Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-16
ness visible and in hand, and not be com.
PEELED to offer promise instead of perform
ance.
TEE MISSISSIPPI LEVELS

TIE MISSISSIPPI LEvEEs.
The river and harbor improvement
bill which passed at the last session of
Congress, but which failed to receive tie
Presidents sanction, contained an item of
SIS, coo, 600 for the construction of levees
along the banks of the Mississippi river to
protect the reclaimed lands lying along its
borders from overflow. The measure is
wholly indefensible on any tenable ground
of national necessity, because it is not a
proposition to preserve the nayigabiity of
the river or TO create new channel in the
interest of commerce. The lands to be re-
claimed and benefited by the proposed ex.
penditure of public money are private
property. The values to be created are
to inure to the benefit OF individuals. It
is not good political ethics to take the
money Of the people of Mime, Florida,
California and other remote States to be
expended in creating values in the hands
of individuals living along the Mississippi
river. One Of the arguments relied upon
by the friends of the bill, and used to pro
mote its passage, was to the effect that the
river belonged to the nation, and hence it
was the duty of the nation to keep it
within its banks or be responsible for the
damage done by its overflow. This is
treating river by principles applicable to
the ownership of a breachy COW.
The question is: What constitutes
the natural bed of river? Clearly
a river must have water way for
its water at all stages. Rivers do not maiu-
tain exactly the same stages at all seasons,
and their food maximums are as much the
result of natural causes as their low.water
stages. The reclamation works along the
banks OF all rivers are encroachments upon
their natural water ways. If the Govern.
ment Owns the Mississippi river it GER
taiDly should be accorded the right of way
for its river at all stages. All attempts TO re-
claim lands, which would otherwise be over
flowed at certain stages of river, are simply
In the nature of taking possession OF lands
which are part of the river channel at
flood stages. But even admitting the doc
trine 30 be true, then it follows that the
Government is responsible for damage due
to the overflow of all navigable waters.
This would make it the duty of the Gov.
eminent to reclaim all lands lying along the
margins of all the navigable waters of
nearly one-half the North American Con-
tinent, for the benefit of the private indi.
viduals owning these lands, and also make
it responsible in damages for all injury in
fiicted by the breaksge of levees, and con.
property. In fact this is the logical Sc,
quence of argument, and it will sooner
or later be invoked by the people of the
regions whose lands it is proposed to re-
claim. II the Government is under obi,
cation to build the levees along the banks
of the Mississippi, it is equally under obi.
CATION to maintain them, and consequently
liable for damages arising out of any lack
of diligence in such maintenance.
Another argument relied upon to Justify
this audacious measure related to the
enormous values to be added to the taxable
OF the commonwealth by the
proposed reclamation works. II this is
good as applicable to the property of indi-
viduals residing in the States of Missis.
sippi and Louisiana, 1T is equally cogeat as
to private property in other sections.
If the Government will reclaim effectively
all the overlooked lands of the San JOAQUIN
and Sacramento valleys; construct res.
ervoirs for the storage of food waters of all
mountain tributaries of the two main riv-
ers of the State conduct such waters in
canals at sufficient elevation along the
foothills OF both sides of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin valleys to admit of their
use for purposes of irrigation, it would at
once confer upon Il, 600, 900 acres of land
a value of at least Sf00 per acre, and thus
add 81 200, coo. 900 to the taxable values
of the commonwealth. The arguments
used by the promoters of this gigantic
river scheme prove too much.
Every obligation resting upon the Govern
ment as relates to the people of the M1ssis.
sippi reposes with equal weight as relating
to the people OF every other section. The
full application of the doctrines invoked to
justify this gigantic wrong would convert
the Government into a vast commune, at.
tempting to do for the people all things
which should be done by and for them.
selves. The Government possesses no re-
sources not derived from the people. Its
treasury contains no money that does not
belong to the whole people. 1t cannot,
therefore, expend money in the creation
Of values which, when created, are
to be the property of private individuals,
without robbing all sections not sharing in
the immediate benefits conferred by the
so taken and expended 1t should
be plain that the robbery of one section to
benefit another is measure of wrong coun.
all benefits.
An INrEREsPInG TRIAL