The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-23
OUR RIVER COMMERCE..
Gen. Chalmers Resolution Creating
Committee on the Commerce Of
the Mississfupi.
Cincinnati Enquirer.1

Cincinnati Enquirer.l
WASHINGTON, Dv. 19.-Gen. Chalmers
resolution for the appointment of commit
tee upon the commerce of the Mississippi
portant measures of the Forty-fifth Congress-
The more we reflect upon the proposition to
create an additional standing committee to
consider the wants OF the commerce Of the
Mississippi and it's tributaries, and the i'm
prOvements in navigation necessary to it's
full fruiton, the more we are struck with it's
importance and necessity.
The Mississippi river Is, and in the future
will be, acknowledged, as the pearl of the
the life blood OF the nation, and whose puis lisa
tions will be equally felt from it's mouth to its
remotest extremities The opening of the
mouth of the Mississippi river will be felt at
Pittsburg, and at the digging, of the Des
Moines Canal will pour wealth into New Or
leans The enlargement Of the Louisville
Canal on the Ohio, the digging of the Muscle
Shoals Canal on the Tennessee, the proper
distribution of snag boats and signal lights
its channel until there shall be minimum
depth Of fifteen feet from Cairo to New Or
leans are objects of common interest to all
who dwell upon the Mississippi river or its
tributaries, and committee which natures q
bill in the interest OF any part Of this homo
geneous country must benefit all. But a
committee charged with the consideration
OF the whole commerce OF the country, with
its attention attracted by the ever-ncreasing
demands of the sea-board and lake COM
merce, might overlook the wants of our in
land commerce, or sacrifice its interest when
it came in conflict with the other. This alone
shows the necessity for dividing the duties
now imposed upon the Committee on Com
merce, and we believe it is admitted by
all that they should be divided; but there is
some difference of opinion as to how this di-
vision should be made.
The resolution of Gen. Chalmers has gone
b.
Speaker Randall, Mr.. Stephens, Mr. Sayler and
Mr.. Garfield. The last two being from the re-
giOn most directly interested, are favorable
to the resolution Mr.. Stephens favors a d
vision of the Committee on Commerce.; but it
is said he would prefer three committees
upon the commerce of the seaboard, one of
the lakes and one of rivers. This would be
too much of good thing, and the friends Of
the Chalmers resolution will protest against
any change being made In it, as we have no
special interest in any other views than those
of our valley. Mr. Randall, the other mem
Der OF the committee, Is, as usual, nOn-com-
initial.
1t may be asked whether the commerce of
the Mississippi Valley is of sufficient i'm
portance to demand a separate committee to
investigate its wants Let those who doubt
it look to the export Of cotton alone from New
Orleans, and remember that the interior
trade of the West with the South, including
corn, meats, mules and agricultural imple-
ments equals in value annually more han
one-half of the value of the cotton CROP And
again, if the Pacific railroads are entitled to
separate committee, the Mississippi river
certainly should be, because single tow
boat with its bargeS can carry to New Or
leans at one trip as much produce as seven
teen trains Of fourteen cars each can upon
railroad: This water transportation can be
extended without limit, and will be when
science shall have accomplished the proper
deepening of the channel of the river-and
why should it not?