Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-02-16
THE MISSISSIPPI.

River Convention-Improvem OF West
port OF the Commission Approved-Ap-
preparations for n Continuance OF Worn
Demanded.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. I.
The MIS- ,issipoi River Convent on reassem
bled this morning, when resolutions OF THANKS
TO the press of tho District, the Commissioners
and 9th rs were Immediately agreed on. VIM
Hitchc eek of st LOUIS, Chat man OF the Com
fnittac On Resolutions. presented the unani-
nous report of the committee, as 1oHo"s.
Your o nmi tie on Res buttons. having care
fully consi !c ed the various resolutions re-
fer, I'd the n, .spe ,tfuly submit for your con-
siCcr ton he following
WHEREAS. A tolvention reprcSC nting tne
broad area of eighteen states ana IcrrItor osi
the rcppic of VIII ch are intensely lnterestea
in CT reapcr transportation from the proou.cr
to the CO nSumn ct of all the prodr rctS OF INC
country, whether o n the soil. m ne or rae
t ry. h Us Sscmblcd a the ma fonai 'apl al 10
EXPRESSLY give ut crancc of the popula ar desire
for tfe continuous Improvement ana eHten-
sion of tn ; great Western Waterways there-
FORE be 1t
Resolved, ]. That the interests tor which TINS
Convention T. authorized to speak are entiLIco
NatIonrl Leg stature. 10 which f. intrustod by
the Constltution as vel the regulate rs OF
.ommsrfe between tween, 'nG mc,f,ne Th, domcs'ic
commerce aiIceted is already onr-Haii q tnai
The United states ana mare than md dne ,rSar uonr
than the total co nmcrcc of TIE world LPo,r
this vast commerce has been levied. year Cy
year, a direct and was!cful taS, enormous in
emoslnt, " way OF increased freie nus lnsuI,
arCo, demuraGe. wrecks ana repairs cause
It e. ol s.acis t the safe and easy naviga-
t on of the Mississippi River and IT'S naNisass
orgress can be more lcg ttrnatc or m re just
than the relief OF that comm rec. a "a ,s or I,s
irrnousc and varied industrics which sipport
I n q Hess b.
those 2Astaces to navgsl,,n' ,, 20 ngde itnrs
thcv drain wssa tr umph OF carly Amcri ao
s;aiesmanship; to rcsirai in their mighty hcois
and direct tEeir resistltss emerecI IS tnS fop
craftsmanship to compl't that triumph 10y
calling that science pcrmancnil, to It's VII.
. We earnestly reafflrm Il c declaration OF
the River Improvcm mt Conyc nto1 r wnlyn
met at t Louis N lsSl, that II is the manifest
AMI n0craive duty or tm1 norern,nCtt nf tho bo
MS issippi River an nav isat l. tr hutaries as
shall pc .nancntly secure The safe and easy
'is Especially is this duty obvious AMI our de
maud justified in view OF the donitions ~
ready made by Congress in land, amounting TO
nearly .ul go 900 II es, and in bonds issu1d or
guaranteed of nearly Si0J,ooO,0Go more in aid
OF ART tifi ial highways, the property OF mar
viduas, and which even al the lowest rates
must furnish most costly form tf trittspor-
tation on n large scale as compared with APP
nroprjati ioIis not vet great as one tenth in
MI for the improvement of more than lo,Oy0,OOJ
mi'cS of natiI,a waterways, whose freedom
tt from tax or monopiy is protected by consti-
trItional guarantee, while by cheaper service
most efficient check upon eNorbitaut charges
by any other route to the sea.
g. We also cmphati ally approve the appoint, .lr
mission. "a the first wcll-considered efficient
step toward permanently opening the Minsis-
sippi Valley to the markets OF the Woria. inc
work of the commission mas passed out or me
region of experiment. AID fully 1uStined !nc
expenditure made and plans adopted Tor inc
Improvement of the lower river. We spec
their
main liver all the water of all its tributaries
a or ARTIFICIAL which tend to dcAc.t or draw
of any port ion of the same. We also declare
under the direction OF the Secretary of War
for the imDrovcment Gf the pper Mississippi
mtnt Of this Convention. said improvements
ought to be continue Fundcr tho same system
plan Snd spss
Congress that n scientific and comprehenslve
rysicm of river Improvement by competent
commission thus inaugur ratcd as TO the Missls-
sippi should be applied without delay to the
complete and permanent improvement of tho
true economy dictates that all such work he
carried on by liberal and regular approprla-
tions-
1 That in tho interest of cheap transporta
ton and to afford choice OF water routes to
tho scab1arl, we regard connect iols between
the upper naygablc waters as the Mississippi
and the great lakes of great Importance,
and Congress, in making appropriations,
ought 10 have regard to the establishment of
free water communication between the valley
of the great river of the West and the tide
water East IN accordanse with rsGommenda Ia,
United States in a special message on TINS
s. We desire to express our cord al npprecia-
tion and acknowc G ixemcnt of the broad, pa
rewS " h nnn af nc wacr
ways of tho West by the President of the
Unite Statcs i'm his Official acts an declara-
tions from the tim of his accession to that
high Office. the wisdom OF Congress in appro-
piia ions heretofore made for the improve
N, NJ mo of tI,nW Wta. ot flp. rnn
observing with satisfaction the recent recon-
mcndations of the Senate Select Committee on
Mississippi River Improvements, that IL the
work OF Improvement be worth doing it i'd
worth doing well and to secure th1rouShnoss,
hcrcd to.
dement's VIII ich have resulted In tho nav 'gation
of the Mississippi River and principal tribu-
sy stem thereto. and renew the hope that tho
numb n of districts end lights therein be in
creased to such extent as the Lighthouse
Board in consultation W II the River Commits
sion finds necessary to render the service COM
plntey cic.cnt.
S. We approve the action of the Executive
Committee on the Improvement OF Westc
waterways. and request il to continue i's
labo-s in that direction and for the purposa
for which it was formed. until the Mi stssppi
R,ve.- aud navi rahlc tribu.arc' in sucI, a
CONDITION aS the safely of the people and tho
intrrcst OF commerce demand and dcscrve
ana said committee he authorized ard re-
uucstcd to take 40 C steps for presenting to
Congress Il sui ab g memorial III the sense of
the foregoing resolutions, and for publishing
nnI disti tbuting the proceed ngs Of tbs Con-
Vention.
Tn following supplemental report was also
submitted: Your committee. by way of n sup
Elemental rcro~t stutc that thcy have givel
thoughtful attrnti n To the varit us rcsolut ons
y p-c-crte t. this Convention intended to re
t.tiy the dan -crs tI~navigaton resulting from
the iTnprorcr bli lQing Of Western rivers, also
imp 'cct and cndan.crci harbors in the
tr.ah!c banks Of Nicksburg and other towns
AMI cities of the Lower Mississippi Your
com nittcc. however. deem the matters en-
!, int fhpf f.Sf nff,f ~
to the police power.
The Government should lie earnestly IN
vokcd to remove any artificial oh urtions to
the navigation Of rivers while the latter rcso-
lutionS pertain 10 matters Gle orly embraced
within tn" lnwful powers of the River Com
mission. t. he eNerci sc' as soon as Dracticab g.
Your com ~ ttec consider most favorably the
su y9cstion contained in both SITS of resolu-
tons but do no' deem them appropriate mat
tiers for ntai n by waT ot n general resolution,
prcecrring to al ,prcia' attention to thcm in
this SupDerm0 ntal report, and not doubling
that the proper officers of the Government
will take appropriate steps in relation to
same.
Both REPORTS wcrn adopted by acclam itOn,
w bich clicitci applaIlSc.