The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-04-18
REPORT IN THE SENATE OF THE
UNITED STATES.

the Legislature of Indiana, and also sun
dry memorials, praying for a grant of
certain O the public lands, to aid in the
further extension and completion of the
Wabash and Erie canal, ask leape to- re-
port:
That they have considered, as fully as a
proper regard to other and numerous sub
jects committed to them would seem to per-
init, the scope and objects of those memoir
ais. The purpose of connecting the lakes
with the Ohio river at or near the points
mentioned, by canal navigation, for the ac-
complishment of which further aid is by
those documents invoked, is one of great and
general interest. Many years ago, the open
ing of such q communication was deemed
worthy of the attention of Congress; and, on
the End of March, 1927, an act was passed
granting every alternate section, in a strip
: along its course ten miles in width, that the
avails of the grant might be applied in the
construction of a canal from the Miami bay
to a point on the Wabash. That point has
subsequently, been established at Terre
Haute, in the county of Vigo, in the State Of
Indiana. But a work ofso great magnitude,
in the charge of a State, restricted in its Pc
cuniary resources, to progress safely, must
progress slouly. It was not until during the
last spring that the canal from IFS northern
terminus in the Maumee bay of Lake
Erie, to Lafayette, in the county of Tippe-
canoe, was first opened for public use. The
distance thus completed is reputed to be
two hundred and fifteen miles. From La
fayette TO Terre Haute, its present point of
ferminatson-a distance of ninety miles
the work appears to have been partially
completed: and for the whole distance to
the latter point to have sheen placed under
contract.n (See letter of Hon. MIR. White,
appended hereto.)
Towards the accomplishment of what has
been done, your committee have no reason
to doubt but that the State authorities OF 4
diana faithfully and diligently applied the
means placed in their control by the several
acts of Congress referred to by the memoir
alists. And the influences of the work, SO
far as completed, upon The general prosperi-
ty- of the fertile regions throag h whichit pass
ed, were Immediately, and even by a%nticipa-
ton, felt. The value of all real estate
throughout the country was enhanced; its
population greatly and rapidly increased
its agricultural industry, too, was great
Iy promoted, because better rewarded
and that commerce betireen the States, which
is placed by the Constitution under the fos-
terine care of the General Government, was
facilitated and augmented Thus far, then,
the expectations of the most sanguine seem
to have been realized. Nevertheless, the
work. when it shall nave been entirely COM
pleted as far as Terre Haute, will still have
fallen short of the attainment of all the OBJ
iects had in view by Congress. 1t will have
advanced greatly the prosperity o fthe coup
try through which it passes; II will have add
ed gre atty to the value of the public land:
which may remain yet the property of the
nation; but it will not have attained, TO the
full extent of which it is susceptible, the
character of a national work, until it shall
have found its outlet in the Ohio river. LII
extension to Lake Erie fully opens TO i
the commerce ofthe Northern and Eastern
States. Its completion TO the Ohio i've
seems necessary, in order that the com
merce ofthe Southern States, and especial
" of all the States which border upon tn,
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, may in a like
manner find an avenue there.
That a public work like the one under
consideration should have reacted upon tn
country through which it passes, imparting II
the whole of the public domain there an in
creased value more than equal to the previous
estimate of all which may have been grante'
TO aid in its construction, may sufficient
meet the expectations of those who woult
regard the public domain as a source of rev
enue merely. Nor can a doubt be enter
tanned, by any who are at all conversan
with such things, but that precisely such re
suits will always follow from the judiciou
establishment and construction of artrhcia
roads and canals through an unsettled coun
try. In that restricted view, a caution
economy may be satisfied, by so managin
the fund as that, in applying a part, the who'll
shall be rendered more valuable and, b
more certainly and mere raI
idly convertible into money. But it appear
TO your committee very apparent, that til
fathers of the Revolution, the members c
the sold Continental Congress-" in no wis
limited themselves. within SO narrow bounds
those eminent and great men, looked far be
yond mere pecuniary considerations. Wit
the ~sagacity of statesmen and the benevt
lence of Christians, they scdght 10 conteruI
on those who should come after them ia
more permanent benefits than that merely
securing to them a certain fixed supply
money. Their purpose was TO build up an
establish States; States whose people Shout
be equally free, equally intelligent, and equa
ly prosperous and happy with themselves
And such, too, were the purposes OF thos
who consented to cede to the United State
this vast domain, as a reference to the deco
of cession will show. Their work and the