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ons for completing' this harbor ppeared to proceed in a regularly increasing ratio.

Mr Carson proceeded to remark in the same strain upon other appropriations, and particularly those on Deer island in Boston harbor. The last appropriation had been for $12,000, which was to 'complete' the sea wall, and now to 'complete' the same thing the department very modestly asked for $60,000. So with the break-water at Hyannis-that was to be 'completed' for $8,400. Now it was to be 'completed' for $7,600. The pier at Oswego and the Delaware breakwater, the improvement in the Genessee river, and several creeks in Ohio, received in succession their respective shares of animadversion.

He adverted to the large sum asked for; referred to the state of discontent at the south, and the obligation of making some sacrifice for the peace and union of the country. These amendments were part and parcel of that system, which was racking the Union in such a manner, that he feared it could not be brought together again.

Mr Verplanck said, in reply, that the language which had unfortunately occasioned the gentleman so much uneasiness, and on which he had commented so very largely, had been introduced through inadvertence. The estimates submitted to the department were sometimes very general, and at other times more minute. It often became necessary, either from the nature of the works pro

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posed, or for financial reasons, to distribute the appropriation through different years.

The total estimate was for completing certain works, and in breaking down that total amount into several annual appropriations, the original phrase,' for completing' the work, had been erroneously retained. So much for the deception' practised on the House, and the nation. In some instances, the estimate of the engineers had not been exactly accurate, and, in others, the laws of nature had been found not to obey the laws of Congress, and works, partially finished, had, in some instances, been swept away. In other cases, the very delays in making the appropriations, produced the necessity for increasing them.

The gentleman had adverted, apparently with marked emphasis, to some of the improvements proposed for New York. The places there named were remote from Mr Verplanck's residence and interests. The object in those appropriations was not the improvement of the small streams, at whose mouths they were situated. It was the security of immensely valuable internal commerce on the lakes, and the appropriations were to be put upon the same ground, as to principle, with light. houses, light vessels, and buoys. They were harbors of refuge. A pier had been completed at Oswego last year, and so beneficial had been the result already, that the tonnage at that port had increased in a single season from 2,000 to 20,000 tons. The present ap

propriation went to extend that benefit, by giving the harbor additional security. Should the appropriations for many of these works be now stopped, not only would the objects intended fail, but the partial progress, which had been made, would destroy the harbor; and Congress must appropriate to remove the materials which they had began to deposit. As to the appropriation for Ocracoke inlet, the works there were of a singular character. It was a great experiment, which, if successful, must prove immensely beneficial to the trade between New York, and the ports of North Carolina, by diminishing the risk to which it was exposed, and consequently reducing the rates of freight and insurance. Whatever might be the opinion of the gentleman's constituents as to other works of improvement, the legislature of his State had declared this work necessary both for defence and economy. Mr Verplanck quoted a report from the war department, going to show, that the experiment, as far as it had been prosecuted, had been eminently successful. He then explained, why the item for Deer island was so much greater this year than last. The works, which had been begun there, had been swept away by a violent tempest. The island was very important as a defence to the outer harbor of Boston, especially to the navy yard to which it was directly opposite. Were it of no value to commerce, it would still be highly important as a military post.

Mr Whitlesey went into a very

full exposition of the importance and value of the works proposed on the southern shore of lake Erie. He showed how it happened, that the estimates for some of them had been augmented, in consequence of the necessity, which experience had developed for increasing the length of walls, piers, &c. These being erected on the sand continued to sink from year to year, until they reached the solid clay beneath, during which they must be continually augmented above. No engineer could calculate this with precision beforehand. Mr Whitlesey dwelt upon the importance of harbors of refuge to the shipping on the lake-the vast increase of that shipping, its exposure from sudden flaws, and the loss of lives formerly experienced. In 1810, there had been 10 vessels on lake Erie; now there were a hundred. The tonnage that entered Buffalo last year was 75,000; and there were more than 70,000 human beings constantly exposed to danger in the navigation of a lake, which was without a natural harbor for 200 miles.

The House adjourned without coming to any decision upon the proposed items, and on the 1st of May, when the bill was resumed in committee of the whole, Mr Wickliffe defended at length the appropriation for continuing the removal of the obstructions in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. — Having made a few remarks expressive of his dissent from that construction of the constitution, which confined the power of the general government in the improvement of rivers to the ebb

and flow of tide water, he insisted, that if there was any subject over which its power legitimately extended, and which was free from all objections drawn from the locality of its character, it was this. Not one of the States between which these rivers flowed, possessed either the physical ability, or the right of jurisdiction necessary to the accomplishment of such a work. What State had jurisdiction of the Potomac? Who was it, that had placed buoys in that river, and still maintained them? Was it Virginia or Maryland? No. It was the general government. But all this he supposed was allowable, because these improvements were within the ebb and flow of tide water. But the moment it was proposed, to touch those great inland seas, which watered the western States, and which might well be called the Mediterranean of the west, then immediately the constitution contracted its power. To such distinctions he could never subscribe. Mr Whitlesey then went into some details of facts, going to show the difficulty and danger encountered by those, who navigate these rivers, who, possessing the finest climate and soil on earth, found their chief embarrassment to arise from the difficulty of reaching any market with their produce. There descended those rivers annually 4,000 flat bottomed boats, averaging 160 tons, and carrying cargoes amounting in value to $4,800,000. There were besides, 220 steamboats, averaging 175 tons, and worth with their cargoes, $15,000,000; forming an aggregate value of the

products of the country seeking a market, of upwards of $20,000,000 per annum.

He then went into an estimate of the extent of water open to steamboat navigation in the Mississippi, and its various tributary streams, the result of which went to show, that there were 8,540 miles of such navigation in the west. Was this not an object worthy of a paltry pittance for its preservation?

Mr Whitlesey went on to show, that the annual expense of the transportation of the products of the western States to New Orleans amounted to $7,286,000. The losses incurred were very great, amounting on the value of steamboats to 16 per cent, while the number of persons actually engaged in this work of transportation amounted to not less than 18,000. The whole appropriation, which had been made since 1824, amounted to $405,000.— In 1826, the appropriation had been $75,000, but owing to the want of experience, that sum had not been very judiciously applied. Since 1827, however, a better system had prevailed, commencing under the superintendence of Mr McKee, and since his death farther improved by Mr Shreeve. Mr Whitlesey then proceeded to explain the nature of the obstruction from sawyers and planters, and while on the latter subject, adverted to the melancholy loss of the steamboat Tennessee in 1821, when more property was sacrificed in one hour, than all the government had expended in the improvement of those rivers since it commenced to appropriate.

The results of the new system were highly beneficial. The snags had been principally removed from an extent of 1100 miles on those rivers. He contrasted the former condition of Plum point, exhibiting a sheet of water two miles in width, rolling with vast rapidity through a forest as thick as any which ever clothed the western valleys, with its present situation, presenting a smooth expanse, free from all obstruction, and affording a safe and easy navigation.

With a view to show, that the money appropriated had been expended to some purpose, he went into a comparative statement of the losses sustained during the five years preceding 1827, and the five years immediately following it. During the former period, the loss had been 30 boats per annum, averaging in value, $300,000; besides 17 steamboats worth $340,000, and their cargoes worth $682,000, making the average annual loss during those years amount to $1,362,500.Within the latter period, the losses had been 5 flat bottomed boats, and 7 steamboats; the who levalue $381,000, making an annual difference of $981,000. And the loss of even these steamboats was not so much owing to snags in the river, as to their own frail and decayed condition.

Another beneficial result of the improvements had been, that the flat bottomed boats were now able to run all night, which had before been impossible. The saving in the labor of hands amounted to $24,000 annually, and the whole amount expended by the govern

ment, while it produced such important public benefits, had been re-imbursed more than four fold in the increased proceeds of the public domain. At the mouth of Red river, 200,000 acres of land had been reclaimed, which before was worthless, and now commanded a high price, and at a place called Punch's point, treble that amount had been reclaimed, and some of it now sold at $15 an acre.

He abstained from entering into the general topic of the policy of internal improvements, but expressed the strong hopes of the people of the west, that the administration, which they had brought into power, was not going to abandon that system. One of the principal items, which had swelled the expenditure under the present administration, had been the expenditures for internal improvement. As to the objection so strongly urged, that the system was partial in its operation, drawing money from one part of the Union to be expended in another, the adversaries of internal improvement would find that their argument when tested by facts, was not so strong as they thought it to be. For example, the whole expenditure last year for light houses, had been $225,000, of which, 138,000 had been expended in the States opposed to this policy. So in reference to fortifications; out of the gross sum of $948,872, $206,000 only had been expended in the northern States. All the rest had gone into the States, which exclaimed against the partiality of the system.

This appropriation was then agreed to, Mr Bell who objected to it stating, that his objections were chiefly to the manner, in which the previous appropriations had been expended.

The other amendments proposed by Mr Verplanck were also agreed to, and Mr Ashley then proposed an appropriation of $50,000 for clearing out the Missouri for 300 miles above its mouth, and also to remove a shoal in the Mississippi near St Louis.

Mr Ashley addressed the House at length in support of the amendment. After advert ing to the national character of the improvement, he went into a statistical statement, showing what balance remained unexpended of appropriations heretofore made for improvements of the same character, and then stated facts to show, that the loss that had occurred of valuable steamboats at a single spot in the Mississippi, exceeded in amount the whole sum, that would be needed for the object he proposed. It had not cost 4000 dollars to remove from that place a quantity of snags, which had occasioned the loss of property worth 100,000 dollars. He then described the rapid settlement of the country on the banks of the Missouri, and the still more rapid increase of trade upon its waters. He had known seventeen steamboats to leave St Louis in one day, of which eight were bound up the Missouri and Mississippi rivers; and a merchant there had told him, that he had counted 1004 hogsheads of tobacco land

ed at that place in one day. The goods, which had ascended the Missouri river the last season amounted to 1,000,000 dollarspart of them being destined for the Santa Fe market, and the residue for the Indians. He knew of goods to the value of 230,000 dollars, which ascended that river for the Sante Fe trade. And out of 27,000 dollars worth which he had himself purchased for two young men entering into that business, 9,000 dollars of it consisted of domestic cottons. And it struck him at the time he made the purchase, that in that one transaction, he witnessed the union of all the great interests of our country. The people of the South had raised the cotton- the people of the North had manufactured it, and the people of the West were carrying it to market. The trade was now but commencing, and there was every reason to believe, that it would increase with as much rapidity as that of any other part of our country.

With respect to the Mississippi river, there existed but one serious obstruction in its whole course, from the Balize to the Falls of St Anthony, and that consisted in the shoal opposite the mouth of Rock river and the river Moins. Here the obstruction consisted, not of snags, but of rocks exactly similar to the obstruction in the Ohio river at the grand chain, and which had so successfully been removed by Mr Shreeve. Mr Ashley spoke of the large quantity of lead produced at Galina, amounting in one year to sixteen millions of

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