Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-01-27
MADISON CORRESPONDENCE.
MADISON, Jan. I6:h, 1916.

ginuing 10 enpross tho attention Of the LIE.
eisIa,ura; Mr.. Kilbourn of Milwaukee in
troduced bill into the House Of Repre-
sentatives few days since, ''to authorize
further sale of the Canal lands, and to pro-
vide for final settlement with the Milwau-
kie and Rock River Canal Company" As
this is subject in which the people Of tho
Territory are vitality interested, involving az
it does the pecuniary liability of the Terri-
tory, much solicitudc will be felt for the re-
suit. 1t is impossible to give in a short
space, any thing like full and Ineligible
history of the affairs pertaining to the canal
Company. The whole subject is involved
in such interminabls lsbyrin,hs, that it is
d. fficult 10 present it Understandings with
out extended detail.
The Milwaukee and Rock River Canal
Company was incorporated by an act Of the
Legislative Assembly of this Territory at
session Of 1878, with authority 10 con.
struct a Canal from Milwaukee 10 Rock
River. In June 1853, Congress passed an
act granting 1873, 600 acres of land 10 Wis
cousin, fo- the purpose of aiding the con-
s,ructlon of the aforesaid canal This act
granted to the Territory the odd numbered
and required that the lands SO granted,
should not be sold for less than two dollars
and fifty cents per acre: the alternate Sec
tons which remained the property Of the
| United States, were also not to be sold for
less than two dollars and fifty cents per
acre. The 9th section Of the act Of Con-
gress, will enable your readers TO judge ss
the responsible relations which the Ferrito-
ry sustans; it reads as follows: That tho
said state Of Wisconsin shall be held res
ponsible to the United States, and for tho
payment into the Treasury thereof, of the
amount of all the monies received upon the
sale of The whole or any part of said land,
at the price at which the same shall! be sold
no, l,ss than two dollars and fifty cents per
acre, if the main canal shall not be COM
menced within three years, and completed
within ten years. pursuant TO the provisions
Of the act creating SAID canal corporation"
The canal project is abandoned, at least,
no one expects it to be constructed during
the present generation.-Of the number Of
acres of land granted by Congress for tho
construction of the canal, over forty thou
sand acres have been sold, amounting TO
over $lC0, 900; Of this sum however, soma
zen or twelve thousand dollars only have
been received in cash by the canal compa-
ny; the lands being sold on a credit, ten
per cent being required in cash at the time
Of sale, the residue TO be paid in install
menIs: and secured to the company on bond
AMI mortgage with interest. In consequence
of the peculiar hardshps complained of by
the settler on the canal lands, the legisa.
tuTe have annually RENTED tho interest due
on the lands.
The canal company have expended ac-
cording TO their own statement between ff-
ty and sixty thousand dollars, for salaries of
officers. travelling expenses, engineering,
contracts for work performed, &c. &c. For
all this expenditure they have nothing in a
tangible shape TO show, except the water
power at NJ .lwaukie, which has been erect
Ell by constructing some mile or so of CT
nal. The value of this water power has
been varlously esimated-$2 5000 is pro.
badly its fair value.
In addition TO the avails which the Com
pany have received from tho salo Of can,l
lands, they have been aided TO large ex
tent by the Territory. In February l5a9,
the Legislature Of the Territory authorized
the issuing of Territorial Bonds to the
amount OF $4,000, TO aid in the construc-
ton of the canal; only about one fifth of
this amount was ever negotiated on the
bonds. and there is now outstanding some
eight or ten thousand dollars obtained in
some of the eastern cities on the aforemen-
toned bonds, which must be paid by the
company or the Territory.
Agreeably TO the bill introduced by Mr..
kllbourn in the House, the canal company
propose TO sell out The whole concern 10
the Territory for the sum of $4,000. As
before remarked the property created by the
Company, probably does not exceed in val
ne So, 0O9-bencs it will be perceived
that such bargain is not a desirable one
for the Ter tory. But this is not all; were
the Territory to purchase the property, il
is probable it would nevor derive a single
dollar. advantage from it; the salaries of
agents and officers, would more than con-
sumo Tie ayails arising from the property.
Although the canal company have expcnd,
ed nearly 100000. yet it will be seen from,
the report of committee made to the Ls-
gIslatlve Assembly last winter, that nearly
S2o,oIo OF this amount of expenditure has
been for salaries Of lis Presidents, Agents,
Engineers, Clerks, Registers, Commissions,
Receivers, &c. &C.
The majority of the Legislature are not
disposed to favour this proposition of the
Canal Company the bill met with an indif.
ierent reception in the House, and will
doubtless be rejected in that body by large
majority. 1t is said, however, that in The
event of the rejection of the bill now under
consideration, another will be submitted of
different character. l. is doubtful whc,h-
er any settlement, of this question will be
effected during the present session, although
It's ad Iusiment is extremely desirable, ys.
II is involved in so many difficulties that
any arrangement for the present is. atogeh-
er improbable. d.
MADISON, Jan. 2O:h 1916.
Mr.. Saolcs: Bat few bills have yet passed
both houses of the legislature; a great num-
Der Of bills are however in progress, both
| of a general AMI local character Tn