Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-18

fectUFS-An the
River Convention-Discr 'ssls'ssp'
Policy OF the Governp -.
Rlyer-The Marhes 50 -" e.'' -.
no s0Ssi'h OF the board of directors of
no e'ian ser of commerce yesterday morn
AA 81 short one.
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
The following circular was received by
the committee on Mississippi river, from
she Merchants exchange, st. Louis, and
presented to the board by Captain Biakely
the chairman.
On the 11th DAY of July. 1888, there wss
held in the city OF ST, Louis, conferenc e
of delegates from the commercial bodies
and large cities IN the Mississippi valley,
to consider what steps were necessary to
impress upon their Representatives in con-
gress, the importance of sufficient appro-
priations for tbs Improvement OF the
Mississippi river and its nsyiga able tribu-
taries.
River com nlittees ha been previously
created by the different exchanges, and
delegates were sent from these. to this
conference, fully authorized to take such
action as to them seemed exped5enf.
At toe conference an executive commit
{ ee on the improvement Of the western
waterways was formed, having among its
numbers representatives of ali portions OF
the valley, from ST. Paul to New Orleans,
ard from Council Bluffs to Pi.tsburg
Thus was assured for the first time in the
history of this great subject, the united
action of the Mississippi valley.
The conference authorized the calling
Of river convention, to be held in Wash
| ingto D. c., on the first Tuesday il
February, 1884.
To carry out the ends and purposes of
| that conference, thu executive committee
now issue their official call for the conyen-
ton.
| The call is addressed to the people of
the Mississi ppi valley, and 10 those com
| nuuities which are. ia hearty sympathy
with the objects to be obtained. In view
of the magnitude of the interests inv9lv
ID, and the results to be accomplished, We
cordially and carr estly invite the CONNER
| cial bodies of the valley, end all those
Sections of our common country interested
IN tie ltst:oa of cheap transportation,
| to send delegates TO the convention. I. is
al important that those Who are sent as
deieg ates should fully com preheud the ne
| cesslty of this action, and possess ability
| to represent the great inter ests at stake.
| The basis of representation in the con
vention will be as follows: Ten delegates
| at large from each state, and five from
each territory, to be appointed by the
governor. From the Commercial bodies.
| five delegates from each 100 members,
| said bodies to be entitled TO at least i've
delegates. From each corporate city,
| where no exchange exists, three delegates,
to be appointed by tho mayor.
The president, vice president OF the
| United States, members of the cabinet,
senators and representatives in congress,
and governors OF states and territories are
| invited as guests of the convention, and
will be assigned seats on the floor during
| It's deliberations.
BY order of the executive committee.
Mr.. McClupg criticised with consider
able severity the whole proceedings Of tae
government, the conventions that mad
been held in this matter, and in short,
, every thing connected with the efforts to
! improve the navigability OF the river. His
complaint was based on ths general idea
| that the improvement Of the navigation of
| the river was neglected, while appro pria-
lions we're being literally made for the
Fox and Wisconsin rivers, the falls of So.
Anthony. and tie reservoirs, etc.
| Capt. Blakeley denied this and called it
| nothing but tails, and affirmed thas it was
not the fact. On the contrary he ;uaintainsd
| that we had got our share OF the
appropriations, end that the sum OF
| 50 100000 had been expended on the D.
| per ana lower Mississippi river since 1857,
MIR. William Les was glad 30 hear this
statement trom Capt. B!akeiey. He had
been led to believe thas he appropriations
| we've generally Tor the b&nefs of the lula
bar interests and mill owners. He would
! be pleased to have Capt. Biake'ey tell the
| board where all this money had bsen ex-
pended. He thought we had
no representative in congress,
and had no enc to look oas
! for the in.sresta of tbs river, and shat
something ought 10 be done to improve
the navigation of the Mississippi between
st. Paul and the rapids.
| Ia reply 90 these staiements Capt.
Buckley read list Of appropriations Tor
tbs Upper mississippi since 1867, as
| found IN tie report Of the United States
| engineer, covering the period between
1867 and Dec. 1, 1885 During that time
Quincy recsi~sd $4,000, Hannibal s4s,-
| O00,Galena $66 COO above St.Antheny$70
600, Minnesota river S11?, coo; reservoirs
| S52500o; Dss Moines "a 1872 0G0, Fsrt
M 4dison S14, 1000, Muscatine $4,000, Aie5
andris $4,000, Louisiana S10,-
! eco, ST. Anthony Falls $4,000
Csippewa river $4,000, Red River of the
North, Sl03,0 900, Alton $33 900, DabuGue
| $41, 900, Gutenberg $4,000, Rock Island
Fep,ss $1,166,O00; total, $2,025 600. Be-
tween the rapids ard Illinois river $780,
coo, 81. Paul to Dss Moinss rapids $780,
900. Ia 1882 the river between Sc. Paul
and Des Moinss rapids received $3.50 600
in two sppropria loss. Ficm ST. Lauis to
the mouth 5000 600. The sum of $780,
600 was expeaded on the channel proper
above tie mouth of the Illinois river. At
ter reading the above he argusd that all
these appropriations on the Mississippi
and lis tributaries aided The navigation OF
he main river. He exclaimed about
the reservoirs il tho upper country, and
said that TIE water reserved IN the ressr-
voirs would not be sent down til August
when the water in tbs river is low.
Mr.. Murray wanted to know if that stale
meat YES to be found IN the law or ii il
WIS to be taken for granted.
Capt. BIakeey could not cay it was in
the law, bat the water was not heid for the
baneft Of tho mill ovners or loer MAN