Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-02-14

carrying into effect an act OF Congress
granting section Of land for the I'M
provement of Grant river, at the town
( of Potosi, in Wisconsin Territory, APP
proved June S, 1874 !; together with
the report and estimate of the engineer
employed to survey and estimate the
contemplated improvement and also
the memorial to Congress on the same
subject, which has passed the Council !,
submit the following
REPORT:
1t appears from the report of the
commissioners, that they have caused
the section of land granted by the said
act of Congress to be surveyed and laid
out into lots and sold according to the
provisions of the said act of the legis-
lative assembly. 1t also appears from
the said report, that Robert Temple
ton. who was appointed by the act of
the legislative assembly, receiver Of
the money arising from the sale Of the
said lots, declined to qualify as such
according to the provisions of the act.
and that the said commissioners, by
virtue Of Horsepower vested in them,
appointed Joel Allen Barber as re-
ceiver in his place, who gave the bond
and took the oath required by law.
The aggregate amount of the sales
oil the said lots as shown from the doe
uments referred TO the committee. is
four thousand one hundred and thirty
dollars and sixty-iour cents. The re-
ceivcr's report gives detailed state
ment of the expenses incurred ia the
survey and sale of the said section, and
in the surrey and estimate of the.im-
provement contemplated by the act of
Congress. The aggregate of all these
expenses amounts TO the sum OF one
thousand three hundred and fifty dol
lars and forty cents. and the receivers
commission on receipts and disburse-
ments as fixed by law amounts to the
sum Of ffty-iour dollars and eighty-one
cents; which leaves nett sum now in
tie hands of the receiver of two thou
sand seven hundred and thirty-6ve dol
lars and forty-three cents, to be applied
10 the improvement contemplated by
the act of Congress.
For The purpose of ascertaining the
best and most practicable mode of
making the Improvement for which
the section of land was granted by the
general government, and the probable
cost Of the work, the commissioners
employed the engineer experimenting
the improvement &C the harbor at Du
Buque, to make the necessary survey
aud estimates of the proposed work
whose report accompanies the report
Of tue commissioners. The engineer,
after an examination of the Mississippi
and Grant rivers, and the different
channels connecting them together,
and distractions which impede the
navigation to the harbor at Potosi, is
of opinion, that the only practicable
and certain mode of permanently i'm
proving the Grant river and harbor at
Potosi, is to cnt canal from Grant
river across the island to the main
channel of the Mississippi. In this
opinion of the engineer the committee
concur. If the proposed canal shall
be opened. the fall Of water from the
main channel of the Mississippi to
Grant river at the Potosi landing, will
create current sufficient to keep the
canal open. and will also greatly tend
to the improvement of the navigation
below the landing.
Although the cost of the proposed
canal greatly exceeds the fund now
available for IFS construction, and may
seem to some to be large sum to APP
ply to such work, yet the committee
are of opinion, that the importance OF
the improvement to the western part
Of the Territory, is of such magnitude
that the work ought TO be undertaken,
and commencement made with the
funds now applicable 10 that purpose.
This sum will be very nearly or quite
sufficient, according to the estimate
that has been made, to pay for the
clearing and grubbing the ground and
making the FIRST course of excavation