The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-10-15
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT CON-
vENTION.
The Tri-city Delegation an Important
Element Therein. IN

The editor of the Gazette. who was one
of the tri-city representatives to the st.
Paul convention. in the course of very
pleasant letter to bis paper, says: i
The states represented were: Mime |
sofa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri
and Louisiana, and the number of towns
and cities aggregated twenty-five. New
Orleans, which had three delegates pres
ent, and Cairo and Chester, Ill, were the
only places below st. Louis which had any
record in the convention. Several cities,
by pleasant fiction of the committee on
credentials, were made to appear as numer-
ously present, while the gentleman whose
names were reported as duly seated on
credentials were IN fact conspicuously alb
sent. For instance, Quincy was most
unanimously reported as having just a
round dozen delegation, whereas not
single corporal presence from that lively
village was at any time visible to the naked
eye of those actually obseryant from any
of the seats in the st. Paul opera house.
| OF course the tri cities were absolutely
free from reflection in that regard; since
the credentials presented in their behalf
embraced no name which did not have
ownership in citizen duly present and
participating. About seventy-hve dele
gates were actually in attendance. In the
character and ability of its membership it
is claimed, and it must be conceded with
Justice, the convention was exceptionally
favored. The presence and active particl-
patton of such gentlemen as ex Governors
Sibley, Rice, Ramsey and Marshall, OF
Minnesota, ex-CODgressman John Hogan,
OF St. Lcuis, Hon Joseph Brown, OF St.
Louis, Hon. Louis Bush speaker of the
Louisiana house of representatives, Prot.
|. Forshe, OF New Orleans, Hon. W. i.
Price, of Black River Falls, Hon. B. b,
Richards, of Dubuque, and others OF
like reputation, may be cited as sui
ticienty in evidence on that point. The
, body was, too, business like ard practical
10 ali it's proceedings. There was through
out it deliberations, a marked absence OF
mere talk, as of fustian and gush.
In the afternoon, while awaiting the three
hours elaboration by the committee on
resolutions, there was some pavdonable
outflow of rhetoric which was seemingly
wanting in just provocation and, no less,
) in intelligent understanding OF the facts in
issue. This was conspiciously manifested
in an attempted attack upon the work Of
the Unlted States engineers, under Col
Macomb, concerning the alleged grounds
for which the originator afterwards con-
fessed his utter ignorance, and upon which
; the convention severely set its foot, first by
). voting down the resolutions of criticism
and censure. and, subsequently, by unani
mously adopting the complimentary
+ afirmations of the committee in relation t
!, the same body Of faithful officials Of the
government.
r Before closing this letter, it should b
It said that the Tri-Cities had honorable
: | recognition, in addition to that hereinbe
fore indicated, by the selection OF Judge j
" NJ. Gould, of Moline, as member of thu
e committee on resolutions and that of Mr.
= A G. Dart. OF Rock Island, as one of thu
q vice-presidents. The Tri-City delegation
a., rendered eminent service to the convention
y during the discussion in relation to tn,
u work Of the engineer corps, which e0nsti
o tuted a marked feature Of the Afternoon
II session. AS the writer was not thel
10 present, because of pre- occupation as
member OF the committee on resolutions
IT. he can only report that Mr.. Rcnwick an,
" others give the assurance that it was tn
- viz orous and able address OF Mr. Charlc
30 Atkinson, Of Moline, together with tn
very explicit and entirely unanswerabl
a" statements Of fact afterwards made b
he Lieut.. NJ Meigs, assistant engineer, Gale
" out at the request Of Mr.. Atkinson, whic
of gave the quietus to the attack OF ignor
ance and prejudice upon the governmen
" control OF and work upon the improve
IN ment of the river.