The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-08-27
m, canal Lands---rolicy Of Tie state.

The Chicago Democrat states that il is the
determination OF the trustees 10 complete the
canal within the year 1871. SO thai there viii
he no mistake about its being ready for use
early next spring. Without intending TO cx-
PRESS a doubt whether such viii be the case
or not. we wish now 10 bring TO the notice
of those who have the power TO act in the
matter, what we conceive to be of para
mount importance to the interests of the ca
nal and the state.
Assuming, on the statement Of the tr,s-
tees and those Immediately under them.
that the canal will be completed by the LIST
Of January, 1918, then, I'M Ter the present
law, all the canal lands and lots will have to
be in market by the lSt Of March, for the
law requires that they shall be Offered for
sale piiItin three montitS qtief tee comple.1OH
Of the canal. Ifsuch are not precisely the
words of the law, they convey lis meaning,
for the only object Of the Legislature in put
ting of the sale of these lands until aitcrthe
canal should be completed, was to guard
against their being squandcrcd by the tITs-
'eoS oei'ie '''e ''''' '0'i'' " y" VI W.
tanning its proper equivalent for them. In
deed, that such was the object Of the lcgS-
lature. is settled beyond question by an act
P".'e' '' '''e '''' ''''''' y ''l"' "'''7
'Sa''s'ie' '"a' '"''o Wa Nv ,'''''''''I "o''0'
VI 'ie cO'''P'e''o'' VI '' ''"''' "''"'' 'ie pre-
sem arrangements u, '''''"'' "''""'lH-
ou ''i' 'u9''es ~ -" - '','''' ~ ''' ANUS
'i'is i"''' mug '''' ''''"' ''''''' sun "''-
Hii's'''"'
VI '''''''S ~ '''' '',.,' ), :
.''e "''S''.s nav ,''''V' ~ '''''s '''H ''N'
"a" i','o o"o'.' '''' ','' "'pP' ''S'''> 81 'O,''
V oc i IDS ana I,IStie rom m
,rcseut indications If i not cvrn intended
TO be in much of harry 10 ret the lands in
70 mark @, after boraual shall be comple,cd.
The advertisement Of these lands will be the
work of many months. II properly done,
land from the charactcrofthc appraisers APP
pointed we know it will bel every tract o!
land and town lot must be visited and cy-
amined,' and can this be done in time to
bring the lands into narkc. by the first Of
March? The appraisers were appointed
months ago. but have not vet gone 10 work,
and what is worse, we see no sign even
that they intend soou to begin.
Now the true policy of the state and the
canal in reference TO these lands is too OBJ
vious TO need calculation. Their sale and
improvement at the earliest practical period
is so clearly demanded by the best interests
of both, that argument on the subject il al
most supcriluous. The evils resulting from
the iron grasp Of the state on the lands in
question are perceptiblc on the whole line
Of canal. Let the reader but refer to our
own town and the country around it. No
town in the state with the same natural and
artificial advantages this place possesses.
has so many inferior buildings scattered over
its whole plat. or is surrounded by so few
well improved farms. The towns north Of
MS, without half our advantages. are far
ahead of us in substantial improvements.
They are built up by large houses and are
surrounded BY well improved farms. and
flourishing manufactures. The true cause
of this difference is very simple. Half the
lots in Ottawa and the lands in the vicinity
are owned by the state, and no man will
venture to put good building upon them,
or make expensive improvements for farm
ing purposes, for fear he may eventually lose
his title. Thus has our prosperity been re-
tarded, and that of the whole canal region.
/. ana the state has lost half a much AS all
the land is worth in revenue that would
have accrued ifthc lands had been mad,
taxable and improved We will even ven
,ure the assertion that il ten years ago the
state had given away half these lands to nc
tual settlers, she would now be better of
than she is BY having kent them.
But it will be of little avail in correcting
these evils if the lands are sold in such q
way that they will pass into the hands OF
spectators. This would augment rattle,