Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-09-02

WADAsH AND ERIE CANAL GRANT.
A friend has lust called nv atss.ai,. 10 .. m.
ticle IN late number q The vinceaaes Sun. co II
pied from q CrawSordsville paper, On ~ subiec,
Of the Wabash and Erie Canal Grant, aad The
right OF the State to an extension Of this 6ooa-
ton. As the attention Of tho public has thus
been called to this subject, it may not be imPso-
might arise from that article, 10 give little more
fully the grounds, upon which it is understood the
claims Of the State are based.
The Act Of Congress If I'd March, 1897, fosms |
the basis Of tho claim. The first section cf this
act grants tho State Of Indians. os the purpose
Of aiding in the construction Of the Wabash and
Erie Canal. "a quantity Of land equal to ouc-half
q five sections in width each side Of said ca
nal, and reserving each alternate section to the
United States to be selected by the Commissioner
Of the Land Office, under the direction Of the
President Of the L. States, from one esd thereof
to the other" The limits OF tho donation IN re-
gard to its length are thus very clearly made CO
extensive with the canal.
But Cox gress does not fix determinate points
for the commencement or termination OF the ca
nal The reason of this is obvious. Tho coun-
try, at the time Of the passage of the law, had
but just been purchased Of the Indians, and very
little Of course was known as to the character of
the rivers, the extent of artificial navigation,
which the interests of commerce, or tho purposes
of the General Government would require on this
route. This could only be determined bv n tho
rough examination of the streams, and after furth-
er Developments in regard to the importance OF
this thoroughfare as a channel Of commerce. The
duty Of making this examination and the discre-
ton to determine the necessary extent OF the ca
nal, was. by the act Of Congress, confided to the
State without reserving, to the authorities OF the
General government any concurrent control over
this tject. The language Of the law on this
point, is that $50 soon the route of the canal
shall be located, and agreed upon by said State,
SC"
/ 1t appears very evident therefore, from the
provisions Of the act of Congress, that since the
State, after a careful survey of the route, aud q
full inv cstigaton Of the whole subject, has found
it necessary for the purposes Of commerce, to ex-
tend the canal TO Terre-Haute, n corresponding
extension Of tho grant follows as a matter OF
course. The rights Of the State under the law
are plain and indisputable.
The principles Of construction for which the
State contends, have already been Recognized
and acted upon in respect to that portion OF the
grant lying within tho State Of Ohio. 1t Is pro-
baby known to most Of your readers, that the
Board Of Public works of that State, with view
to a more perfect channel Of commerce, have re-
Gently extended the canal IL or 10 miles farther
down the Maumee river, than the point selected
for the termination in the original survey made
; by Mr.. Stansbury u. s. Engineer. And BY ref
ercnce to the last annual message OF the Govern
or Of Ohio it will be seen that the state has Sc
lec.ed lands for this portion Of the route, under
, the law Of 1927 This precedent may bc view
ed as conclusive in support of claims, especial
" if we consider that the Maumee river along
which this exteneioO made, 10 always naviga-
bic for steam boats Of q medium size, having nc
where less than SIX and half feet At tho lowest
stage, while tho Wabaal,, tho summer season
has not more than onc-fourth OF this depth, in
, ny places.
By the synopsis Of the proceedings Of the Board
Of Internal Improvement published some weeks
IL
are now in correspondence with the Commission
er OF the General Land Office, with view to the
selecting and setting apart the particular lands
due that portion of the route extending from the
mouth Of Tippecanoe to Terre Haute. As most
of the lands along the line Of the canal have been
$ sold by the General Government, 1t Is expected
that authority will be given to select other lands
in lieu thereof has been the case in regard Il
similar grants in other States.
e There is no reason to believe that the officer.
: of the General Government will withhold any fa
cilities which the laws will warrant, for the ad
lustment of this matter, manner satisfactory
to the State 1t will doubtless accord well with
' their views and feelings, that the Government
: should thus be able to aid by method free from
:, all constitutional objections, in the accomplish
; mcnt Of this great national work.
e Poor old Blrgoyne, from his experience in A
r merica, had occasion, we believe, to encounte
frequently such re!,uffs the following:
During the American war, whilst Col. Burgoynt
commanded at Cork, he saw a corpalent soldier
d among the spectators on parade, whom he address
:, sed. ..Who you, sir? You must be drilled
: twice day to bring down your corpulency. Who
o are you, sr!'' "Plase your HONOR replied Pat
$ II am the skclefoa Of the 5th regiment Of foot
j who have just marched over from America The
S fact was go; for such the carnage Of the dis
astrous that only this fat soldier and Captain
f Webb returned to Europe out Of an entire regi
: mcnt that went to America.
= No NRwsPAPER!-The time is coming whcI
5 the man acso has the means and does not take
t newspaper, will be looked at by his ncighbors a
+ a fish without fn, a without wing, blina
). horse, mole, what you please. Sach an indi
+ vidual might do well enough to live in the name
: of Robinson Crusoc, but he has no excuse fo
: thrusting himself among those who do take news
S papers and are better Informed to gather whatev
i er political or general inselligence they ma,
J. choose to drop for him We know many sucI
: men, and might name them, but we refrain; bu
t, you, gentle reader, point them out yourself
e american Union.