The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-11-25

OF iuH l-DH1s WIG lanai ''' '''
Ohio, the digging OF lie Muscle
Sholl. canal in the Tennessee.
| tn. p-o7er distribution OF snagboa,s and
signal lights in the Mississippi river, aud
| the deepening OF it. channel until there
shall be Z minimum depth of fifteen feet
from Cairo TO New Orleans are objects OF
common Interest to all who dwell upon
the Mississippi liver or its tributaries,
IN committee which natures bill
the interest Of any part Of this Lomogen'
eous country must benefit all. But q
committee charged with Tie cOnsilcra-
ton OF the whole commerce OF the coun-
try, with its attention attracted by the
eyer.increasing demands Of The scacoard
and lake commerce, might overlook the
wants Of our inland commerce or sacri-
ice It's interest when It came in conflict
with the other This alone shows she
necessity Of dividing the duties now i'm,
posed upon the committee on commerce.
and we believe it is admitted by al tia.
they should be divided; but there is some
difference OF opinion as TO how this diyi'
sion should be made. The resolution OF
General Chalmers has gone to the com.
mittre On rules, composed OF Mr.. Speak.
er Randall. Mr.. Stephens, Mr. Sayler and
Mr.. Garfield. The last two, being from
the region most directly interested, are
favorable to the resolution. Mr.. Step
hens fayors Z division OF the committee
on commerce; bat it il said lie would
prefer three cOmmittees-ole upon the
commerce OF the seaboarJ, one Of the
lakes, and one Of rivers. This would be too
much Of . good thing, and the friends Of
the Chalmers resolutions will protest
aga.ns. any change being made in It, as
we have no special interest in any other
| views than those OF our valley. Mr, Ran
all, the other member Of the committee,
a.. usual. Is non -committal. II may be
asked whether the commerce Of the Mis-
s,zsippi valley is Of sufficient importance
to demand q separate committee to in
vestigaJe It's want. Letthose who doubt
il loon 20 the export Of cotton alone iron
| New Orleans, and remember that the in
terror trade Of the west with the south
including corn. meat, mules and agricult'
ural lmpiiments equals in value annually
more than One.haIt OF the cettOn crop,
And again, i.thc Pacific railroads are en-
titled TO separate committee, the Msss'
ppi river certainly should be, because q
single tow-5oat with its barges can carry
10 New Orleans at one trip as much pro
dace as seventeen trains Of fourteen car
each can upon railroad. This gEea'
water transportation can be extended
without limit, and will be when science
shall have accomplished the proper deep
enin. Of the channel o. the -.rc.-anl
/. why should /! not: seven hundred ant
fifty thousand dollars year for NAM
years has been spent upon the blowing
out Of the Hell-Gatc passage to the New
York harb0r, and now al
. application IS abOu, 10 be mad
for two million dollars to improve til,
new harbor Of Port Morris, for New
York, upon the plea that it will shorter
the trip from Europe TO China just m
aqy. If our eastern friends had h,
mighty Mississippi river, with its i'm
mense volume Of water and it unctualcC
selfdredgins power, they would neye
have permitted it 70 remain thus lon!
wasting Itself in vast expsnsc and build
Ing up Eandbars when deep water i
!, needed. They would long since hay
t brought all the engineering skill and al
: the wealth Of the United States to bea
upon this river, and to-day, instead q
u being filed with sandbars, which max
u ordinary steamboat navigation unccrtai
" Tor many months In the year, we shou!
see channel not less than fifteen fee
anywhere from Cairo 10 New Orlean,
and seagoing vessels would receive thei
cargOes at ST. Louis and Cincinnati dur
ing many months, and ut Cairo through
0 out the year. Another proposition ha
T. been introduced by General Gibson. O
: Louisiana, which seeks to emacuatc TN
proposition Of General Chalmers to SOM
extent, and that is to increase the pow
) er Of the Mississippi levee committee. AM
y give 1t jurisdiction over the improve
- ments Of the Mississippi, river. 10 thll
, we are decidedly opposed. This woult
. subordinate the consideration OF dues
tons which are admitted TO be Legitimate
"a subjects Of congressional legislation to
IL committee the very name OF which sug
ID gcs@ doubt as to the establishment of Il
objects. 1t Is an effort 10 advance IN
10 Importance Oh the levee committee at IN
-, expense Of great and ,tatesmanllke idea
"a that would do more than any thing els
= to develop the great resources of the wes
:, and southwest; 1t would, in short, be n
:" effort TO make the tail wag the cleyhan,
er The resolution, as originally introduces
Is. by General Chalmers. should be adopted
o. 1t Is a grand and statesmanlikc idc,
=, which grows upon us, and Is the first &C
III in the drama that is yet to be enacted |
Ia the union Of the west and the south, an
q, the election OF Hendricks, Pendleton o
. voorhees, 10 the Presidency, and Dams
10 Gordon or Ellis to the Viee.Presidenc
h in ls"'