Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-03-01
gONGRESSlOEan.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Friday, January %.
ROAD FROM DETROIT TO CHI
(AEn


The House having resolved itself into
a commiilee of the whole on The bill {" TO
authorize the surveying and opening a
Road from Detroit TO Chicago, IN the
State of Illinois and Mr.. Clay (Speak-
er, )shaying invited the Delegate TO pre-
cent statement of the facts bearing on
tho bill
Mr.. Ricbard rose, and went into an
exposition of the merits OF the bill, OF
which the following is an abstract:
Every body, said Mr.. r. knows that
The contemplated road is of the greatest
importance, not only to the territory OF
VI ,chigau, but also to the general 60
vernment; and the consequence is, that
il ought TO be done Immediately. This
road will connect the east of the Union
with the west. The grand Canal oil
NewYork will be completed next July.
When the said canal is finished, we con-
slider Detroit in contact with New York.
Last Fall, was on Lake ST. Clair, on
board vessel built during the preced-
ing winter, with movable keel, ready
and calculated to go down, through
Lake Erie and the whole OF the Canal,
to land at the battery in New York.
In relation to our military operations,
the utility of road across the PENN
.sula of Michigan, from Detroi, to Chica-
go, is obvious. This road will afford a
facility to transport munitions OF war,
provisions, and troops, to Chicago,
Green Bay, Prairie du Chen, and ST.
Peters River, &c. When our upper
lakes are frozen, an easy communication
will be constantly kept open, in sfeighs,
on the snow. Every body knows, that,
during the last war, for want of a proper
road across the Black Swamp, our 60
vernment incurred an expenditure of ten
or twelve millions of dollars, which
would have been avoided by having a
good road, made in due time. Make
this roaG now, when you have the full
sovereignty over the Territory of Mi
chigan, before it becomes an independ-
cnt State, and you may easily anticipate
how beneficial this road will be TO your
finances. There are more than II mil
lions of acres of, generally, good and
fertile land, in Michigan proper, with
out speaking of the "a millions of acres
in the Northwest TerriIory,) Without
road to go to those lands, they have no
value. We are credibly informed, that,
on our inland seas, mean Lake Erie,
s. Clair, Huron, and Michigan, no less
than one hundred and fifty vessels are
playing up and down on board OF which
whole families do come, sometimes, with
their wagons, horses, sheep, and milk
COWS land in Detroit, ready to go in
search of good land, to settle on it; and
having their money ready to give to the
Receiver of the Land Office. No road
10 go into that immense wilderness !!
What disappointment During about
Twelve months, last elapsed, more than
one hundred thousand dollars have been
actually paid into the hands of the Re-
ceivers of Public Moneys, in the Terri
tory Of Michigan, for land purchased
How much more would have been paid,
if the present road had been made . We
can learn from the Commissioner of the
General Land Office, that about ten sur
veyers have been employed in surveying
public lands in the interior OF Michigan
Territory, between, Detroit and Chicago,
during last winter. These lands will
soon be advertised to be sold. If there
is no road 10 come to them, who will
purchase them9 But let this road be
made; let it be determined by tbs
House that it shall be made; then you
will have purchasers enough; they will
come as torrent from the Eastern
States. 1t cannot be questioned that the
land along the intended road will sell for
two or three hundred per cent more
than it would if there we're no such road;
and SO, in nearly the same Eroportion,
the adjacent lands will be increased in
price. If you ask me what will this
road cost beg leave to answer, it will
COS, nothing TO the government. l might
say it will cost less than nothing. The
half of the land along the road only, will,
after the road is made, or determined to
be made, sell for great deal more than
the whole would, without the road.
What an immense profit for your Urea
sury you can derive from the state Of
this immense wilderness, which remains
unproti able, il you have no road to come
ct it This road is, therefore, TO be be-
nehcial to your finances, and your militia
ny operations, and 10 all parts OF the
Union, as we'll as to Michigan itself; as
it will afford all kinds of encouragement
to the citizens Of the Eastern States, who