The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-12
ST. PAUL CONVENTION.
OF THE BUSINESS MEN
OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
THEY CALL UPON THE GENERAL, Gov.
ERNMENT TO FOSTER THE
LEvEE SYSTEM.
Ama Declare 1t TO he the Duty Of the
Government TO Protect the River
Against CrcvRsses
tspecial to the Democrat.|

tSuecial to the Democrat
ST. PAUL, MINI, Oct. 11.-By the various
trains that lead to st. Paul the delegation.
from different cities and States began to ar
rive on Wednesday evening, and THURSDAY
morning found about hundred intelligent
and substantial representatives from Memo
minee, Wisconsin; Red Wing, st. Paul, Da
venport, Rock Island, Moline, Wabashaw
Hudson, Chippewa Falls, Minneapolis, Reads
Landing Winona, Minnesota; Beach River
saltwater, Burlington, Lacrosse Wisconsin
Dubuque, Quincy, Illinois; Chester, Indiana
st. Louis and New Orleans.
The convention called by the Chamber ol
Commerce Of st. Paul, to secure from Con-
gress the permanent Improvement of the
Mississippi river, assembled at the Opera
House at q little after 10 o'clock on Thursday
morning.
Mr.. Rice, president Of the Chamber of Com
merce OF ST. Paul, called the convention to
order, and after the usual preiminaries, Hon.
Joseph Brown, OF st. Louis, was elected chair
man, and Mr.. J. M. Walpole, of New Orleans,
with two other delegates, were made secreta-
ries.
After the appointment of the com mittee on
credentials, and after their report was made,
the chair appointed committee on perma-
nent organization, among whom was Mr..
Louis Bush of New Orleans This committee
reported back the names of the temporary
officers, with the addition of q number Of
vice presidents, among whom figured Messrs.
Louis Bush and Prof Forshey, of New Or
leans The committee on resolutions was
represented by Col. Louis Bush and Capt
John Augustin.
After the committee on resolutions had
been appointed the convention adjourned to
o'clock. The real work of the convention then
aevolved on the committee on resolutions,
who worked and deliberated steadily
for three hours. You know that apart
from helping our friends of the far
Northwest, our object was to re-
cafve their Endorsement to our scheme of
Matchmaking the levee system At first we
met with good deal Of opposition, the dele
xates from st. Paul and other Northwestern
towns being fearful that this Endorsement
would prejudice the object they had in view.
Col. Bush, however, in an address full of
tact and ability, convinced them that our in
terests were linked together. The resolution
proposed by the Louisiana delegation was
carried and our levees indorsed.
Without forgetting the courtesy of our st.
Louis and Minnesota friends who's helped us,
i must give credit to Col. Bush's work and
eloquence for that success.
The general resolutions all tended to the
improvement of the Mississippi river, re-
commending immediate action on the part Of
Congress to the effect Of deepening its chan
mel to minimum depth of five feet from st.
Anthonys Falls, near Minneapolis, to Cairo,
and to ten feet below that point. / give in full
the resolutions concerning the levees:
That as the Mississippis banks on the lower
portion Of it's channel will not bear without
destructive abrasion, largely due to the in
crease of steamboat waves in transporting
the commerce of States that lie upon and
beyond It's waters, the servitude or easement
OF navigation; it becomes the duty Of the
general government to levee and protect it
from crevasses, and thepeople who have their
homes and fields upon it's banks from inunda-
ton.
The report Of the committee was unani-
mously adopted by the convention, and it may
now be truly said that the South and West
have Joined hands. Strange to say, Vicks-
burg, Memphis, Nashville and other interested
cities were not represented, though some sent
apologies, and Louisiana had to stand the
whole brllnt N.