Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-02-08
Illinois Legislature.
From The Illinois intel. gences.
Rehort o. the Committee on Internal
enforcement

=,
ne eoiii ''ie'ee "' i9'er'a' ri'rpFe'"eiH' 70
"',,i' wa 's'erfsi 80 mug, % tl's oofef-
mr. 'lss'ae rs FS'1'es % we uh'unP ''e
,'lo'9 'i,ei w. 80 ',,c''S"'' anu ,i,e
a2ash ftser WIN Lake Hrie' py nav oAose
| es''''s' 1ssl'soeiai's '0Fo''-
! That they have had under consideration the
! important subject Of improving the Internal
navigation oftae State OF Illinois, by opening
canals to unite the head waters oi the Illinois
and Wabash rivers with Lakes Michigan and
.ne-aad conceive it their unbounded duty Ia
state TO this House, that your committee gre
convinced that the important interests * 6ur
State require that this Legislature should aiopt
suitable measures TO eject tie preparatory
steps Tor opening these canals as soon rs pTstc-
tcabie. Your c9nm.dee are aware Of tne dis
advantages ii is supp psed We labor u1ler. ia
an undertaking, 10 succeed which, consider
able capital IS necessary. Put having before
| them what has been LAID before the world, ii
the documents relatiye TO the course pursued
! by the great and Aeurishing State Of New
York, when about 70 engage in the ar,,uass
task OF uniting the waters OF Lake Erie with
| the sudson, your committee experience feel
lngs OF the most pleasing antici patton, when
| they see sister State commencing work I'M
para,leled probably IN the world, with net
surplus capital not exceeding 5 10000, when
the completion OF the same Was estimated 1t
| near 6,OG0JU0.
| no example, It IS presumed by YOUR COM
lm.ttee, can more eifectually eXempHfy the sub
ject and convince the citizens Of Illinois Of
their capablh'y, net only to commence the
contemplated work, but to complete it--a
work that will rate Illinois on parallel with
the first States Of our Union. Fully convinced
of this, as your committee are, they ASK, snail
we unconcernetlly look On and see 50 great
! portion ofthe means within our power to con
fer an everlasting increase Of respcctabiEtv
( and wealth forever averted' Orshail We adopt
! the eiiectual, as well as obvious measures OF
securing to ourselves, and to our posterity TO
The rcmotest generation, the incstnnablc al-
yantages to be derived from the canals con-
templated. Its granted that navgable canals
uniting the Illinois aud Wabash rivers with the
Lakes. would, from the moment Of their com
pletlon, make it easier, and consequently
| cheaper, for Cur eastern and northern bFe-
ihren to find a market THOUGH these canals,
| than in any other direction as well as afford
| the western States the choice Of markets for
| their surplus produce, without being coafned,
as we nov are, TO float the rich products 81 orr
| soil, at the risk Of the lives Of many valuable
citizens, to the unhealthy torrd zone. It will
rot be denied that through these canals large
amount Of eastern products woud find their
way; and can il be SAID that they win come 70
and depart from our State without leaving q
trace Of having been there' Or will they add
to the prosperity and comfort Of towns and
| villages, as well AS augment the wealth of ous
State at large, and thereby cyincc the ndst-
mable value of a prosperous community
The view your committee have taken Of The
benefits that viii arise from these great in-
provements in our internal navigation, has in
pressed them with aconyiction that immediate
| ly they are effected, the. property Of the State
viii rise in value, more, Or at least as much, as