Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-12-14
GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
CONCLUDED from first paee.)

tho Mercer county reservoir, embracing IN
all, about eighty separate sections. The
pnces for this work, taking into considera-
tion the high prices of provisions and labor,
are said to be low. On the first of January
1889, there was put under contract eighteen
sections more, which extend twelve miles
north Of st. Marys, at prices varying but lit.
tie from the former contracts. The pro.
gress Of the work on this improvement has
not been as rapid as was expected, owing in
some measure to :he high prices of pro-
visions and labor, but mainly to the want oi
sufficient funds to make punctual and full
payments to contractors. The contracts on
the line extending from Piqua to st. Ma
rys, including the Sidney feeder, expire on
the first Of May, 1910; those north Of st.
Mary's including the reservoir embank-
ments, on the first of May, 1s41; but owing
to the causes before mentioned the whole
line will not be completed before the first of
May, 1342, aid unless the necessary funds
should soon be obtained, the completion
will be delayed even beyond that time.
The Western Reserve and Maumee road,
between, ,Perrysburg and Lower San6usky,
distance of thirty miles, is graded and
bridged; and fifteen miles between Perrys-
ourg and Portage river are completed by
beng McAdamized.
The Wabash and Erie canal has all been
put under contracts to be completed by the
first Of October. 1910. 1t is not expected,
however, that this work will be entirely fin
ished at that time; but it is presu med it will
be fully completed during the summer Of
ls4I. Most of the line, except the lockage
from Manhattan to the head of the Maumee
rapids, a distance of thirty miles, is now
completed, and it is expected that the wa
ter will be let in the canal early next sea-
son, from the rapids to point below Mau-
NEE City, distance of about twenty miles.
This is one ofthe most important improve
ments in the state, and | have no doubt,
when once completed will yield a revenue
more than sufficient to pay the interest on
the cost Of construction. 1t opens a d.
rect communication between Manhattan, on
the Mauinee bay, and the navigable waters
ofthe Wabash river, and passes through a
country Of unsurpassed fertility. Welare
under obligations to the state of Indiana to
construct this work at as carly day as prac-
ticable, and il is to be hoped that nothing
will occur to retard its speedy completion.
In pursuance of the act entitled "an act
relating to the management and sale Of
certain canal lands of the state of Ohio"
passed March 10th, 1888, l appointed in
January last, special agent to proceed to
Washington city to settle and adjust all
claims of this state growing out of the
general grants of lands made by the United
States to the State of Ohio for canal pur.
poses, and the grant of land to the state o
Indiana, afterwards ceded to Ohio, to aid
in the construction of the Wabash and
Erie canal within the limits of Ohio. The
special agent was further authorized to pro
cure from the General Land Office patents
for, or written certificates, with the proper
official seal thereto affixed, OF all title to the
lands which the state of Ohio may have Sc.
lected under said grants. The great press
OF business during the session of Congress
prevented the action Of the constituted au-
thorities at Washington, on our claim for
an additional quantity of land under the
Wabash and Erie canal grant, and the si,s-
cial agent was compelled to return without
having effected this part of his mission.
Written certificates Of title to all lands
which the state of Ohio has selected under
the various cunal grants were in progress
of preparation OF the General Land Office
when the special agent left the city. They
will, / presume, be shortly, if they are moi
already completed. When received they,
should be carefully recorded in some of the
public Offices, and provision should be made
by law making authenticated copies evi-
denees as to title.
Having been strongly impressed with the
justice as well as legality of the claim bro t
forward b. my predecessor, for an addition
al quantity of land under the Wabash and
Erie canal grant, and also the claim for a
further quantity of land under the Miami
canal grant, and being desirous to bring
these claims to fiEal close, communca-
ted to the President through the Commis-
sioner Of the General Land Office, at an
early period, the full extent of our claims
under each grant, with such reasons and
arguments in their support as seemed to me
proper. have understood that this COM
municatlon has been referred to the Attor-
ney General of the United States for his
legal opinion on the questions therein pre-
sented. l have not been advised, however,
Of his decision, but hope to be able to COM
municate to your honorable body, before the
close Of this session, the final decision of
the authorities of the General Government,
as to the validity of our claims under each
of the above named canal grants. The lar
gest additional quantity of land claimed by
Ohio under the Wabash and Erie canal
grant, is about ffty-one Thousand, two hun
dred and seven.y-seven acres. The unset
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