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<br />the drainage arclt to legislnte lor the purpose or permitting negotia-
<br />tions, and tinnily or dmfting and signing nn interstltte compact the
<br />purpose of ,vII ich should be Lo settle in advance or construction all
<br />matter's respecting the future utilization of the waters of that st..realU
<br />from its sourc.es in the mountains to the international boundary below
<br />Yuma, Ariz.
<br />In due COllrse, and particularly ill the months or January, Feb-
<br />ruary, and J\hrch or the year 1921, the legislatures of these seven
<br />States passed bills, and (;]lOse bills have been signed by the governor
<br />of each 01 the States, calling upon the governor or the State to ap.
<br />point n. com III issionel' on behalf of each or the States to nen"otiate
<br />with the commissioners 01 the other States for the purposes ~ have
<br />mentioned.
<br />Subseguently, the governor of each or the States appointed a
<br />comm isslOner on beha If of his State pursuimt to the legislation, The
<br />seven States tlum having a.ppointed their commissioners, and having
<br />all legislated ll[1on the subjed, on May 10 of this yenr the governors
<br />of those sevell States met at the city of Denver and there formulated
<br />resolutions calling upon the President of the United States and
<br />Congress to gmnt the necessary consent to a compact between them,
<br />Mr. CJ-IANDTllm. Let me ask you at this point, Is there any inhibi-
<br />tion .in the COllstitution that would keep these States rrom 'entering
<br />into these contracts without Federal consent?
<br />Mr. CARPENTJm. Yes, sir. They could draw them in adva.nce; they
<br />could draw a eompacl. for later submission to Congress or for ratifi-
<br />cation, but AJ'l.icle I, scct..ion 10, paragraph 3, of the Constitution
<br />reads, in part, as follows;
<br />
<br />No State f;haJl, without consent of Congress, enter into allY agreement or
<br />compuet with unother Stute.
<br />
<br />And it was thought advisable t.o obtain the consent of Congress in
<br />advallce respecting this proposecl compact. '
<br />Followin~ this meeting of the governors and thp: prepa.ratioll of
<br />the resolutIOn, the governors proceeded to Washmgton-most of
<br />them i.n person, und in two or three cases by personn.l representative-
<br />and waited upon the Secretary of the Interior and placed before him
<br />the resolutions adoRteclltt Denver, and also waited upon the Presi-
<br />dent pi the Uuitecl St,ates on Mlty 19, laying before him their original
<br />resolutions adopted at Denver,
<br />I might furt.ller state that this bill was introduced by Mr, Mondell
<br />in view or those resolutions, and' of the action of those States and t.he
<br />action of their executives, culminating in the call upon the President
<br />on May 19,
<br />Another phase must necessarily be considered; The Colorado River,
<br />bx,;;;e:l~~ Lho old treaties with Mexico, is reco~nized as navjerable
<br />ill)ii:~; reaches of the stream. That navigation, I am advised~ has
<br />been long since abandoned, but it nevertheless is a feature to be
<br />conside.red; and, second, the river forms a part of the boundary beR
<br />tween the lowor part or Arizonlt and Lower California, Repuhiic of
<br />Mexico, a.nd it is what might be termed an int.ernat,ional river.
<br />In view or those facts, it seemed ..dvisahle that the United States
<br />should b~ rcprcsent~d ",t the ddib~r"tioll~ oi thl> commission between
<br />thc seven States; Itnd with that end in view the bill has been drawn
<br />providing ror a representative of the United Stlttes to meet with, the
<br />commissioners of the States; and the original State legislation is so
<br />dl'ltwn in elteh or the seven States,
<br />
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