The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-12
Rivers and Harbors.


The statement made by Mr.. RoBEsoS, OF
New Jersey, in the House Of Representa-
tives last Saturday that the papers which
denouncc the river and harbor bin passed
n the last session OF Congress are the
mouth-pieccs OF jar GOULD and the other
railroad kings. and speak for railroad as
against rivcr-navigation. Is one which we
had heard but which we did not mention
In our article Of Sunday on the subject OF
the Improvement Of rivers and harbors'
We do not know how much truth there Is
In The statement. There may be some, or
there may be none, so far as we know; but
undoubtedly the opposition TO the improve
mept of rivers in the interior Of the
country and harbors all along down
the Atlantic coast is discrediiahe TO
the Journals Of New York city. We
don't think there is single leading journal
in that city which ever advocates the pass
age OF rivcr-.,nd-harbor bin, or can con-
template with serene mind the use OF the
nations money to improve the navigation
Of the Rappahannock river, or the York,
or the Appomattox. or the James. "Great
il this country, and New York is it, city"
This X the meaning OF the articles which
our esteemed contemporaries OF the metro
poIitan press inflict upon their readers
whenever they undertake to discuss the
policy Of improving the rivers and harbors
OF the United States.
The river and harbor bill passed at the
last session of Congress appropriated a
large sum OF money 10 the Improvement
OF the Mississippi river; also large sum
10 the improvement OF other rivers-this
last being large because there were so many
rivers named in the bill. We have this bill
upon our table. We do not believe that
all the uniusiiGable appropriations in the
bin would aggregate five per cent. OF the
entire amount appropriated by it. They
are mere nothing compared with the
sums appropriated to the Potomac, the
Ohio, the Mississippi, the Missouri, and
the other rivers entitled to such appropria-
tons.
Government collects taxes from all the peo-
ple. everywhere in this country, and
shonld. IL possible, return some Of the
money 10 each community, let that COM
munity be where it will. The Mononga-
bela river may. for example, not be as well
entitled 10 an Appropriation for its i'm
provement ne i the Hudson, or the Con-
necticut, or the James, and may bc re-
Corded by New Englanders AZ out Of the
world. Yet it is entitled to all il gets.
TO the people who reside upon its banks.
aud pay q heavy tax upon old Monongahela
whiskcy, IL is known to be river
capable OF being made navigablc even
by steamboats, for hundred miles
above Pittsburgh. Yes, this "rlver with
out an island" (what it, name is SAID to
signiiy,) running through a mountainous
region, and unknown to the average New
York editor, is "a proper subject OF Gov
ernment favor. We mention this river
because We know all about il. Yet because
10 Is not known to the people Of the North
rs well "a is the Hudson river, the appro-
priations made by Congress for its i'm
provement are denounced by northern edi-
tors as waste OF the public money.
If we were in Congress. we would he
willing 10 vote twenty millions for the inn
provement Of the Mississippi river alone.
and feel no doubt OF our ability 10 satisfy
our constituents that we had voted Alright.
We do not regard Virginia alone. We
look 10 the whole country. And when we
read what the New York journals say on
such subjects we cannot but feel that they
are anything but metropolitan " in their
tone and the extent 10 which their vision
reaches.