The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-01-27

line of uubroken presidents, to legislate for
the benefit of commerce and trade. Inc
| bill for the improvement OF the MISSISSIPPI
! river is based upon these constitutional pro-
( visions and follows the course OF legislation
on this subject, and especially provides that
the appropriations shall be expended by the
/ War Department.
1t is admitted that no piece meal work
can attain any profitable results, and that,
as there is an inter-dependence between ali
parts of this river, in the alluvial region,
/ some general and comprehensive plan should
/ be adopted for its improvement. ANY Inn
portant work accomplished for the benefit of
one locality might cause such change IN
| the regimen of the river as TO produce meal
/ culable injury to some other, and for this rea-
son the engineers have declared, what expe-
rience has shown to be true, that any plan
| to be beneficial must be comprehensive, and
| embrace all the phenomena OF the great river. |
| Even if the riparian States could undertake
! this work there are practical dlhcultles IN
the way that are almost lnsurm0untaole, as
we'll as the prohibitions of the Constitution.
1t is not certain that these States would
unite upon any general plan, for local ana |
rival interests would tend constantly to as |
sert their influence. The States could not
adopt any general plan without concert and |
agreement Clause of section 10 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 are prohibited from adopting the |
only plan by which the Improvement OF the /
river could be undertaken. from raising |
the means with which to execute 1t.
The efforts of the Representatives from
the Mississippi Valley found no more able |
or cordial supporter than Gen. Garfield on |
tha of VVb N ia
letter of acceptance of the nomination of the
Presidency declare:
fortunately for the interests of commerce
there is no longer any formidable opposition
to appropriations for the improvement of
our harbors and great navigable rivers, pro-
vlded that the expenditures for that purpose
are limited to works of Irrational Importance.
The Mississippi river, with its great tribu
taries, is ofsuch vital importance to so mBny
millions of people that the safety of its navi>
cation requires exceptional consideration.
In order to secure to the Nation the control
of all its waters, President Jefferson negoti-
ated the purchase of vast territory extend
ing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
Ocean. The wisdom OF Congress should be
invoked to devise some plan by which that
great river shall cease to De terror to those
who dwell upon its banks, and by which its
shipping may safely carry the industrial
products of %, 000, 900 of people. The in
terests of agriculture, which is the basis of
all our material prosperity, and in which
seven-tweltths of our population are engaged,
well 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 mes |
sages, specially recommend to Congress the
improvement of the Mississippi river, as a Z
matter of transcendant Importance" Sure ..
ly then, it cannot be said thai there is any I
thing nconsderate in the earnest support {
given to the pending bill for this purpose by c
the press, or by the Representatives of the {
Valley, or in their demand for l
action by this Congress. t
RANDALL L. GIBSON. :
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5. )