The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-05-10

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Whereas, The duty and obligation
Is imposed BY the Constitution upon
the Federal Government of controlling
and regulating commerce amoag the
States and jurisdiction is also given it
ever the navigsble waters of the eoun-
try, and on the loYer Mississippi under
this constitutional direction the con-
struction and maintsinance Of levees
has been adopted as means of food
confinement and navigation improve
ment. The levee works therefore
subserve dual purpose to-wit, i'm
proyement Of navigation and the
reclamation of the Mississippi Delta.
In view Of this fact their cost and con-
troll has been in the past divided be-
tween the general government and the
levee authorities of the various levee
districts in the lower Mississippi Val
ley. This principle of cooperation in
the work of levee buildings, recognIz-
ing community of interest between
the United States Government and
the people of the Delta, which has
been insugursted by the Mississippi
Commission, and given practical effect
In the distribution of funds from this
work, received the endorsement Of
President Arthur in his special mes
sage to Congress during 1888, and has
recently received the emphatic sp-
.provsl Of his Excellency, President
Harrison. In the light Of nine years
experience the Mississippi River Com
mission and the United State En-
gineers, jointly in charge of the work,
have affirmed their faith in the plans
by the test Of result and success.
Therefore, the people oil the Mississippi
Valley, in convention assembled, in-
tercsted in the ultimate success Of this
work in both Of its phases, now re-
affirm our faith in this plan and express
our willingness to continue in the
future to pay our fair share Of the
expenses of building and maintaining
said levees, and through our levee
organizations to cooperate with the
Mississippi River Commission and by
way of further Endorsement Of the
Mississippi River Commission and
their plan we quote, with emphatic
approval, from the resolutions of the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers Pilot
Society, passed at st. Louis April 25,
1890, and submitted to this convention,
The national character and national
Importance Of this problem, as well as
the nations duty in relation to II, is
shown in the fact that the Mississippi
Valley and River is the receptacle and
channel 10 the sea for the entire drain
age from the twenty-five States and
Territories between the Allegheny
and the Rocky Mountains. This drain
age is each succeeding year precipi-
tated into this channel more rapidly
by reason Of the changed and chang
ing settlement and cultivation of many
States about the headwaters.
Furthermore, we recite that the
Mississippi River is prime factor in
controlling for the best interests of the
whole people of the Union, the trans
portation rates Of the whole country
and that there is greater obstruction
to commerce by the floods than by low
water, by reason of the impossibility
of access to the river In time of over
flows.
Resolved, That 1t Is the deliberate
judgment of this convention that the
"outlet theory of improvement Of the
Mississippi River is impracticable, and
would ultimately be destructive ol
both navigation and the alluvia terri
tory bordering on the Mississippi
River.
Resolved, That TO give proper effect
to the joint care and purpose of leveei
as stated In tho foregoing preamble
that Congress be requested at its pres
snt session to pass an appropriation
bill, supplementing the sum contained
In the present River and Harbor Bill
to an amount sufficient to repair The
damages and strengthen the levees IL
accordance with the lessons of the re-
cent food, and the facts hereinbefort
set forth, the sum in said River and
lIarbor Bill having been fixed prior tc
said food.
Resolved, That the free, perennial
navigation of our great rivers, wher,
ever possible to be effected BY legisls.
ton, should be demanded of the Gov.
ernment and receive its attention al
promptly and unstintedly as harboI
improvements on the Atlantic, Pacific
Gulf or Lake coasts.
That the recent floods in the lowel
Mississippi, which have proven to b,
beyond control of the most determined
State, municipal, district and count,
efforts combined, should emphasiz,
once more the great fact, always true
and heretofore always overlooked, thai
the Mississippi River is the Nationi
river, or, as called by one Of the great
est strict constructionists Of the consti
tuition, the Nations great finland Sea,
and as such it "comes as much within
the purvlew Of the Constitution as dc
the harbors Of the Atlantic, Pacific