Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-08-05

The first session Of tho Thiriyesecond
Congress was prolonged until the 3lst Of
August The acts passed embrace one hun
dred and forty-four pages OF the statutes
All but the first lhirty~seven pages are
covered by act approved on the last bpQ
days Of the session Earlier administra
lions had planted the National Capital, had
framed the leading features Of our land
system, had dedicated liberal portions Of
our public domain to the cause of popular
education, and had commenced the Cum
berland road and other works of internal
improvement. When, after nearly thirty
years of misrule, you drove, the Democratic
party from power, the Cumberland road
was still unfinished, and the party had been
educated to believe that the National Gov
ernment had no constitutional power TO
complete such work.
That singular fifth did not prevent the
party from entering upon such works, but,
seemingly, only from completing them.
They did not refrain from making appro-
priations, even for improving rivers and
harbors. Sometimes such appropriations
we're made regularly and sometimes irregu-
larry. Apparently they were scrupulous
only that appropriations should be made M
such times, in such sums, and for such pur
poses as wouli promote commerce. least and
party interests most. On the approaches TO
Wilmington, n C., appropriations were
made at various times, amounting to more
than $500, 600 Wilmington has swclled
from population Of seven thousand in
1850 to thirteen thousand in 1870. On the
Red river in Louisiana there was expended
at different times more than FIVE hundred
thousand dollars. That river washes eight
counties in the State of Louisiana. Those
eight counties had population in 1910 of
| fifty-four thousand in 1870 of one hundred
and six thousand. On the harbor Of Chi
cago, which is the gateway to the North
west, the home of millions, they doled out
! appropriations amounting to 81 1000. On
the harbor at Milwaukee they appropriated
/ in 1874 $4,000. Eight years later they
resumed the work, apparently with the de
termination of completing it. Fifteen thou
sand dollars were Appropriated that year.
The year following they appropriated the
munitcrUt sum of 1853 81, and then rested
| from that labor. Congress voted other APP
preparation, fer similar works, which en-
couuterei the Executive veto aud Demo
cratic Representatives, finding they must
disobey either President or people, decided
to disobey the latter and obey the former.
THE LOUISVILLE CANAL.
a great natural highway, the Ohio river,
along which is poured a commerce Of meal
cu'able value, was INSTRUCTED by a rapid
near Louisville The interests OF that com
merce required a canal to be built around
those rapids Congress did not assume
that duty. nor even let it alone. The State
Of Kentucky chartered q company TO con-
struct that canal and to toll the commerce
of the Ohio The United States aspired to
the dignity IF stakeholder in that COM
pany and achieved it, The Government
iopka uaid for ). gU2 shares, at one hun
drcd dollars each. Private parties took l.
ugS shares. The canal was built the tolls
were fixed. commerce blpd. and the COM
pany's treasury filled. The revenues were
so large it seemed rity the Government
SHOULD share them Bntss stakeholder
the Government was entitled to nearly one
third Of the net revenues. The Govern
mrnt was not represented in the manage
meut Of the company. That was governed
by five directors. each Of whom was stock
/ holder Thase lire tors concluded they
could make "a better u.e of the revenues
/ than to divide them with the Government.
/ To that end they resolved the canal ought
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