The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-10

The many rumors that hal got aloat in rclc.
renee to oxiavagancc On the canal, and the frc-
qucn: calls that have been made through the papers
for information on the sui jec,, have q, length
brought out a long statement from Gen. FRy,
which is published in the Chicago Advocate of
"Wednesday. We have no, time or room nj this
late hour, to publish the whole of this statement,
norris is necessary as all the essential information
il embraces can be given in much shorter space.
1t appears to be inlended as reply to the article
of The New York Morning News which was CO.
pied in the Free Trader of the 19h ult.
In reply TO the statement Of the News that all
the old contractors, wing to a man. had been TAX.
On back on the canal, Gen. Fry states tina, these
contractors wefe rak'n hack because they had
pec-emptions 10 their jobs, and the board could
not refuse them ii they bad wished hu, so far
from their being wings to man, "a very great
majority of them ATE democrats"
The Generals reply to the charge that the ,rus-
tees had voted themselves salary of 5000 each
We will give in his own words
ut SupJttl W tue SNldGifs NJ lfustpCS was
once talked over Ivy the memhers Of the board of
trustees, aud Mr.. Lcavt IN | Capt. swift inform.
ed me that they had made an arrangement with
the bondholders, before they would consen, 10
act rs trustees, that they should receive $1,000
each per annua, and they were willing to vote to
the state trustee salary Of equal amount sta
ted tina, could Mt consent, ON the part of the
state, to the payment of large salaries, that the
people would be, and ought to be, unwilling TO
pay that amount and that, for mys,lf, / would
not receive that sum.
"Mr Lcavtt and Capt. Swift then consulted
together the subject, and voted to me, as the re-
sidcnt trustee, salary of - 8 . per aunum, and
was the only trustee whose salary was voted
upon, OF in any manner fixed and determined by
the board"
We have two remarks TO make, en- PEASANT, on
this explanation; and the first is, that it would
have been much more satisfactory if the Gen. had
informed US out Of whose pockets these $4,000
each "srrangcd" to be paid to Mr.. Lcavlt and
Capt. Swift are to come If the bondholders in.
tend 10 bear this expense themselves. they are en-
titled to tho gratitude of the people Of Illinois, and
deserve to have il said TO their credi, but il it is
intended to deduct this exoritant charge out Of
the canal fund, then we contend TINT the nccusa-
ton brought against the board is substantially
made out The-socond remark we have to make
is, that although Gen. Fry may have shown an
Immense dcaof patriotism in refusing to accept a
salsry Of 5000, our decided impression is tina, lie
has still accepted 500 year more than the law
allows him. The trustees, we believe, take the
place Of the old cana! board, whose salaries were
fixed at sls25 by Inv, AMI we have yet to learn
when aud where the law was ~ altered as to give
The trustees power to fix their own salaries.
The charge tina, one Of the trustees hau required
pay for an unauthorized visit TO Europe, anu in
addition commission of . per cent. on the ncgo-
iiati n Of the whole loan, is thus noticed by
Gen. Fly:
''No action Of the board was ever had upon
any claim Of one Of the trustees for visit to Eu-
rope, or for commissions for negotiating the oun
Whether any such allowance will ever be made,
] know not, but one thing do know, and ,hui il,
that none Of the citizens Of Illinois had complct
ed the ncgotiun, AZ tho article [of the News
states, before the "inisrfyrenee" Of air. Leaviu."
-" 4IVt ohsJ ucuN-
ing the charge of the News tina, the pay and
commission in question were required" by one
of the trustees, bu, almost leaving the inference
the the Gen. would not object to allowing the dc.
mend. Taken in connection with the laborcd at
tempt, in the beginning Of Gen. Fry's communi.
catien, to prove that Mr.. Leayi,t is entitled to all
the crcji, for negotiating the loan, is paragraph
certainly has an awful squirting WwM
The General denies utterly that the section of
The canal next to lake Michigan will be delayed
sin The hope Of obtaining 50 100000 from the fe.
dc roi government" but says the whole line hos
been vi under contract, and is In rapid pr"sre'r.
To enable the people to judge of'ihe e1trasa'
eancc If the trustees in the number and pay Of
the officers they have employed on the canal, and
that They may make comparison with the ex'
psnses whilo the state managed the work, the
Gen. gives tabular statement Of The officers y
l,sis saissics sRdei hos
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