The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-06
faced death with for more sensibility and con
Germ than now experience at your threat,
or would evince at Its execution"
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
BILL.


hydraulic and hydrometric examination OF the
Mississippi river and for Typographical
survey OF Its alluviaI banks and delta lands
has lately passed through the lower house OF
Congress under suspension OF the rules
AS has been stated before, the work called
for from the commission was report upon
the best means Of improving the navigation
OF the river, OF deepening the channel thereof
90 as to make 1t available for commerce at all
seasons Of the year and Of protecting Its rich
alluvial borders from the periodic floods
| which have heretofore desolated and devas-
tated the most productive and fertile lands
upon this continent.
We have heretofore withheld our cordial
support from any measure which has en-
braced as subsidiary CLAUSE the plan for re-
building the levees OF Louisiana, Arkansas,
Mississippi and Tennessee, and OF conse-
| quently averting the loss OF untold millions
to the people Of these States
We have shown how Louisiana alone has
expended more than fifteen millions OF dollars
In the restoration Of her immense levee sys-
tenn, which was broken up and destroyed dur
Ing the war; and we have insistently advo-
Gated that our State should be helped In keep
ing up this disproportionate work by an In
significant appropriation from the general
government, which should be given under
special act whose object would be the rebuild
ing and restoration OF the levees in the four
states named, and which should aim at the
accomplishment of no other dependent or in
dependent schemes
The impression, however, has come to be
emphatically fixed upon the minds Of our
riparian proprietors that it Is useless to hope
for any special legislation from Congress,
which, inspired and directed by the spirit OF
equity involved In their claims, will repair the
injury inflicted upon them In this matter dur
ing period Of war, or which will aid them
In time OF peace In their struggle to keep
back the floods of the great river, whose
tributary waters are poured down from
States whose area embraces nearly one-half
the extent OF the whole country, whose
mighty stream is q great national highway
OF commerce, and whose proper control is a
bounden duty OF the national government.
IT has become a matter OF conviction after
many years of fruitless effort, after Q contin-
ual repetition Of disheartening defeats, that
no plan which simply and purely involves the
protection of the alluvial lands from overflow
by the rebuilding Of the levees by the general
government will be adopted by the national
legislature, whatever the political or party
composition of that body may be. Therefore,
abandoning hopes of special Legislation In
this matter, we are forced to look for help to
be granted In the rebuilding Of our levees In
any scheme proposed which has that object In
fha ad ho mir
clause Of the project under consideration.
The preliminary survey OF the river and
| its banks by commission composed OF civil
and military engineers must be taken as the
first step toward the enactment OF the legis-
lation by which it 10 proposed to deepen the
river and protectits fertile borders from over
How.
| This step has practically been ordered. The
bill authorizing 1t has passed through the
House Of Representatives without any nota-
bic opposition. It Is safe to predict that the
measure will be sanctioned by the Senate.
In fact. the passage OF the Mississippi river
commission bill may be almost considered as
foregone conclusion.
| The plan proposed in the inception Of this
bill Is said to have been originated by
Hon. Randall Gibson. Louisiana owes
much to the member from the First
Congressional District, who has been as
siduous and unremitting In his efforts
to promote the welfare of the whole State.
His reputation as worthy and talented rep
resentative scarcely needs to be enhanced by
credit for being the author Of this measure,
which is the only one, 1t appears, Louisiana
has now to look to for help In the construc-
ton OF her levees.
! The plan proposed was originally advanced
by the Hon. E. w. Robertson, of the Sixth
District It was earnestly advocated by Mr.
Robertson during the early part of the ses-
sion of the Forty-ffth Congress. At that
time other members of the Louisiana delega-
ton were opposed to any plan whose speci.
fed object was not exclusively the protection
from overflow of the alluvlal lands Of Louis
lana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee
The conviction, however, was reluctantly
forced upon them, that no such Legislation
could be obtained, and they were compelled
to look to some other measure which pro
posed relief to the States named.
/ Capt. Eads, Gen. Barnard, Gen. HUMPHREYS
and other prominent engineers were then
summoned before the Levee Committee to
give their views as to whether the confne-
ment Of the rivers current by levees would
not deepen the channel and make it more
available for the purposes Of commerce
! Their favorable consideration of this theory O
hydraulics, and the statements they made te
the effect that crevasses and all other outlets
while they temporarily relieved the fooe
pressure, would eventually cause an elevation
of the flood line by an increased deposit II
the bottom, consequent upon the slackenfne
OF the current below such outlets, had {
marked effect upon the action Of the Commit
tee on Levees
Il "A bill was hence proposed for accomplish
ing two objects at once-deepening the chan
mel of the river and preventing the overflow o
Its banks. This was supported by nine out O
eleven members Of the Levee Committee, ant
notably by Robertson, Of Louisiana, ant
Robinson, of Massachusetts.