The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-01-02


from tolls steadily increasing The received du
ring the past six years as follows:
1856 ......................... 1915 IS
1851 .................. 9,4O6 "A
1855 lOS4S so
! 1859 1924 81
1860 244tO 90
There will be necessity Of increasing the of tolls in
order provide for the payment of the loan of 1859 On the
contrary, should the business Lake Superior continue TO
increase (as have every believe will the
tolls be reduced i'll few years a nominal sum
During the year 1899 property the value OF nine millions
eight hundred and cigtyeven thousand four hundred and
four dollars passed through the Canal appears by nven
tory aud appraisal of the Superintendent
MsKfGoN
The Legislature 1851 passed provide for the
improvement of navigation the sand flats of the Muskegon
River" and appropriate, f that purpose fifty thousand dol
lars be paid from the Internal Improvement Fund 9" this
State" The appoints three Commissioners 'to contract
the best terms for the construction Of all work necessary
for the said drainage and the best Improvement o Nai vcr
for the purpose of CATION and the sand flats
price exceed the by this appropriated
The Commissioners Thus appointed the 18th OF August 1897
into with Hon john A. Brooks of Newaygo
to making the improvements contemplated by the act This
contract upon the 2Sti of September following duly
approved by immediate predecessor The sixth section Of the
act declares that shall b" made account OF SAID
works. any of them until the said drainage and the canal
Tor channel the said flats, and all works connected
with usefulness thereof completed
the satisfaction of the said Commissioners and approved by the
Governor and accordance with the OF the contract to
be made pursuance of this act The eighth section also
mined 10y said Commissioners and approved by the Governor
In the month OF November 1859 the request of the con
tractor accompanied the commissioners and the engineer
Judge Amy, Of Grand Rapids examine the work with
certifying completion accordance with the act
We passed steamboat and down the and through
the channel made 10y The the said flats without
Inconvenience and found the work at that time completed with
the exception closing the channels leading off from
the and above the works which understood would
be done Il days did deem the closing Of these
channels material or necessary efficiency of the work
ft,.
ticate untithese channels should be closed according its
terms,
again VISITED the work in the past summer
with two of liz. commissioners for the purpose Of examining It.
These channels had been closed since previous visit (and
the commissioners informed me shortly thereafter but not
as thorough manner as liz, contract require
declined make the certificate Subsequently, and
the third day October 1860 assignee the
presented the which endorsed the
cate Of two Of the commissioners in substance and TO the Of
feet they had them recently examined the improvements
made under said and that its terms had been complied
with the part of the contractor then endorsed the
my approval the suciency of the The
makes the appropriation from the internal Improvement fund
of this State and declares that money shall be drawn from
the general fund in the Treasury Of this State for this purpose
growing of this Improvement except herein other
wise provided The contemp that the internal i'm
provencit fund of this State is exhausted If
haused the time Of the passage OF the law then there
nothing appropriate from part the duty the
Executive determine this question, but | respectfully call
your attention the subject that Justice be done the
premises
The the last Legislature providing the drainage
aud reclamation Of Swamp Lands by of Roads and
bitches has been the OF drawing attention the north
portion Of State and opening settlement portion OF
the country that before almost inaccessible Immediately
after the passage of the law and the appointment of commits
sloners under IT, designated the places Of meeting for the
respective boards Of commissioners preparatory their casting
for the Of office be held by each contemplated
by tie and directed them proceed Immediately make
the survey and location of their respective roads ID
If III
said roads and distributed them under the directions
Of the Board of State Officers, provided for i'll the
fifty thousand dollars for the eighteen hundred and fifty
and thousand dollars for the eighteen
hundred and sixty The following table shows the length Of
EACH road surveyed the number of miles under contract the
lumhe of miles contracted and the average per mile
Alegan Muskegon and Traverse Bay $50 Miles
Newaygo and Nortipor ..................... l25
onia Iioughton Lake and Macknac .... 2l25 IL