Year: 1873

| imagined


that he was at liberty to speak of one of the
great means of transportation, as he was


not aware the call was exclusive in its
| character.


Mr.. Sypher here interfered, saving to his


friend from Virginia and all others, that the


call did not exclusively apply to the interest


of the Mississippi valley; this question was


national and could not be made sectional.


Representative Burohard, of Hin Dis, came
| here representing constituency deeply in
| terested In this transportation question. He
did not suppose the object was to agree
| upon any particular plan, but that every gen.
tleman was at liberty to express his views,


and that he would acquire kno ledge for
| future consideration, with the view to act
| intelllgently on such measures as might be
| brought before the House. He did not


think it prudent to agree on any plan
In fact, 1T was now impossible to do 90,
AS strong and popular committee had
been appointed by the Speaker consisting


OF gentlemen from the West and South,
| who were to take charge of all matters re-
latlng to railway and canal freight and in
land transportation. He should be happy
| to hear more fully the views IF the gentle
| men. either before or after that cor4mittee
| shall make report.


Representative Crittenden, of Missouri,
saids he felt grateful in seeing so many OF
all parties meeting together for the COM
mon elevation OF our country from Maine
to California, lifting it from the valley of
sectionalism to the broad plain OF ma
tlOnality. He was here to cooperate with
| anybody, provided they could so act as to
| carry their purpose.
Congress, he observed, had given millions
b railroad companies. and while he did not
| make war upon them he thought now was
the time for those living in the Mississippi
valley to apply to Congress to give them
such assistance as would develop the great
resources of the West. commencing where
the Mississippi takes its rise, to where it
has its outlet, and removing the obstruction
at the mouth OF that river. He hoped they
would all agree before they left Washing
ton upon some plan satisfactory to the peo-
pie u the whole country. a..


Representative LOughridge said he was
glad to see so many members here from the
Mississippi valley. No one question inter
ested their constituents so much as cheap
transportation. They were too apt to forget
that there was any other section than their
own. The South at one time forgot there
was a North, and the North that there was
a South. The East, he remarked, was now
beginning to find out there is West-a
West which has power in Congress, and
now come, with renewed strength. The
West had the power to obtain redress if
they would but unite.


He wished to take in the whole country
and obtain such improvements as would be
of national benefit The cost was nothing
in this matter His constituents were farm
ers, and, therefore, must have an outlet for
their surplus products.


Representative Stanard, of Missouri, said
there were two subjects which commanded
more attention than any Others, viz:
finance and the transportation interests of
the country, and these were closely united.
The truth was the country had grown be-
yond the facilities for transportation. These
have not increased as the productions have
increased within the last ten years


There was not larger number of through
lines now from the East to the West than
at the close of the war. These railroad
lines have had a monopoly for years,
especially during the winter months, when
lake navigation was closed and river navi-
CATION partly suspended, and charged their
own price.


Representative Clark, of Kansas, wished
to offer resolution declaring the meeting
the mouth of the Mississippi, either by the
construction of the Fort st. Philip canal or
otherwise, AS competent engineers may
deem to be feasible at the earliest practical
moment, as the first great work of internal
improvement.


Representative Burchard said the meet
ing had no right to bind members to any





individual opinions.


Stanard resuming, expressed the hope
that no resolution would be offered. He
proceeded to show that the object in view
could be effected in no better way than
by the improvement of the Mississippi
river. 1t was the duty of the govern
ment to do this, no matter what it
might cost, so that all the tributaries to that
river might thus be benefited.


ReDresentative Lon u h rid pa asbod tho
gentleman how long it would take to i'm
prove the mouth OF tho Mississippi if the
outlet were in New York;


Mr. Stanard replied, "As soon as men and
money could do it,"


Mr.. Clark, of Kansas, said the time had
come when the West would demonstrate
that there is a West He was in favor of the
James River and Kanawha canal, in favor
OF the St Lawrence route and the Atlantic
and Great Western canal, and he favored
the Improvement of the harbOr of Calves
ton. He now asked his Eastern friends to
open up the Mississippi river to the people
of that valley. He then offered the res0lu-
ton to which reference has already been
made.


After brief debate the chair declared it
to be ont of order, as he did also resolu-
ton offered by Representative Fort, of H.
linOis, providing for the appointment of a
committee of nine to collect information as
to tRe facilities and cost of transportation
by the various proposed ways of communi-
cation.


Mr.. Fort said he had supposed the object
OF this meeting was to put matters in such
shape as would produce unity of action and
thus secure the desired results.


Representative McNulty, of Illinois, said
he mad attended a cheap transportation
in Wisconsin, without results,
and now he had been invited here to hear
speeches and to compare views. 1t struck
him it were best to quit talking and do
He was ready to commence
the fight and continue it.


If the gentlemen from The East shall, as
intimated, attempt to control legislation,
the West should unite to control Congress
in the performance of the right. Let it be
said the West and the South have as much
power as the East and will use it.


Representative Mclean, Of Texas, offered
the following resolution:


Resolved by this meeting, That the mem
bers of the House of Representatives, whose
are Interested IN cheap trans
portation, will direct their efforts to bring
about unity of action on the part of said
in the legislation of ,ngress.


Representative Holmes, of Indiana, al
luded to the fact that the COMMITTEE on
River and Harbor improvements had been
largely controlled by Western members,
and that the appropriations for tho Missis-
slppi river, including the Intervening lines
Dt communication, had been in fair proper
tion to the appropriations for such purposes.


Representative Wilson. of Iowa, said the
East was as much interested as the West in
such improvements and he was satisfied
the Western members were and must sup
port those measures which would benefit
he agricultural interests. The question Was
not, how much money should be spent, but
low far Congress should go.


Objection was raised to Mr.. McLean's reso-