Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-04-11

10 YOU, that the route asked for by this bill,
will cost over and above the present loca-
ted route, the sum Of one hundred and sew
enteen thousand dollars, showing to you the
manner of their estimates, when the route
asked for by the bill, is twisted among lakes,
over and along the sides of tremendous
hills, crooked, and one place making an an
Gle of ninety.six degrees say, sir, does
il show that they desired to pass from di.
rect line! acquit them they have showed
n willingness to locate the southern railroad |
on direct line. They arc imPeded, it is
no fault of theirs. They did not form these
hills, and they do hope that this state will |
not attempt to dig them down; let them re-
main, they were created for some wise pur-
nose; will not attempt 10 account for them.
They are summed BY the river, and if that
stream was there when those hills were
formed, il would doubtless say, that when
the earth was first put in motion upon Its
axis, il was not correctly balanced, and these
spare hills were left, and were thrown ln-
Discriminatory upon that rart OF the earth;
forthey are of ali shapes and sizes. Then,
sir, to avoid this country. the located route
angles a, Centrevillc, and takes southern
direction fifteen miles and ahali, over coun-
try almost lead level, passing through
Cons.~ Keeping the margin OF the
= skirting the northwestern border
.econ Prairie the road then crosses
. river at Motlville, and sweeps round
the southern base Of those hills, thence o.
vera beautiful country through the villages
Of Adamsve, Edwardsburgh, Bertrand to
New Buffalo. Time will not allow me to
driiucare Inc great importance OF all the
points between Centreville and New Buffa.
10, nor of Lockport and Cassopolis. They
have been dwelt upon by others upon this
floor. | must be brief, as have two i'm.
portant points 10 discuss before | resume
nv seat; | will therefore pass to that cele.
brated report of that celebrated majority OF
that distinguished committee of both branch
es of this legislature. What does that re-
port say1 What good reason does 1t ad-
duce in support OF this contemplated changed
By careful perusa, am led to the can
did conviction, that it contradcts itself in
every reason which it ass gns. Twill only
take up one, it is their main reason, and
show by its dissection the mournful truth,
that those who wish to see reasons to justi-
fy a wrong act, require but little light; and
those who are determined not 10 see things
as they are, require more light than ever
surrounds the naked truth: that when men,
are determined to do particular thing,
they can conjure up reasons which in their
own biassed judgments are sufficient to JUS
ify their cruel acts. They say, page 9Th,
reason fifth, "Because the water power on
the route recommended is most improved,
and by far tho greatest amount Is to be
found on and near that route"
And what do they showl "That at the
village of Bertrand (page 18th Of the said
report) there is n water power sufficient to
propel one hundred and twenty-five run OF
stones" and on page 8, they say that they
will give to Bertrand power sufficient to
propel one hundred and twenty-five run OF
stones, and that at Niles and its immediate
vicinity, there is power sufficient to pro.
pel five hundred run of stones. And fur
Their, sir, they say---' 1t is the opinion the
committee, that almost every four or five
miles on the river, similar powers to those
spoken of by the engineer at Bertrand and
Niles, may be obtained by dammng the riv.
err" Now, sir, is this true? Let us make
a calculation; from Bertrand to Lockport
is, by the course Of the river, sixty nine
miles; divide this into fourteen sections,
multiply it by the power at Niles, and
what is the result? You find, sir, a water
power sufficient to propcl seven thousand
run of stones Now add to this amount
one.third to be derived from the streams
which empty into that river, within that dis.
lance, and what is the amount? A power
sufficient 10 propel nine thousand three
hundred and thirty.three run Of stones =
Now, if this report be true, and water pow
or be an object, and sufficient reason te
change the location of this road. why TAKE
it from the line OF The river, away from the
water power, and place it among those tire
mendous sand hills ? and if it be not true
why have that committee gone so infinitely
into this calculations, and why did they as
sign it as their main reason They admi
that Bertrand has power sufficient to pro
pel one hundred and twenty -five run o
stones; is not tina. sufficient? will they o
Bertrand ever require morei Has 10
chester, in the State of New York, eve
put in motion in any one time more thai
seventy.wo runs? Ii is in proof she hs
not. Will this great city of Niles, thi
Babylon Of the west, ever improve her fiv'
hundred run, when that celebrated repor
shows that the whole country shakes to it
very centre with its tremendous pressure o
water, dashing and foaming down its Nigh
ty cataracts ? One would think, when h
had read this celebrated fifth reason, the
he stood on the vergeof the Niagara Falls
that he was in sight and hearing of tn
melstrom, the whirlpool of Norway--ths
these halls were Noah's Ark--that il ha
just rested-that the waters were subsdin
THAT they were rushing to the dark cav
erns Of The earth, from which they ha
been broken up--that no place was to b
found for their escape but through the yawr
ing CULTS in the region Of this Babylon {
the west. Sir, the whole report is alike il
consistent with itself, a tissue of contradic
tons. May it not well be asked, why III
great Chicago road was not laid throug
Nilcsi Why was it located at Bertran'
If that place be SO Insignificant Thos
places are about three NILS distant frol
each OTTER, by land, and how can there
such vast differences on the margin of
r;yar navioahle FIR sfeouhoo.s mast boI