The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-11-26
Report Of the Mississippi River Inn
provement Commission.
HIS Eraellency, j. N. Stone,
Governor of the State of Mississippi


Governor Of the STATE Of Mississippi
SIR-The undersigned, who had the honor
to be commissioned by your Excellency as
delegates to the Convention for the inn
provement of the navigation of the Missis-
sippi river and its navigable tributaries,
which met in the City of Quincy, in the
State of illinois, on the 18th day of October,
1879, have the honor to submit the following
report:
In obedience to the duties devolved upon
Us by said commission, We proceeded to the
seat of the Convention, and were most
cordially received, and every mark of con-
sideration and respect were shown US as
delegates of the patriotic people in whose
behalf you did US the honor to constitute
US representatives
The Convention was composed of several
hundred of the most distinguished and
philosophical citizens of the great valley
and watersheds drained by the finland
Sea" that washes the western margin of this
State.
The great and central object of the as
semblage was to consider the Importance of
the better navigation of this great natural
waterway and its chief tributaries. In
that body delegates represented districts of
productive soil competent to feed and cloth
the world. The mouth of this great river
is the natural gateway to the oceans, and
hence the people of every nationality with
whom me hold commercial intercourse.
Heretofore that gateway has limi-
ted the ingress and egress of ships
to a class of moderate dimensions-so
moderate as to almost forbid competition
with the transportation of grains by rail to
Eastern marts-but now to q great extent
relieved by the munfcent expenditures of
the General Government in SO deepening
the channel at the mouth that vessels Of
tonnage sufficient may enter, and pass out
with such facility as to promise new era
in the power of transportation at the sea
gate of these waters. And it is gratifying
TO observe that the facility OF grain trans
portation by the barge system is rapidly
increasing, and the day cannot be very re-
mote when the millions and hundreds of
millions of bushels of cereals raised in the
great Northwest, will float to the sea on
the waters which bind in indissoluble union
the people whose agriculture, commerce and
navigation make them one.
We are gratified in being able to rel ort to
your Excellency that the Convention was
alike distinguished by its fixedness of pur-
pose, and its unanimity of action. With
one consent the Convention uttered the
conviction that, in the appropriations for
river and harbor Improvements by Congress,
the hour had come when the navigable
waters of this vast valley, could justly stand
at the front and demand that her interests
should be fostered commensurately with
their national Importance and commercial
magnitude.
The Convention purpOsely avoided the
recommendation of special theories, upon
which eminent civil engineers are divided
in opinion, though very plausible, and
seeming pr'in,a Jdcie, to carry the sanction
and seal of great common sense because
the "River Commission recently constitu-
ted by Congress to take up and consider all
such measures, would, as it was earnestly
hoped. without delay proceed to the accom-
plishment of its momentOus duties.
The real work of the Convention was per
formed by the Committee on Resolutions ;
and as finally passed almost unanimously
by the assemblage we herewith enclose.
These resolutions will impart all the
| essential information to our people they
can really need, and we trust will enlist
their hearty approval and energetic cooper
alton and if so, the day has dawned of
greater prosperity, and truer commercial
supremacy than the most gifted sons have
hitherto conceived of, in the great Valley of
| the West
Thanking your Excellency for the honor
| of our commission, we are very respectfully
Your Obt Sv'ts,
C.. X. MARSHALL,
CHAs. E. HOOKER.