Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-06-20
BARBOUR'S CHEAT SPEECH,
The Delta OF The Mlssissippi-Its Vast
ness, and the immensely Of its
Commercial and 4gricul-
tural Interests.
Results Achieved by the LeTees-What
the States Fave Done, asd the
United States Government
Should 30 for TEEN.
Reservoirs and ReVetmeBts-The Fu-
ture t-COnstiiuliOnaiity Of Re-
elaiming the INSTRUMENTATION
aEd Reconciliation OF the
Souih-Ete, Etc.

The houec having under consideration the
bin II. 4. No. 2QSSl TO prOvi e for the appoint
1nspf ~ com miss on OF engineers TO investi-
gate and report permanent plan ior the
reclamation Of the alluVlai basin OF the MIS-
sissippi river subj lect 70 uundaIlon, M Lewis
said:
Mr.. SPEAKsR-The question of the
reclamation Of the vast delta OF the
Mississippi il one Of life and death, as it
were, TO q million Cr more Of population
living Immediately Oh the lands direct
" exposed to the floods. 1t is q vital
one to the citizens generally of six or
seven great States, which extend i0to
that region, while its direct and uli-
mate consequences deeply concern the
interests and the prosperity OF all the
people Of that immense area geographic
cally designated az the valley OF the Mis-
sissippi, ,-embracing twenty-one States
and seven Territories soon to be States
and comprising more than ,256,OOO
square miles OF territory. 1t is OF lncal-
culable Importance moreover, 10 the
whole nation, and merits the earnest
and anxious consideration OF the na-
tional government, and especially of
congress. 1t greatly concerns the inter-
ests OF my constituents, will s1fect their
future prosperity immensely in many
WAYS, and therefore feel impelled by
the strongest sense Of duty to ask the
attention Of the house to some reasons
why l think il should pass the bill now
before il, providing for the appointment
os mixed cCmLiisiO.i OF army and civil
engineers 70 iuvestig gate the whole qurs-
tiOn, and report some permanent and
comprehensive p an for the reclamation
and protection OF the vast alluvial basin
subject to overflow.
EXTENT OF THE DELTA.
The delta OF ailuyial lands Of the Mis-
sissippi, according TO Prof FOrshey, an
eminent civil engineer, who has devoted
nearly thirty-eight years TO the levees
and physics OF the Mississippi, COM
prises an area Of IS. 7O6 square miles, or
"a, III $40 acres, OF the most fertile soil
oa the globe. This is an extent Of terri
tory three times as large as the Kingdom
OF the Netherlands, twice az large as
Switzerland OF Denmark, larger than
many other famous aud historic States
in Europe, and is more than equal 70 the
combined areas Of six distinguished
States out Of the original thirteen Of cur
nation. ] refer, OF c0uTse, to Massachu-
sets, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New
Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Its
vast capabilities will be recognized at
once, when it il remembered that with
a soil fully as fertile a. that Of the valley
Of the Nile, il is seven times a. great in
area as all the arabic lands Of Egypt
now or at any former psTiod OF It's his
tory.
ITS CAPACITY OF PRODUCTION.
In 1850 this very region, now unhap-
pily submerged by The present disastrous
Hoods. produced 6SS, ,254 bales Of cotton,
worth Sal, ,Z95, ,240; and AGO 600 200
mounds OF sugar, worth So, 300, 900.
Humphreys aud AbbOtps survey estl-
mates the yearly capacity Of this region
for cotton alone, at only ten cents per
pound, to be equal 10 S3l5,0OO,O0Ol AZ
the prices that have prevailed since the
war this would amount TO about e5OOi-
OO0. 900 annually. Add TO this its capa-
bilities for the Production Of sugar IN the
lower portion Of the delta, or south ol
3le 80, and the total amount would De
almost fabulous, aud nearly equal TO the
value OF the cereal crop Of the whole
United States. This vast delta region,
besides the grain lands in its northern
portion, contains at least ten million
acres OF the best cotton lands in the
world, and five million acres Of the
finest and richest sugar lands. These
estimates Of the delta do not include the
alluyial lands Of the tributaries Of the
Mississippi that are subject 10 overflow.
They would greatly increase the area al
ready mentioned.
ITS ENORMOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.
This region, thoroughly reclaimed,
would soon produce for our country all
the sugar it now consumes, or can here
after consume, and for which We nov