Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-11-09
From the Y. y. HnaId.

From the ". Y. Herald.
On monday, 18th instant, meeting Of
illinois bondholders was held at the Office
OF Jacob Little & Co., for the purpose of
seeking information as to the progress 81
the Illinois canal, as well as to other mat.
tiers pertaining 70 their interests. Elishs
Rigg, ESQ., was called to the chair he
stated the object ofthe meeting, and called
upon Col. Oakley, the State Trustee, for
information as to the condition of the ca
nal works, and his opinion as to the COM
pletion of the same. Colonel Oakley re.
piled that, presuming he would be called
upon, he had reduced to writing such mat.
tiers as he thought might be interesting
TO the bondholders to know, and such as
ne considered it his duty to give. The
Secretary Crhomas Dixon, Ess.,l being
requested, proceeded to read the paper,
which commenced by setting forth various
matters in detail, relating to the canal, in
the course of which much stress was laid
upon the inactivity and want of energy Of
the present chief engineer, and BIZ. delay
in prosecuting the work, and a Tecommen-
dation that he be dismissed. The paper
went on to remark that he (Colanel Oak.
ley) from a sense of duty, was compelled
to speak plainly, and regretted that he was
obliged to complain Of the course pursued
by his colleague, David Leavitt, one Of
the bondhoiders' trustees the want Of
cooperation on his part upon subjects Of
interest 10 the State OF Illinois, and still
further that Mr.. Leavitt in conversation
with Col. Oakley, had stated that he cid
not care a straw for the people Of Illinois,
DC, &c. Mr.. Leavitt hereupon exclaimed
that's a lie, and he knows it. The
reading progressed to the end, when Eli
sha Riggs, Esq, rose and stated to the
meeting that the conversation alluded TO
by Col. Oakley, took place in bis pres.
ence, and that the observation which Mr..
Leavitt pronounced lie, was made BY
Mr.. Leavitt to him while in company with
Col. Oakley and several other gentlemen;
that il made such an impression upon him,
that he repeated it to f:iend,as strange
remark for Mr.. Leavitt to make. AfieE
the reading was terminated the subject
of the charges was referred TO by the
trustees, and a resolution was then intro
duced by Dudley Selden, Esq, that The
trustees (Swift, Oakley and Leavitt) sho'd
make an immediate examination Of the
canal and the works, and make public
report as to the condition thereof, and thsiF
opinion, from actual observation, az TO the
time of completion of the canal. The
strangest part of the whole affair, howev-
er, was the refusal of Mr.. Leavitt's friends
to listen 10 the testimony of Capt Kenne.
dy, who was a contractor on the lllinoia
Canal and an engineer, and who was
abundantly able 10 give Information that
could be relied on, respecting the evils
existing on the line of the canal, from per-
sonal observation. When Mr.. Kennedy
was called upon to say what he knew Of
the condition of things in Illinois, one Of
Mr.. Leavitt's friends moved an adjourn
ment, and the meeting broke up without
taking the question, and the object of the
meeting. to wit, information, was defeated
the very person most competent to give
correct account of the true state Of things
in Illinois being refused hearing, and
this was more particularly outrageous
when it is known that Capt. Kennedy was
one of the largest, if not the very largest,
bondholder in the room. The bondhold-
ers who appointed the present trustees
have it in their power to effect change
in the management ofthe canal fund. Now
the State trustee does all the work, while
the two trustees who reside here get
double the salary, and seem to know but
little how the work progresses, or of tho
| difficulties which the contractors and
workmen labor under.
We must not omit to mention, that Judge
Douglass, the United States Senator from
Illinois, who was present by invitation,
addressed the meeting at some length, and
assured the bondholders that the State
of Illinois would pay every dollar Of her
debt, principal and inter.;that such thiag
as reputation was now never heard or
thought of in the State--that no candidate
for any Office, however humble, who did
not go for paying their debts, could have
the smallest chance OF success. He had
been much among the taxpayers in the
State, and the feeling was unanimous to
pay. This is gratifying news for the
bondholders, coming as il does from one
of the leading men in the State. .-,-l
DEATH OF CAPT. BILL.-Wel gather
the following facts from Private Butler,