Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-01-08
d Usage RIVER.
Rear Hon. inc. T. Philips, Before the Com.
mittss on Commerce, 44fh Congress.

Mr.. Philips, OF Missouri said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The Usage River is the
second river IN imporiaule in the State Of
Missouri. Its source is 10 the State OF Kansas
IL ia 500 miles IN length. Its ofl ,ially recog
nIzed n~avigability Ia . 20 miles, 1t inter-
locks with ths waters Of the ArkanEas. In
its sweep It touches in the State Of Nilsson ri
the counties Of Bates, st Clair, counties large.
~ dependent on It. with Au aggregate area OF
1000 square miles drained by 1t. and more or
less dependent on il Tor commercial commu-
nication. For thirty years steamboats, have
with more or less frequency been on its
winters.
The Government OF the United States has
by public acts expressed In different forms
solemnly declared and recognized it as a pub
lie highway subject 10 maritime regulations,
and Federal Jurisdiction. Any obstruction
of. or interference with it's passage or free
use by either the State, private corporations,
or eitizens, have been as much denied and
resisted by the Federal authority as on the
waters of the Missouri, or Mississippi. 10
the organic act OF Congress erecting q gov
.rnment over the territory acquired from
France, embracing this river, il was express.
Iy declared that's
THE Mississippi and Missouri rivers and
The navigable waters ilOwiDg into them, and
the carrying places between the same, shall
he common highways and forever free 20 the
people OF the ssid territory, and to the citi-
xens Of the United States, without any tax,
duty, or impost therefor"
This river Is, therefore, public property.
IL belongs to the whole country. Aud ne
Congress has thus peremptoTlaliy and perpet-
ually interdicted the States from interfering
with this stream. Isubmit as an unavolda.
bic coIollary, that II is NOS becoming 10 the
General Government 20 leave TO either in
dividualf, local communities or the State, the
duty sud burden OF protecting and pfe.erv-
Jog tho navigahiiity OF this public highway.
j would apply the rule 10 the General Gov
ernment IN this particular, which | would n.
the matter OF citizenship. Where the Gov
eminent demands and exercises jurisdiction
10 control, let II also protect and defend,
For the last quarter OF y century the PEG
Pile OF that region, through their representa-
tives 10 Congress, have duplicated aud be.
sought Congress for tho necessary aid to rem
der this river at for use. How their
prayer hAa been needed let the records Of
Congress snswer. Only the sun OF one hun
dred thousand dollars la ell It's history has
been doled out 10 H. and that begrudgingly.
Companions are sand TO be odlous, and In in.
voking II In this case | praler no charge
that the money appropriated TO LEES deserving
ftreAms may not have been WIS ly applied.
YET only $1,000 stands 10 The account Of
the Usage, which is OF greater commercial
inheritance than riveTs which received 10 the
same period $500 90. Il this common jus-
tice! Can Congress, as the guardian OF all,
thus continue TO discriminate IN the distribu-
tion among the nations wards OF their psiri-
mony, OF a fund IN which they are equal
heirsi
estly request their careful and candid read