The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-08
THE THIRD DAY
Concludes the Session of the River I'm.
proYement Convention.
Strong Resolutions in Favor of the
Hennepin Canal Adopted.

| river convention reaSsemDie0 this morn
ing. A resolution of thanks to the press,
the district commissioners and others was
unanimously agreed to. Hitchcock, of st.
Louis, chairman of the committee on res
olutions presented the unanimous report
of the committee as follows: Your
committee on resolutions having carefully
considered the various resolutions referred
to them respectfully submit the consider
alton of the following:
| WHEREAS, This convention represent
ing the broad area of eighteen states and
territories, the people of which are in,
tensely interested in cheaper transportation
from the producer to the consumer of all
products of the country, whether. soil,
mine or factory, has assembled at the
national capitol expressly to give utter
ance to the popular desire for continu-
Gus improvement and extension of the
great western waterway Therefore be
| it
| Resoloed, First, That the interests for
which this convention is authorized to
speak are entitled to the higher degree of
consideration from the national legisla-
ture to which as intrusted to bv
the constitution, will regulate com
merce between the states. The pro
motion of the general welfare of
domestic commerce effected is already
one half of the whole United States, and
more than twelve times greater than the
total foreign commerce of the nation, and
larger than the total foreign commerce of
the world. Upon this vast commerce has
been levied year by year, direct and
Wasteful tax, enormous in amount, by
way of increased freight, insurance de-
murrage. wrecks and repairs caused by
sand bars, snags, treacherous banks and
other obstacles, to safe and easy naviga-
ton of the Mississippi river and its
navigdble tributaries. No exercise of the
power of congress can be more legitimate
or more Just than the relief of that COM
merce and of the immense and varied
industries which support it from such
needless burdens, by removing these
obstacles to navigation. To have acquired
these great waterways and the vast
| territory they drain, was a triumph of
early American craftsmanship; to restrain
their mighty floods and direct their
resistless energies, are achievements of
American science. 1t is for craftsmanship
to complete that triumph by calling that
science permanently to its aid.
ResOl0ed, Second, That we earnestly
affirm the declarations of the river i'm
prOVement convention which met in st.
Louis in October, 1881; that 1t is the
manifest and imperative duty of the gov
eminent to cause to be made such i'm
provements on the Mississippi river and
its navigable tributaries as shall perma-
nently secure the safe and easy navigation
thereof. Especially is this duty obvious,
and our demand justified, in view of the
donations already made by congress in
land, amounting to nearly 100000, 900
acres, and in bonds issued or guaranteed of
nearly 800, 100000 more in aid of
artificial highways, the property of indl-
viduals, and which, even at the lowest
rates must furnish the most costly form of
transportation on large scale, as com
pared with the appropriations. Not yet
so great as one tenth in all for the
improvement of more than $1,000 miles
of natural water ways, whose freedom
from tax or monopoly is protected by
constitutional guarantee, while by cheaper
service and unrestricted competition they
afford "a most efficient check on the cxor-
bItant charges by any other route to the
sea.
Resolcod, Third, That we also emphat-
iCally approve the appointment by con
gress of the Mississippi river commission,
as the first well considered and efficient
step towards the permanent opening OF
the Mississippi valley to the markets OF
the world. The work of the commission
mas passed out of the region of experiment
and fully justified the expenditure made
and the plans adopted for the improve
ment of the lower river. We specially
approve their plan for preserving TO the
main river all the water of its tributaries
and for removing all Instructions, whether
material or artificial, which tend to defiec'
or draw of any portion of the same. We
also declare that the system now being
successfully pushed.under the direction OF
the secretary of war for the improvement
of the upper Mississippi meets with gen
eral approval. In the judgment of this
convention the said improvements ough
to be continued under the same system
general plans and Jurisdiction respectively
as at present. We also earnestly urge
upon congress that a scientific and com
prehensive system of river improvement
by the competent commission thus inau
gurated as to the Mississippi should bt
applied without delay to a complete anC
permanent Improvement of the Missouri
Ohio and other navigable rivers. ant
true economy dictates that all such worl
should be carried on by liberal and regu-
lar appropriation.
RcS0lDed, Fourth, That in the interes
of cheap transportation, and to afford 6
choice of water routes to the sea board
we regard the connection between tn
upper navigable waters of the Mississippi
and the great lakes as of great importanc
and congress in making an appropriation
ought to have regard to the establishment
8 of free water communication between tn
, valley of the great west and tide water o
the east, in accordance with the recon-
mendations heretofore made by the pres
dent in a special message on the subject
2 Resolced, Fifth. That we desire t
b.. express our cordial appreciation and &C
/ acknowledgement of the broad, patriot
! views expressed and important service
rendered to the improvement of the waite
ways of the west by the president of tn
United States in his official acts and de
= clarations from the time of his accession
!: to that high office
f ReseEUed, Sixth. That We also recogniz
the wisdom of congress in the appropria
> tions heretofore made for the improve
ment Of the rivers of the west, at the sam
d time observing with satisfaction the recer
n recommendation of the Senate SeleC
q committee on Mississippi river improv,
ments, that if the work of improvement
be worth doing, it is worth doing wei
: and to secure thoroughness rermanenc
&c and economy in its prosecutions uniforr
If system must be adopted and adhered to
Res0l0ed Seventh, We also recognia
with satisfaction the benefits resultiu
from the navigation of the Mississippi
Is river and the principal tributaries an
d from the extension of the light hou.
70 system thereto and renew the hone tn,