The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-06-24
Debate In the Hease on the River
and lIarber Rill.
Especial to Times.pemocrat.l |

eral debate on the river and harbor
bill was closed just before the ad- i
journment of the House this after
noon. Tomorrow the bill will be ,
taken up and considered by sec
tions. All the Louisiana members
of the House, and in fact all the
friends of the Mississippi river,
are highly pleased with the views
expressed relative to the necessity
Of improving the Mississippi river
and the lack of hostility shown to
the appropriation for that work.
Mr.. Page, chairman of the CON-
mittee ON commerce, opened the
debate by statement showing
why the amount Of the appropria-
ton of the river and harbor bill |
this year was so much larger than
last year. He was followed by
Mr.. Horr, of Michigan, Republi-
can, who, it is generally admitted,
made the best speech in favor of
improving the Mississippi, and of
carrying out the plans of the River
Commission ever made in Con-
gress.
Gen. Gibson says that it would
be q hard matter for any one to
make q clearer, moro forcible or
more eloquent speech on the same
subject. Almost all members
were in their seats and paid the
closest attention, which is some
thing very unusual when an appro-
: priation bill is under consideration.
= When Horr concluded the ap'
'" plause was generel on both sides
! of the House. The fact is that he
= had his subject we'll in hand. Hi
: showed that he had thoroughly in
" formed himself on the river prob
T" lem. He pointed out why th'
y levees were necessary, and mad
y it clear that 1t was impossible T.
III improve the navigation of tn
- river without them. A swift cuI
y rent, he said, picks out the sed
10 ment and scoms out the channe
" A slow current deposits tho sed
ment and forms bars and shoal
y Confinc the waters Of the river b
'e levees and narrow the river wher
it is now too wide until you get
- uniform width the whole lengt
and then you will have the cond
tions which produce swift ca,
rent which win dig such chann
as will meet the requirements
the commerce of the river.
He stated the facts, shown
how the creyasses tended to rui
.. the channel Of the river by chccl
ing the current, causing deposit
~ which formed shoals and bar
. These shoals and bars were dam
in the river which checked til
70 waters when they camo in tn
spring, causing destructive food
He ridiculed the outlet theory an
showed that outlets would be II
more effective in preventing flood
than crevasses were, and woul
: destroy rather than improve tn
channel of the river.
The lower Mississippi valley, b
: said, is geologically incomplete
~ If given time, the river woul
u solve it's own problem, and woul
~ shape its course. Form its char
~ mel, so that it will never overflo
p its banks, and we need not wa
. for the river to do this. We mui
~ assist the river to solve the prol
" lem, and that is what the appropr
afion of the river and harbOr hi
" is for. He said that every gre;
II. work that had ever been accon
oi plished had met with opposition
He spoke of the opposition to til
II ietties, to the st. Louis bridge, [
'i' the Atlantic cable, to the Pacifl
i'll Railway. To conhnc the waters
the Mississippi within the bank
g. and to make it a great commercii
a. artery, is work that VIC are boun
to do. We owe it to ourselve
nc and our children to do it. He sal
IN that he did not care what the att
TO tude of the South in the past ha
ia been or what her politics wei
ne now. He would never be foun
In wanting in doing anything nece
IT. sary to advance the South's lat
H. rial prosperity. Because priva'
n lands would be protected by bull
na ing levees was no reason, IN b
opinion, why leyees should not /
d. built, If they were necessary Il
the Improvement of the river.
The Natchez Tornado.