for those Of an improved system
and acknowledgements of agriculture,
which the States and portions ofStates
commercially united in the interest with
he valley of the Tennessee, and
Whereas, The strength of This popular
for Improvement of the Tennessee
river, manifested during the past forty
years, by resolutions of the Legislatures
Of Tennessee and Alabama, urging the
action of Congress by repeated surveys of
he riverunder acts ofCOngressi in response
10 the demands of the people, and by
insufficient appropriations by the General
for h removal of the OBJ
,tructions at the Muscle Shoals, has been
increasing in the exact ratio to h de-
of the of the /
until within the past W.
years the enterprise has secured its
Endorsement as a national one by the
great River Convention held at St. Louis
n 1866. as well as by the Merchants Ma
Convention of Philadelphia, Penn
in 1868, of the National Board of
Trade at Cincinnati, 1868, and Of the great
International Direct Trade Convention,
leld in Norfolk, Virginia, lfth October,
sos. and through popular conventions
leld in Chattanooga, March 18th, 1868,
md February oath, 1863, through repeated
resolutions of the Legislatures of Tennes-
Alabama and Georgia, through the
press of all parties, the people have urged
Congress the necessity for this great
work of internal improvements, until ap-
)rOpriatlOnS were granIeu IN 1865 Tor the
.urvey of the river and for the removal of
few comparatively trivial distractions
thsupper and lower river, but the acts
these appropriations ignored en-
irely the great Instructions at Muscle |
shoals, without the removal of which no
outlet can be given Tor the inn
nense mineral and agricultural products |
# this country, or ingress to the pro-
of the great Northwest, the
Southwest, and the tropics; and
Whereas, This enterprise being a ma
ional one, and as such entitled to be car
out by the general Government, is
by the fact that Congress
las by law declared its control of naviga-
lie rivers, and has, at various periods
Turing the past years, caused surveys of
he Tennessee rive to be made with a
lew to its improvement, is further de-
nOnstrated by the fact that the Tennessee
nd its nayigable tributaries traverse the
of Kentucky, Mississippi, Ala
anna, Tennessee, Virginia and North
.'arolina; while il is certain tina no mere
Deal or State matters could, as has the
,roposition for the removal of the OBJ
tructions at the Muscle Shoals, unite the
Governors of Missouri, Iowa, Kentucky,
Seorgia, Alabama and Tennessee, in the
all for the Convention held in Chatta-
February "a, 1869; therefore,
Be u ResoIged, That the attention Of
is respectfully, but earnestly, in