Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-06-12

ti1 PORT NEWS.
The departing packets White, 7. II.
Allen and st. Francis, left with good
trips.........At dark there were no boats
in port.........The Bismark went down at
noon, loaded fat. The Mary Miller,
from White river, arrived this morning
and gets lot of cotton here for the
Ohlo.........The Phil Allin brought in a
fair trip from Friar's Point.........The
City Of Helena, from below, passed up
light. leaving at ten o'clock.
lj8g3 MISCELLANEOUS.
The Phil Allin did not pass the City
of Helena on this trip up, as was the
rumored intention.
Regarding the removal of the raft in
Red river and the recent appropriation
for that purpose, the report of the engi-
neer reports the total of raft that covers
the entire breadth Of the river as being
but seven miles; but the channel is
partially INSTRUCTED for almost the whole
of the distance from the head to the foot
of the raft, distance of thirty miles.
The plan Of opening a route around the
raft is rejected as iInpracticable. The
removal of the raft is recommended;
and this is to be done in three classes Of
work: clearing of banks and bars above
and below the raft; removal of sunken
raft; cutting up and removing floating
raft. 1t is thought that the work can be
done so as to open navigable channel
in one year. The cost OF boats and
machinery and Of one years work, based
on full plans submitted with the report,
is estimated at $259,000 The sub.
sequent expense of keeping the river
clear of raft and improving the channel
for the first year, is estimated at $780, 900;
and, for several years, the work would
have to be kept up at an annual expense
of not exceeding $4,000 The engineer
estimates, in discussing the improvement
of the lakes and bayous from Shreveport
to Jefferson, that it will take $4,000 to
build steam-saw hatboat, with movable
shears and lifting apparatus, to cut up
snags and stumps under water; $4,000
to run the same one year; $4,000 to open
a new route in the lake, and $4,000 to
build dam at the foot of Sodo Lake, in
order to contract the water way at low
stages, if it be decided to remove the
Red river raft.
The case "a test one) of the city of
st. Louis against the steamer Susie Sill
yer, for 1927 so wharfage after the wharf
age tax had been abolished by the Mis-
souri, Legislature, was decided in the
police court few days since in favor of
defendant. 1t seems that by former
act the city had been authorized to issue
$750,000 of bonds secured by pledge of
all moneys collected for wharfage, which
will now have to be thrown overheard.
The following IS the substance of the
Judges decision:
" 1t may be urged that the law of 1872
is unconstitutional, because it repeats
the law of 1865, which empowered the.
city to issue bonds and guaranteed this
wharfage fund as sacred to pay in part
the principal and interest of those bonds,
and that it impairs the obligation Of con-
tracts This argument cannot be sus-
tanned, as all the authorities / have seen
establish that there is no contract on
the part of the Legislature with the city
under such circumstances. A legisla-
tive grant of power in corporation
does not confer vested right which can
not be destroyed; on the contrary, the
sovereign power, the Legislature, can
modify, amend and repeal charter or
law affecting corporations. The next
Legislature may abolish the municipal
corporation OF St. Louis, If so inclined"
Its expected that l5,000,000 bushels
of coal will come out on the present rise
in the upper Ohio.
The Cleburne arrives from the Arkan-
sas tomorrow, and returns next day.
A Fort Benton telegram of the 9th
says the water is higher than since 1867
1t will take it ten days to get here.
The Lady Lee left Shreveport on the
Sth with seventy-five cabin passengers.
On yesterday, says the st. Louis Re-
publican of the llth, General Nathan
Ranney was made the recipient of gift
possessed of much historical interest.
Mr.. j. W. Hood entrusted to him cane
once owned by Captain Sellers, now
dead, who was the uncle of the donor.
The article thus confded to General h.
was made from the bottom plank of the
war-ship Lawrence, which was one of the
vessels engaged under Commodore o.
II. Perry in the naval engagement on
Lake Erie. The head of the cane is
grape-shot taken from the British flag
ship Detroit, and the feruie is made from
a spike taken from the same vessel,
Louisville collected Sl47l 10 wharfage
for two weeks ending last Saturday
The George w. Cheek will have her
repairs completed and leave Cincinnati
in day or two for home.
The Belle St. Louis goes down to-
morrow evening for Vicksburg.
The Andy Baum will go out on Friday
the l4th, for Cairo, Louisville and Gin