The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 79
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Jan. IS44.
28th Cong 1st Sess.
APPENDIX TO THE CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
Improvement of the WeMern waters—Mr. Jameson.
H. of Reps
dent's message—that portion which brings to the
notice of Congress the importance of improving the
western lakes and rivers. He has wisely, in hi*
recommendation, not blended this with any other
interest; for the reason, no doubt, he knew, as we all
know, that these lakes and rivers had not heretofore
received that attention at the hands of Congress that
they should have received. And I fear if this,
and all other kindred subjects, should be referred to
the same committee, and that committee should
blend them all together, that the load might become
so great as to endanger the whole. It therefore
seems to me that policy would dictate that each
should be brought before the House separately, and
upon its own foundation. I know that the several
gentlemen from New York, who have spoken, are
anxious to have this subject, together with the im-
provement of the Hudson river, referred to the Com-
mittee on Commerce; and to that end, to convince us
of the propriety of such reference, have argued that
a report from a select committee would have less
weight with the House than a report from a stand-
ing committee. Prom this argument I dissent in toto.
I will not agree, nor can it be, that an intelligent body
like this—disposed, too, as I believe, to do justice to
all parts of the nation—would act favorably on a
measure reported by one committee, and reject the
same measure if reported by another committee.
This would either argue the want of common hon-
esty, or the want of judgment and capacity to dis-
criminate between men and measures. No, sir; this
House will decide on each measure brought before
it by a committee, according to the merit of the
measure itself, and not according to the particular
merit or demerit of the men who compose that com-
mittee. They will not inquire after the particular
men who reported it, but will look into the measure
itself, and into the facts upon which it is founded;
and, if justice demands it, will pass it, regardless of
the men who reported it. If the President had
blended, in his recommendation, the improvement of
all the rivers, lakes, harbors, and other works over
the entire nation, necessary to be improved for the
protection of commerce, and the Committee on Com-
merce had been appointed with an eye to that fact,
so that each section of the Union would have been
fairly represented in that committee, then there
might be some ground for gentlemen to contend that
this subject should go to that committee; but it is
otherwise. Arid here let me remark that the major-
ity of that committee reside north of Pennsylvania,
and but one solitary member of it resides in the
great valley of the Mississippi—comprising more
than a third of the population, and floating more
commerce, in proportion to the population, that is
produced by the sweat of the brow, than any people
in the Union—has been placed en that committee;
and he resides at New Orleans, within the smell of
salt water. And it is on that account—knowing as
we do the deep interest which our constituents
have in this subject—knowing that much of their
property and many of their lives depend upon the
favorable action of this House upon this subject—
that we feel impelled by duty to call upon you for a
select committee. And wlule I am in favor of re-
ferring this matter to a select committee, let it be
expressly understood that it is not for the want of
confidence in the Committee on Commerce; for I
have full confidence in those who compose that com-
mittee, believe that they are highminded and hon-
orable men, and that they are friendly to our inte-
rests. But after saying that, still I must say that
it is to be presumed that we know more about our
own interests than they do; and consequently are
enabled, from that knowledge, to bring them in a
stronger shape before the House than they can.
Tiiis, too, is warranted by a fundamental principle
laid down in parliamentary law by Jefferson him-
self, who illustrates it by this simple figure—that
you should not place a child in the hands of a nurse
that cares nothing about it. I do not wish to apply
this rule with all it* force to the Committee on Com-
merce; for I believe they do care for our interests,
and, next to the Committee on Roads and Canals, I
would prefer that this subject should go to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, rather than to any other stand-
ing committee of the House. But the other branch
of the rule will apply in its most forcible sense
against the reference to that committee; and that is,
as before intimated, that each measure should be
brought forward by those immediately interested in
it, for the reason that they care more for it, and
know more about it, than others; and will labor
more assiduously to collect and collate all the facts
upon which the measure depends, so that it may be
jkced fairly before the House. It is then for the
■Ipse to determine, upon a full view of all the facts,
whether duty demands that it should pass. But if
it is placed in the hands of those who care and
know but little about it, although they might report
favorably, yet it might be in so crippled a form as
to prove fatal to a meritorious measure; for I know
that this House depends, for its action, more upon
the reports of its committees, and less upon speech-
es, than any other deliberative body in the nation,
or probably in the world. Hence the great impor-
tance of having a committee that will array allthe
facts and arguments upon any given subject. And
let me ask eastern gentlemen, knowing as they do
these facts, whether they would be willing to place
their interests in western hands?—whether, when
they wanted an appropriation for clearing out then-
rivers, for their light-houses, harbors, sea-walls,
piers, buoys, beacons, &c., they would prefer,
or be satisfied with, its reference to a com-
mittee of western members, who knew noth-
ing about their wants, or the propriety of such
an appropriation? I should think not; and I would
not be willing to be one of a western committee to
take care of, and be charged with, eastern interests;
for it is as much and probably more than we can do,
with all the labor we can perform, to take care of
our own. And let eastern gentlemen come to the
same conclusion, (which is, no doubt, the correct
one,) and we shall have no difficulty on this matter.
We have no objection to the gentlemen referring
their works to the Committee on Commerce; there
is where they should go, as nearly all of that com-
mittee reside east of the Alleglianies, and a majority
in the northeast. They know whether any appro-
priation is necessary to protect the commerce of the
East; and, knowing the facts, will be enabled, if
necessary, to lay them fully and fairly before the
House for its action. Believing that the two gentle-
men from New York who contended that no good
reason had been shown in favor of referring this sub-
ject to a sclect committee have been fully answered,
I will now proceed to show the great contrast ex-
hibited by the appropriations for eastern works and
for works in the West; and I will also show the con-
trast in the amount of money paid into the federal
treasury by the western people and by the people of
the East; and in doing this, I shall present, first, a
table made out by one of the clerks of this House,
showing all the appropriations that have been made
from the beginning up to this time, for the improve-
ment of the Mississippi and its tributaries; and it is
as follows:
1824, for improvement of Ohio and Mississippi
#75,000
1827, '28, '29, do do 130,000
1830, '31, do do 250,000
1832, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ar-
kansas 65,000
1833, '34, do do 100,000
1835„Arkansas and Red rivers, 140 000
1836, Ohio and Mississippi, ] 7 gjiQ
1837, do do 120)000
1837, removing obstructions at the mouth of
Mississippi, 210,000
1837, Arkansas 25,000, in addition to 35,000
appropriated but unexpended, GO,000
1837, '38, Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri, 273^000
1842, ' ' '
do
do
250,000
Total, $1,690,800
In addition to this, there have been some small ap-
propriations made for the St. Louis harbor, and for
the clearing out the mouth of some small streams
emptying into the Mississippi, not amounting in ail,
including the above sum, to two millions of dollars.
Yes, sir; this great and wealthy nation, second to
but one on earth, has expended, for the improve-
ment of the navigation of the Mississippi, including
its tributaries, containing an extent of twelve thou-
sand miles of navigable waters—floating a greater
amount of commerce than any river in the woild
flowing through a region peopled by eight millions,
and capable of raising more agricultural produce
than the same extent of soil 111 any part of the
globe—less than two millions of dollars: yes, less
than two millions of dollars have been expended to
improve a navigation of twelve thousand miles,
more obstructed by snags and sawyers than anv
navigation in the world. And yet they are obstruc-
tions that can easily be removed and kept out of the
way, by the application of comparatively a small
amount of money annually for that purpose—enough
to keep the snag-boats constantly at work, when
the water is at the proper stage to take the snags out.
This is all we ask; and for that amount for the pres-
ent year, I will refer you to the estimates of the Sec-
retary of the Treasury—made out by information
received from men that know a great deal more
about it than I do.
And now, sir, let us look, for a moment, at the
great contrast in the expenditure on the eastern and
western works for the protection of commerce. I
have found it difficult to ascertain the amount, with
accuracy, that has been appropriated for this object
in the eastern States; nor have I been able to find
data upon which I could base the precise amount.
But, sir, the amount that it has cost the government
for constructing and keeping in repair the numerous
light-houses, beacons, bouys, ice-breakers, piers,
sea-walls, break-waters, docks, marine hospitals, na-
vy-yards, and road improvements, now so thickly
scattered along the coast of the Atlantic, cannot be
less than the sum of one hundred millions of dollars!
All this is in addition to the hundreds of millions
expended upon the navy—an expenditure, in which
the people on the seaboard had a more direct inter-
est than those in the West, for it was maintained
and kept tip mainly for the protection of eastern
commerce. And here I will mention, that not less
than one hundred millions more have been expended
in the erection of fortifications on the Atlantic fron-
tier. And although this last item does not appropri-
ately belong to this subject, yet I mention it to show
the vast contiast between that amount and the very
trifling amount that has been expended for fortifica-
tions on the western and northwestern frontiers,
where there is always danger from the savages; in
order to show with what liberal hand the govern-
ment has expended money for the protection of the
commerce, and for the defence of the eastern States,
and with what a stinting and stingy hand she has
let a few dollars cross the Alleghany mountains,
either for the defence or the protection of commerce.
Now, Mr. Chairman, we do not complain of these
vast appropriations; they may all have been proper-
ly made; but 1 bring them up to show the great con-
trast, that while the West—comprising nearly half
the population of the Union—had received but a few
millions for all her works, the East had received
hundreds of millions. I bring these facts before the
House that it may be seen what injustice has been
done us heretofore, and to incline them, if possible,
to do us justice now. And I am happy to say that,
from indications given by several gentlemen on this
floor, I feel satified that a more liberal spirit prevails
in this House, and in this Congress, than has here-
tofore, towards western interests; and it only requires
that the members should look with an unprejudiced
eye at the facts and statistics, to be convinced of the
great and pressing necessity which exists for liberal
appropriations in behalf of western commerce. Sir,
from 1838 to 1842, it appears from the above table
that no appropriations have been made for taking
the snags and sawyers out of these waters; and, on
that account, they have accumulated to a vast
amount, until they have become so thick, particular-
ly on the Mississippi and Missouri, that it is impos-
sible to navigate them with safety; and consequent-
ly, according to the best collection of facts I have
been able to make upon reports made, &e., on this
subject, the loss of steamboats on these waters has
not averaged less than fifty per year for the last five
years—say one per week—being a total average
loss (for you can never recover a boat once snagged
and sunk in these streams, or very seldom) of about
twenty thousand dollars for each boat, including its
cargo; making one million per year, or five millions
for the last, five years. And this is a total loss to
the western people, for want-of the attention of Con-
gress to their interests; for the want of ail appropri-
ation of one-tenth part of that amount; for half a
million, properly applied during these five years,
would have saved this vast amount. And this is
not all; for, during this same time, hundreds of the
In f:s of our citizens have been lost for ihe same
reason; snatched unexpectedly, through the medium
of a watery grave, from this to another world, leav-
ing relatives of all sexes and ages to mourn their un-
timely end.* Will Congress, then, when the lives
and property of so many people are at stake, hesi-
tate to make a sufficient appropriation? Will they
sit coldly by, and witness these awful, heart-
rending, and" tragical scenes that are of al-
most daily occurrence on these rivers, fold their
* The news of the tragical scene that occurred in the loss
of the Shepherdess, arnved here the morning after this
speech was delivered, which, of itselt, it seems to me, ought
to be sufficient to unlock and open every heart not disposed
to make 911 appropriation for the.fe waters,
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2368/m1/89/?rotate=270: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.