New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-26
hands with the Democrats. The Republican
majority appears to be in need OF guardian
THE MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT BILL.

fBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNEI
WASHINGTON, April 25.-The discussion in the
Senate of the last three or four days upon the Mis-
sissppi River improvement bill convinced those
Senators who wished to secure appropriations from
the Government for the reclamation of private
lands that their efforts were vain: and all the
amendments having this object in view were to-day
withdrawn.
When the bill was reached in the Senate to-day
Senator Garland Senator Jonas and Senator Kcl-
logg in turn arose and withdrew their respective
amendments saying in substance that the debate
had disclosed the fact that the Senate desired to
vote upon, and to pass, the bill in the form III
which it came from the committee and while they
were convinced of the justice of their causethat ls
of extending aid to the landowners in the MlsSls-
sippi Valley to reclaim their lands and prevent
future damage from overnows-they would iorbear
for the present hoping that the Commission in Its DIS
creion would find the levee system, for which they
were contending the best plan that could be
adopted to improve the navigation of the river.
Before the final vote was TAKEN Senator Hoar said
that for one he did not wish to go upon record as
opposed to extending aid to the landowners in their
efforts TO reclaim their lands He desired, however,
that when they next appealed for aid, if they ever
did they should show that they were willing first
to nut their own shoulders to the wheel and try to
help themselves.
The bill was passed without division. II apprO-
PIRATES Sc 600 600, and contains the provision
which Senator Garland wished TO have
stricken out, prohibiting the Commission
which is to have charge of the expenditure
from spending any portion of the money upon any
work not directly connected with the improvements
of the navigation of the river. If they can secure
the safety of the land from overflow by the same
means they are at liberty to do 50, but they may not
undertake any work directly intended for that pur-
pose alone.
Southern Senators hold that, III the treatment OF
this subject by the press OF the country generally
the landowners have not been quite fairly repre-
sented. Senator Hampton, III his speech OF yester-
day, explained one view of the question which
does not seem to have been generally
understood. He said that, before the war
when the slave labor was organized and
available for the work the land owned in large
tracts Ivy men of foresight and energy, whose entire
nroperty interests were involved i'll the protection
from overflow. Whenever danger was threatened at
anV point, combination of whole communities was
easily formed to avert It, and large force was dls
patched at once to the point OF danger Slnco
slavery was abolished and the slaves were them
selves the owners workers OF the land IN small
tracts combination had been found impossible.
The negroes did not appreciate the necessity Tor 1t
and although their own homes might he the issue,
they could lot be compelled, nor would they
volunteer, TO go to point which might be remote,
to labor upon the levees., Even when the danger
point was near at hand they usually demanded pay
for their labor; and the whites, with greatly dmin-
ished personal interests and without money "a many
of them were, were unable to hire the necessary Ia
Dor. Hence Il was that they were unable 10 Keep
up the long line of levees in the condition III which
they were maintained before the war. Moreover
the Union armies for military purposes had cut
through the levees in several places and thus, TO
some extent the present destructive flood was dl-
rectiy due to the action of the Government.