National Republican., 1881-01-07
strate that the necessary improvements may be
made By methods and plans simple,

made by methods and plans simple,
PRACTICABLE AND INEXPENSIVE?
Clause of section s, Article 1, of the Constitu-
ton provides that Congress shall have the power
70 regulate commerce with foreign nations and
among the several States and with Indian tribes. :.
And under this provision our river and harbor
bills are formed II certainly applies as well to
the Mississippi as to the lakes and seacoast and as
to the smaller rivers of the country.
But we may go further and invoke the second
clause of section g. Article " of the Constitution
which provides that "Congress shall have the
power to dispose of and make all needful rules
and regulations respecting the territory or otheT
property Of the United States; This Is peenlariy
doubt for moment that it is the property Of the
United States in very sense of the word, and thai
Congress has the power to improve it according TO
the plans Of the commission.
Whatever dispute there may be on this subject
none can forget that the interests of commerce led
% tne iormatlon OF the Federal Union and tnat II
has been the fixed policy of the Government, es-
tablished by long line of unbroken precedents,
10 legisate for the benefit of commerce and trade.
The bill for the improvement of the Mississippi
River is based upon these constitutional provisions
and follows the course of legislation this sub
ject, and especially provides that the apprOpria-
tions shall be expended
BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
1t is admitted that no pieeemeal work can attain
any profitable results, and that there is an inter
dependence between all parts of this river in the
alluvial region some general and comprehensive
plan should be adopted for its Improvement ANY
important work accomplished for the benefit Of
one locality might cause Snch change in the
regimen of the river as TO produce incaleulable
injury TO some other, and for this reason the
engineers have declared that experience has
shown it to be true that any plan, to be beneficial
must be comprehensive and embrace all the phe-
nOmena OF the great river. Even if the riparian
States could undertake this work, there are prac-
teal difficulties in the way that almost insur
mountable, as well as the prohibitions Of the
Constitution.
1t is not certain that these States wcuId unite
upon any general plan for local and rival inter
eSts would tend constantly TO assert their inHu-
encc- The States could not adopt any general
plan without concert and agreement. Clause 3,
of section TO- of Article l OF the Constitution,
provides that no State shall, without the consent
OF Congress, lay any duty of tonnage
or enter into any agreement or compact with
another State" 1t is thus seen that the States
prohibited from adopting the only plan by which
the improvement of the river could be under
taken, or from raising the means with which TO
execute it.
THE EFFORTS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES
from the Mississippi Valley found no more able or
cordial supporter than General Garfield on the
floor of the House, who again in his letter of Gc-
ceptance OF the nomination of the Presidency, de-
clares:
Fortunately for tie interests of commerce there
is no longer any formidable opposition TO appro-
priatiOns for the improvement of our harbOTS and
great nayigable rivers, provided that the expendi
lures for that purpose are limited To works of
national importance. The Mississippi River with
its great tributaries is of such vital importance
many millions :Of people that the safety of its
navigation requires eAcepuonSu CONSIDERATION IN
order 10 secure to the Nation the control of all its
waters, President Jefferson negotiated the purchase
of territory extending from the Gulf of Mex
leo TO the Pacific Ocean. The wisdom of Congress
should be invoked TO devise some plan by which
that great river shall cease to be terror TO those
who dwell upon its banks, and by which its ship
ping may safely carry the industrial products of
25oo0O0O of people. The interests of agriculture,
which is the basis of all our material prosperity
and in which seven-twelfthS of our population are
engaged, as We'll as the interests of manufactures
and commerce, demand that the facilities for
cheap transportation shall be increased by the use
of all our great Water-courseS."
The Secretary of War and the President of the
United States, in their annual messages, specially
recommend to Congress the improvement of
the Mississippi River aS matter of transcendant
importance. Surely, then, it cannot be said that
there is anything incOnSiderate in the earnest sup
port given 10 the pending bill for this purpose by
the press by the Representatives of the Missis-
sippi Valley, or in their demand for action by this
Congress. 4 L. GIBSON.