Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-29
THE r OF WATERS.
Resolutions Adopted by the Mississippi
River Convention at Washington.

lNINcE convention ~
WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-The Mississippi
River Convention reassembled this morning.
Resolutions of thanks to the press, the DIS
trict Commissioners and others were uhah-
imously agreed to.
Mr.. Hitchcock, of st. Louis, Chairman of
the Committee OH Resolutions. presented
the unanimous report OF the committee, as
follows:
Your Committee on Resolutions, having
carefully considered the various rcsDll'lons
referred to them. respectfully supniltlof con-
WHEREAS. A convention. representing tho
broad area of eighteen States and Icrrltorles;
the people OF which are intensely lnteresleu
in the cheaper transportation from producer
to consumer OF all products OF inc country
whether of soil, mine or factory. mas asseii-
bled ut the National CAPITAL eNprcss'y 10 EN- LIN
utterance to the popular desire 1or the con,
tinuous Improvement and extension Oh the
great Western waterways; therefore: .,
this convention is authorized to speak are en-
titled to the highest dc gree OF conSlaGra.on
from the National Legislature, to which is in
trusted, by the Constittlt.on. as WEI, .ne u, rex IKE
promotion of the general welfare: inc 40
nestle affected is already oneIlalL
Of that of the whole unltea States; m fnr.
eign commerce of the Nation, and larger
than the total foreign OF inc
world; Upon this vast com 1isaet , ,nfr WASHES nas
ful tax. enormous in mount by the
way of increased freights, Insurance., de.
sandburs, snags, trcachcrous banks and other
obstacles to the safe and easy Navigation OF
the Mississippi River and its navigabic tfibu-
tarics. No exercise OF the power OF CONGRESS
can be more legitimate or more Just than the
relief Of that commerce, ana or the immense
and varied industries which support IL from
such needless burdens by removing those
obstacles to the navigation, 70 have acquired
those great waterways aud the vast territory
they drain, was a triumph OF early American
craftsmanship; to restrain their mighty iioods
and TO direct their rcsistlcss energies are the
achievements of American science. 1t is Tor
craftsmanship to complete that triumph by
ca,ilmg mat science fer , ,hn anaI, , ~ i If If the
River Improvement Convention. which met
at st. Louis, October, 1851, that it is manlles'iy
the imperative duty OF the Governincnt Io
Mississippi River and its navigable tributaries
as shall permanently secure the safe ana
easy NAVIGATION thereof. Especially Is ms
view of the donations already made ny
Congress in and amounting to nearly
100000 acres ta ana ns,, in s s9m onO m Issued mor or
in aid Of artificial highways, the property OF
individunis,.an which even at the lowest
rates must furnish the most costly form OF
transportation on a large scale, as compared
with appropriations not yet SO great us one
tenth in al for the Improvement Of more than
15,0OC, 600 miles of natural waterways whoss
llcSuol1l loIl tuA vi hcIibIP' 40.
by constitutional guarantee, while by the
cheaper service and unrestricted competi-
ton they afford IL most efficient check on
eXorbitant charges by any other route to the
3. We also emphatically approve the .ap.
pointmcnt by Congress OF the MISSISSIPPI,
River Commission as the first well-considercd
and efficient step towards permanently open,
ing the Mississippi Valley to the markets OF
the world. The work of the Commission mas
passed out Of the region of experiment, and
has fully justified the expenditure made and
the plans adopted for the Improvement OF the
lower river. We specially approve their plan
of all its tributaries and Tor removing, all OF,
structions, whether natural or artificial, which
tend to dellcct or draw Off any portion OF the
same. We also declare that the system now
being successfully prosecuted under dircc.
ton of the Secretary of War for the
Improvement of the Upper Mississippi meets
this convention said improvements ought to
! be continued under the same system, the gen
eral plan and jurisdiction, respectively as at
present. We also earnestly, urge upon Con.
gross that the scientific and comprehensive
system OF river improvements by IL competent
commission thus ~inaugurated AS to the Mis-.
Sissi:,pi should be applied without delay to
complete the permanent improvement OF the
Missouri, Ohio and other navigablc rivers, and
that true economy dictates that all such work
be carried on by liberal and regular appropri.
atiOns.
4. That in the interest of cheap t,nnsporta-
ton. and to afford a choice of water routes to
the Seapoafd, we regard inc connexions DC
tween the upper navigable waters OF the Mis-
sissippi and the great lakes as Of great inn
portance, and that Congress-, in making the
| appropriations, ought to have Il regard to the
establishment OF free water communication
between the valley OF the great rivcrwcst nnc
tide water east, in accordance with the rec
concentrations heretofore made by the Presi.
| dent of the United States in his special mes
sage on this subject.
Mr.. Moorellead, of Louisiana, as Director
General of the Worlds Cotton Exposition,
to be held in New Orleans next winter, in
behalf of the Board of Managers extended
to the delegates an invitation to hold their
next session in New Orleans. The conven-
ton then adjourned. subject to the call Of
the Executive Committee.