Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-02-24
NAVIGATION OF THE WABASH.

NANIGAllON OF The w AbASH.
House Of Representatives ofthe state Of
Indiana, Jan. 10, 1924.
Mr.. Blake, from the committee on the
subject, presented the following RE-
PORT:
The committee to whom was referred
the documents, transmitted TO the Legis-
lature by his Excellency Governor Hen
bricks, relating to the improvement Of
the navig ton of the risee, Wabash Re-
poRT: That the examination of the pa
pers referred, and the consideration given
to them, have afforded the fullest salts :
faction on the subject Of improving and
facilitating the navigation of that river.
The practcahiii'y Of this obi ect so much
cherished by the people of this state, is
no longer TO be doubted and it is as lit
tie to be believed tina, the means to &C
complish il, are beyond the resources OF
those concerned. For the information
presented to your committee, much Gre
dit is certainly due 10 the industry and
disc ernment Of The commissioner on the
part of this state, and his colleague On
the part of the state Of Illinois, vino were
appointed TO inves igaie this important
concer IL will be received thankfully
by every ne who is animated by a zeal
TO advance he great interests OF the state,
and whose mind is not biased by local
prejudices or predictions. And it will
be received with peculiar pleasure by
IL C,in cC al
who have particularly iostered the mea
sure, and whose feelings will triumph
over the conjeclures which may have
given rise to serious apprehenslons. In
the progress to consummate this deslfa-
BILE end, at least, SO far 10 mprove the
river as to make i, nayigable at ordinary
stages OF water, co-extenslye with the
present improvement of the soil, no bar
rler presents itself which is not easily
surmounted. No appeal need be made
to the patriotism of the people for con-
tributions, no extraordinary measures
need be resorted to either directly or in
directly imposing upon them a tax; tor,
in the opinion of your committee, ii is
only necessary to appropriate portion
of the three per cent. fund, insignificant
in amount when compared with the i'm
portance OF the object, and as much if
not more due to this than to any other
work of internal improvement which
could be undertaken. 1t is not expect
ed nor desired at this time, that the Lee
sislature should make any additional
draft on that fund, bu, divert part of
the sum already called Tor, from the
channel OF expenditure originally intend
ed, which will fully answer the object
nov contemplated. When the general
cultivation of The soil bordering on the
river shall extend to Tippecanoe or APP
proach the 81. Josephs, then exlraordi-
nary expenditures will be necessary, and
will doubtless be resorted to; but by
that time the physical strength and wealth
of the country will have so much multi
piled, that such burthens to them will
be less onerous than present exigencies
are to us, and will not be considered op-
pressively heavy. These extended i'm
provements however might be expedited
and the state rapidly advanced to what it
would otherwise require many years to
attain to, it Congress at their present ses-
sion would manifest disposition to di-
rect the spirit Of enterprise to the north
eastern and northwestern extremities of
the state, and cheer and support it with
that degree of encouragement, which the
mutual and equal interests of the nation
al government and Of this state requires.
Your committee have recently seen a
printed bill on this subject, which is now
before Congress; and it is with much
regret they are constrained TO remark,
that the measures embraced in it are far
short of the expectation OF the people.
This bill purports to give to the state,
. the pro6tless use Of small quantities Of