Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-02-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

WAsH1NGToN, d c., February 23.-
Senator Allison, from the appropria-
ton committee, reported with
amendments, the immediate defc-
iency bill, and gave notice that he
would call up the same at 1:30 clock
tomorrow.
Senator Harris presented a
memorial and report of the
Memphis Cotton Exchange, upon
the danger to the river in front of
Memphis from the encroachments of
the Mississippi.
Senator George introduced joint
resolution authorizing the Sec
retary of War to issue ratioDs for
The relief of the laboring
Classes in the district overfowed by
the Mississippi River, which was
read; as also, telegram from Gov>
ernor Lowry, of Mississippi, urging
immediate measures of relief, repre-
septiDg he destruction of pr yperty
and stock as immense nd stai vatlon
,mmioent, as tue ovei flo ed couDiry
comprises The best ortion Of NJ ssIs
sippi, and that white and black are
suffering alike.
Sena CT Ge rye, as explanatory Of
tue d,sasf' L, sad the ulsir CT iuun-
dat, d embr ices ali the Ml,siss 'ppi
delta belw, en Memphis and Vlcks
burg, about $50 miles III length and
4U III width. This en,ire area Was
,lJher now under wafer or would be
in sh, TT time. Four fitths Of it's
population is compose d Of coioIed
Iabcrers who have no mea1s Of supe
port during the period for which
tLis overflow will necessarily inter
rupt labor.
Senator ingalls, irquired d as to the
estimated member of laboreIs rem
dered des itute.
Senator George thought it would
range f,om fifty to seventy five thou
sand. He added that the overfows
III that section of the Mississippi
bottom generally continued from
four to six weeks, and pending the
subsistence of the water there is a
total suspension OF labor. He had
confined his remarks to the desti.u-
t Oh in Mississippi. The contiguous
districts ON the western banks of the
river in Arkansas were also suffer
ing
Serator Garland spoke of the
widespread destruction in Arkans is,
by the oven flow, as absolutely ap
pallng and upprece dented 1t had
swept away barns, gianaries and
Stock Of farmers. He urged
prompt action in extending relief,
though he was not prepared to say
what form the measure of reliet
should take.
Senator Hampton explained that
the part OF the valley under water
was the most productive and finest
cotton growing country in Mississ
ippi. At that point the water tx
tended from the Yazoo hills on one
side, and from tie Arkansas bluff
on the other, and if the river was as
high as the dispatches this morning
rep esented it to be, there
would be hardly any land W thln q
strip Of $50 miles in the width
above the overflow. The de, tructior
not only OF stock, but of the moons
lug crop, would be SO great, in li,
oplnlon, that he had no hesitation IL
8 ylng at tie dispatch of the Gov,
ernor OF Mississippi gave but faint
idea OF the destltuuon and stai ivatlol
that would fVllow.
Senator Allison, of Iowa. sug-
ges ed, in view OF the desii ableness
of prompt action, the reference O
the subject to the military commit
tee, who could consult the Secretary
If War upon the provisions fol
ISSUING aud transporting ratious t,
the po hts at which they are mos
needed. Ii the sufferers wer.
to tie relieved by til,
United States government til,
relief could only be extended
through the Secretary of War, anc
he though. 1t would be found tba
this rellef was demanded not onl,
as to the Mississippl Valley, bu
those OF several OF its tributaries
lie suggestion of Senator Allison
Delng acceptable to Senator
George, was agreed to, and ref reno,
to the military committe ordereu.
The Senate then took up the cal
endar, and bills were passed to au
thorize the Secretary of War to Sci
the military barracks and lands upol
which they are located in Savannah
and permitting United States Treas
urers to pay Congressional salaries
&c. in contingency, such as that whicl
arose in the death of the late Sec
retary Burch, of the Senate
Also, Senate bill to amend sectiol
2,l33, of the Revised Statutes, reIatin;
to Indian traders. 1t prohibits an
person other than an Iudian iron
trading on any Indian reservation
without license, but specially except