The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-15
THE MISSISSIPPI,

port OF the Commission Approyed-AJ
preparations for II Continuance of Wa,
Demanded.
WASHINGTON. d C., Feb II
The Mississippi River Convent o. reasserY
bled this morning, when resolutions o. th.nLI
TO the press of the District, the COmmiss.ou.J
and others were Immediately arrtei on. WI
Hitchcock. of IT. LOUIS, Chat MAJ OF the Cou}
mittee on Resolutions. presented the ura3
nous report OF the committee. Is fouogJ
Your Committee on Resolutions. having caxI
fully considered the various resolutions n
ferred the N, respectfully submit for your cod
siderdtiOn the following:
WHEREAS. A Convention representing III
broad area of eighteen Stats and Terri.or Il
the people of which are intensely IuccreSte |
in cheaper transportation from the prudu,e !
to the of all the prod Cts Of I'd
country, whether f. IN the soil. m n o. fac
{ ~. has assembled II the ma iDnai capital Il
expressly give u~t;crance OF the popular les Il
| for tie continuous Improvement and eNtea |
sion of til, great Western water-wa ;: thcrl |
| fore, be IL
Resolved, J.. That the interests for which I'd
I Convention is authorized to Spea[ are eBtirfe,I
/ to the highest degree of consideration "a I'll
NatiOnal Les iSlature. 10 Which l intrUStr.i b1
the constitution, as wei the rcgu. al Il, III
| between the rates - the promo
ton Of the general welfare. Tn dOrt-sTC|
| anected is already ont-Ialf 4 tm,l
| o. the United States. and msrc than ne tuta
forei IN CONNER e Of the Nation. and la-se:(
than the total commerce of tie world. TpCrl
this vast m has been icy!'-l. year III
year, a direct and was:ctul tau, cf"r.Ous Il
amount, ty way of increased fr":a h.. INST
AZ ce, demurage. wrecks ami TeplIrS caust
b. slndbals, az treachsr ms hams and|
It c. OF Staclgs e. the safe and @ - ntVIga
/ on of the Mississippi Rive AMI H. ntylsa-
bic tributaries NO exercise OF thc iO~rr 81
,rrr n ha NOR. or ftTfraF.R tn- ~ p. r.1
than the relief of that comm zee Il % # Nh.
immense and varied industries which SIpu1rt
ID. from such III Hess burdens by Ic.auving|
those obstacles to navIgtl1n To 1t~ruIr.
these great W and a.. vast t~.r.i'Ory
they drain WAS Il tr unph ~ earl, Amer ~
sta eSmlnsh!p, to restrain thrir ml-h'y hoS !
and direct their resiStlcss errr.I-> i tA6
achievement OF ES latest stlc vc II - Tor
craftsmanship To cOinpi te thst triumph by
calling THAI science permanent, TIT, .iL.
=. We earnestly reafirm ii G declaration o!
the River ImprOgem nt CO~nrcntOl WIN y
mot at It Louis IN ISSi, thai u i the manitc~f
and !mpe; alive duty of the Govern u-ut "a
cauSa TO lie made suc1 imurO -cmeIt> OF The
Mis- issippi River AM navi sarlc tr hu7a-ie,as
shall permanently sscire the safe and essy
navigation thereof.
Especially is this duty obvious amour 4
mand justified in view of tn" donations al
ready made BY Congress in land. amounting e
nearly =tJ.UtV.JUU aces. and IN bOnd> issusd or
guaranteed or nearly SlUi.S6Os NOR, n ani
OF artificial highways, tie property OF iudt
yiduaiS, and which even at the .O% est rates
must furnish s. most costly form Of rrarSrrr-
tation ON q large scale a compared vi IA a-
preparations not yet so great as one tenth in
all for the improvement OF more than b,O1U.GU
mics of natural waterways, whose fIeciona
from tax or monopoly IS protected ty constr
tntional guarantee, while by cheaper s-rvice
AMI unrestricted competition III y afford a
most efficient check upon eXOrbIIdut charges
by any other route to the Sea.
3. We also emphstically approve the a-point
ment by Congress OF a Mississippi River Com
mission. "a the frs well considered. efficient
step toward permanently opening the NISSi~
sippi Valley To the marEcsS OF the world TI'
work Of the commission ndS passed Ouf OF IN
re zion of experiment. AMI fuily justified til
expenditure male and plans HIOp Ell tor tn
Improvement of re lower river We sTe-
ialiy approve their plan TO- preserving TO the
main liyer all the water Of all its tributaries,
and removing all oils, ruCtiOn%. whether natur
q or artificial, which tend 10 DEE 2 or draw
on any portion of the same. We also deC.dre
the system now being successfully prosecuted
un1er the direction of the Secretary of Wal
Tor the Improvement of the Upper MiSSiSSIpp'
meets with general approval. In the u iE-i
ment OF this Convention. said improvements
ought to be continue l under th" same sySt"W
or general plan and jurisdiction respectively
rs at present We also earnestly urge upon
Ongre that a scientific ami comprehensive
system OF river Improvement by Il competent
commission thus inalGuratet a. 20 The NlSelS-
sippl hOIid be applied without delay 10 the
complete AMI perm Inent Improvement of the
Missouri, Ohio and O. her navigable rivers, and
true cOnony dictates that all such work lie
carried on by liberal and Regular approprIat
tons.
4. That in the interest of cheap Transports
ton, and to afford Il choice of water routes Z
the seabOard, we regard connect .OlS betweeJ
the upper navigable waters aS the Mississippi
ana the great lakes a> of great inpOrrancs
and Congress-. i'm making appropriations
ought 20 have regard to the eSta5iis ltnent OF
Tree water communication between the valley
OF the great river OF the West and the tide
WAFER East IN accordance with recommends
lions heretofore mad. BY the President of the>
Inited States in a special message on tnif
subject.
D. We desire to eNp eSs our cord 81 apprecia-
tion and acknnw elxeInent of the DrOpi. pr
trlOtic views expressed and important services
rendered to the Improvement of the wafer
ways OF the West by the Prcsilenc Of the
cnitet states III his O.fici al acts an I declari-
ions from the tim. of his accession u thai
hig ofhce. the wisdom of Congress in aDpro-
ptlatlons heretofore mtGe for the improve
rlcnt or the rivers of the WeS-. a the sane time
OBSERVING with satisfaction the recent re,SDHi-
mendallonS OF the Senate Select COmm:ttccOu
mississippi River Improvements. that il tint
wofh OF improvement be worth dO.nr II =
worth DONG well, aud TO Securp th )rlughn"SS.
p"rmanency ard economy i'll it, prosecution
a uniform system should be adopted and al
hered to-.
=. we ASP recognize with satisfaction the
dement's winch have resulted in the nav gator
Oh tae mississippi River aud principal triton
taries from the extension of the Iighth"use
stem thereto. and renew the hope thG, the
nunhD,r OF districts snd ligats therein be ID
creased to such extent Us the Light house
iioard N consultation wit the River Commits
ZION nnos necessary to render the service CON-
pietely efficient.
!. We approve the action of the Exarutive
mint on the improvements uT Nc~te u
and re quest il 10 cont Iue -
labOrS IN that direction and for the purpose
Tor which 1t was formed. unit the Mi SSSfp
RIyer and navisable tribufarve, are in Such q
cohditioh as the safety of the people and The
OF comnnerce demand and deserve.
and said committee be authorized ard re-,
INFESTED 10 take orc steps foe pTe>cnfiL 2 70
congress q suitab e memorial IN the sense OF
the FOREGOING resolutions. and for publisunl
and distributing the proceed ngs o. tbs Con
The following supplemental report was also
submitted: Your committee. by way of Il sup
Elemental reDOrt state tha. the, Lave givei
tnouYhtful attenticn 10 the var. us res Hut Op-
p -eSented 70 this Convention intendc! to reA
tdy the dan gers to- NAVIGATION result:np froH
the imprope briiying of Western rivers, as
imperfect and endangered hirbOrS in tlf
irtable banks of Vicksburg and Other town
ana cites OF the Lower Mississippi. foui
committee: however. deem the matters EN-
Dracef in the first set of resolutions T. belong
10 the police power.
The Government should Re earnestly X
voked u remove any artificial oh Z IL ,tionst Z
pertain to matters clearly embraced
within the lawful powers OF the River com =
to be exercised as soon as practicab'e3
I our committee consider most fayorably he
susgeS1on contained in both sets OF resolu
hons. Out do not deem them appropriate rat
lers Tor action by way nj a general resOiGti1n-
preferring to call spccia attention TO them in
Lnis supplemental report, and not doubling
NAT the proper officers of the Government
same.