The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-02-14
rHn RIvER ooNvEN4IoN.

THE RIVER CONVENTION.
me Wants of the Mississippi valley, -
Set Forth By the Report Of the COM
mlttee On ResOlztisns.- Their Re-
Port UaanimO0slY Adopted.
WAsHINGToN. Feb. The River
Convention reassembled this morning.
Of St. Louis, chairman Of /
the committee on resolutions, presented |
q unanimous report from the committee
as follows:
Your committee on resolutions, hav- |
ing carefully considered the various res
olutiOns referred TO them, respectfully |
submit to your consideration the follow
ing.
Where's, The convention represent
ing the broad area Of eighteen States and
Territories, the people Of which are in
teneely interested in cheaper transpoFta-
ton for the producer to the consumer,
of all the products ofthe country, wheth-
er OF the soil, mine, or factory, has Assem-
bled at the National Capital expressly
70 give utterRnce 70 the peoples desire
for the continuous improvement and ex
tension of the great Western water ways;
therefore
Resolved, first, That the interests in
which this convention is authorized to-
speak are entitled to the highest degree
OF consideration from the national legs
lature, TO which they are entrusted by
the constitution, IS well as the reguIe-
ton of commerce between the states, as
the promotion of the general welfare
The domestic commerce affected Is al
ready one half of the whole of the United
States, and more than twelve times
greater than the foreign commerce Of
the nation, and larger than the total
foreign commerce of the world. Upon
this past commerce there has been lev
led year by year q direct and Wasteful
tax, enormous IN amount, by way OF
Increased freight, insurance, damage,
wrecks and various other causes
by sandbaTs, snags, treacherous banks
and other distractions to prevent navi-
CATION of the Mississippi river and
its navigable tributaries. No ex-
ercise OF the power of congress can be
more legitimate or more just than the
relief OF that commerce and OF the i'm
mense and varied industries which sup
port it from such needless burdens. By
removing these obstacles TO navigation
to be acquired over these great water
ways and the vast territory they Grain
was q triumph 10 every American sta; es-
man. To restrain their mighty floods
and direct their resistless energies is the
achievement OF its latest science. 1t Is
tor craftsmanship to complete that tri-
umph by calling that science peTms-
nently t. its aiu.
Second-We earnestly reaffirm the
declaration of the River improvement
Convention which met at ST Louis in
1881, that it is the manifest and Impera-
tive duty OF the Government to cause to
be made such Improvements of the Mis-
sissippt river and its navigable tribu-
taries as shall permanently secure the
safe and easy navigation thereof. Els
pecially is this duty obvious and our de
mand JUSTIFIED, in view of the donations
already made by Congress in lands,
amounting to nearly 2OO,OOO,OOO acres,
and ia bonds issued as guarantees, near
ly 400 0O0, 900 more, in AID of artificial
highways which are the property of in
| dividuals, and which even at the lowest
| rates must furnish the most costly form
| of transportation on a large scale, as
compared with appropriations not yet
80 great by one tenth for the improve
ment of more than fifteen thousand miles
| of natural water ways, whose freedom
from tax or monopoly is protected by a
constitutional guarantee, while by their
cheaper services and unrestricted compe-
| tItion, they offer the most efficient check
| upon extortionate charges by any other
route to the sea.
Third-We also emphatically approve
of the appointment by congress OF the
| Mississippi river commission as the first
| we'll considered and efficient step to.
wards permanently opening the Mis-
sissippI valley to the markets of the
/ world. The work OF the committee in
that region as an experiment fully justi-
by fed the expenditures made. Their
plan adopted Tor the improvement
of the lower river we es
pecially approve. Their plan for
preserving to the main river all the wa
ter of Its tributaries, and for removing
all distractions, whether natural or AT
| tificial, which tends to draw off any ol
the same, is approved. We also declare
the system now being successfully pros
ecuted under the direction of the score
tary of war foT the improvement of thu
Upper Mississippi meets with general
approval. In the judgment of this con
vention, said Improvements ought t.
be continued under the same
system, general plan and jurisdiction
respectively, as at present. We alst
earnestly urge upon congress that thu
scientific and comprehensive system o
river improvement by q competent com
mission, thus inaugurated as to the Mis-
sissippi, be applied without delay to thu
complete and permanent improvement
OF the Missouri and Ohio as navIgablt
rivers, and true economy dictates that al
! such work be carried on by liberal ant
regular appropriations.
Fourth-That in the interest OF CHEAP
transportation TO the seaboard and Il
afford the choice of water routes we re
gard the connections between the navi
l IL 0f IInnar Miooiaof n n
, and the great lakes as Of great lmpof
lance, and congress in making apprOpri
atlons should have regard Tor the estab
lishment of free water communicable
between the valley OF the great river o
the west and the tide water of the cas-
in accordance with the recommends
tions of the president in his special mes
/ sage on this subject.
Fitth-We desire to express our col
dial appreciation and acknowledgment
of the patriotic views expressed and tn
important service rendered TO the i'm
! provement of the water ways of the Yves
by the President of the United States L
his official acts and deliberations fIOn
the time of his accession 10 that Office
Sixth-We also recognize the wisdoL
of congress in the appropriations here
tofore made for the Improvements of To
rivers of the west, at the same time oil
serving with satisfaction the recer
recommendation of the senate committe
l on Mississippi river improvements, ths
: If the work of improvement be wort
doing it is worth doing well, and to 81
cure thorOughneSs, permanency az
D economy in its prose cution, and that
e uniform system be adopted and adhere
p to.
Seventh-We also recognize with sa
isfaction the benefits which have result
j ed to navigation in the Mississippi rive
|. and its tributaries from the extension {
the lighthouse system thereto. and r
i new the hope that the number of di
tricts and lights therein will be increa
|. ed to such an extent as the lIghthous
:. board, In consultation with The commi
sion, finds necessary to reEder the sc
e vice completely efficient.
d Eighth-We approve the action OF IL
Executive Committee on the improv
ment of the Western water ways, an
g request that it continue its labors in tb
e direction and tor the purposes for who
. it was formed, until the Mississippi riv
and navigable tributaries are in such
condition as the safety of the people al
a the interests of commerce demand ar
desire; and that said committee be a
e thorIZed and requested to take the pro
IT StepS HOT presenting " OoukIceo
4 suitable memorial as the sense of Il
n foregoing resolutions, and for publis
i ing and distributing the proceedings
this convention.
ID The foIlwIng supplemental report W
D. also submitted: Your committee,
4 way OF q supplemental report, states th
it has given thoughtful attention TO Il
various resolutions presented to the co
n vention intended 70 remedy the DANCE
d of navigation resulting from improp
n bridging on Western rivers, and also
the imperfect and dangerous cOnditiG
10 of harb rs caused by invisible bank
such as are at Vicksburg and 9th
40 towns and cities of the lower Mississippi
Your COMMITTEES, however. deemed q
D. matter embraced in the first set of res
g, lutIons to belong to the police powt
Ln The coyernmenf shnnid be earnestly