, 1862-02-28


Cost of repairs and collection -
Total s1,s0a,ooo 1sSsSS s;s %S
Up to this time, the completion Of the work,
the boats will be moved as at present by
horsepower After the completion steam will
be substituted for horsepower, aud beats Of
five estimate the revenues hereafter at only
onc-third the amount Of those on the Eric
Canal, only 81 miles longer, VIC shall hare
81, zoe, eco yearly. Whatever the amount may
be, there can be no doubt that it will for rmany
years Increase in ratio corrcspo ponding to the
increase Of population, productiycncss and
commerce in the Western States.
We have supposed that i've years would DC
taken to complete the work The shortest
time IN which it could be done, if commenced
at its different divisions, without extra cost, is
three years and il it should be desirable, from
any cause TO finish it in this time, the current
two years Of revenues which VIC have estin1a-
ted for would have to be provided from other
sources.
1t may be proper here to say that the esti-
| plans Of 60 conducting the work as not to In
| terrupt the navigation OF the canal or riTcr-
| That this is practicable will be apparent when
| it is known that the earth cxeaV:ated will be
g, done by steam dredges during the season Of
navigation, the rock excavation in the winter,
the new locks built outside Of the old ones.
| We have assumed in tltls estimate that the
| State Of Illinois will provide for the payment
| Of the present registered canal bonds, amount
| ing to about s., Coz, GOO, on which she is now
paying the interest, and to the payment of the
principal Of which tie canal tolls, over what
is required for repairs and other expenses, are
applied. Tie great interest which the people
of the State have in the work justiiies the be-
| lief that she will readily make provisions for
doing this.
In order to answer an objection which might
suggest itself to those interested directly in
the navigation of the Illinois river AGAINST the
levying tolls Oh its commerce, it may be sta.
ted that such IS the difference in the cost OF
transportation between high and low water
that the proposed Improvement would reduce
it, with the tolls added during nearly the en-,
tire season, about 20 per cent. below the pres.
ent rates.
That no doubt may remain on this point, We
present the following statement OF the depth
t Of water on tue bars in the upper portion o'
the river in each month Of navigation for tho
year 1850:
In March, 6 feet inches; in April, 8 feet
inches; in May, 2 feet { inches; in June,
foot IL inches; in July, 2 feet 5 inches il
August, 2feet; in September, foot'5 inches
in October, l foot inches; in November,
feet inches
. It will be seen that during only one full
| month was there sufficient water to allow ftet
passage to large sized boats, while for sever
months remaining it WAS reduced to stag
admitting Only those Of the smaller size O.
none Whateyer. The usual cost Of transporta
tion Of q bushcl Of grain from this river 4
high water. is five cents, at low stage Of waite
eight to ten cents.
We do not propose to enter into minute ca!
culations il Eegard to the prospective rcye
, nues wbiclf the work would yield, taken com
| 1,nr.. r..+iynfv fhaV fn1Gf uacnSaifr Iva in
1 | great measure speculative No similar worl
l | Las, as far as We arc aware, ever been under
taken, the Eric canal being as yetoaly use
t | {eScept TO Il limited cxtcpt} for horsepower
5 while this is calculated to admit Of steamboat
of from SEQ to ], eco tons burden, tic cost c
transportation by which is ouly one-third tha
Z by horsepower in boats of 40 tons. Th
l Erie canal is three hundred and fifty-two mile
t in length, and has seost sc, ,000 ,00o; this in
0 proycment is tlree hundred and sixteen milo
. ter millions, On scale which for capacity an
eolidity is unrivalcd. The tolls on The Er
canal for 1861 were about Sc, SOC, ,000-sutiicie1
to pay the interest on its cost at six per cen
ard leave an excess of 81 400, ,oD.
e If it he said that the circumstances Of tt
- two works are different, this is granted; br
they are perhaps more favorable to the westeI
tlan the eastern works. The article to b
transported by it are generally bulky au
which cannot bear high charges, and wilt tlcr
railroad freight.
The junction of tue Mississippi aud IL
Il lakes seems fully to rival in importance that
Tie lakes will, the Eudson.
But while prudential calculations cannot
altoscthcr lost sight OF, this work commune
Itself 10 the higher ground Of national yalu
II the State Of New ofk had never receive
a dollar from the Eric Canal above tie cost
attendance and expenses, she would still hi'
a, been the gainer in wealth and power BY
:" construction. If the general Governme
~ had, as was at one time proposed, undert:k,
it, it would have been fully justified By the
10 suits.
~ As 70 doubt can be entertained as to the val
Of and national character Of the western work,
IL performance may he urged on the sat
nd Eric canal Among the most certain and /
iii portant results Of its construction is the
IN crease in value Of taxable property over
& whole region affected By its commerce.
er many parts Of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, q
Sa Minnesota, corn is burned for fuel or allow
~ to rot in the fields for want Of cheap tran5p
H. tation to market The price per bushc1 is,
these points, not above from six to ten cen
Eot yielding to tho prodncerany surplus abo
the means Of supply ing the necessaries Of Il
The opening OF this steamboat caua1 viii,
many localities, double the price Of grain, q
affect ina proportiouatc degree the price
land, and afford tie people the meaus OF p
ing those taxes SO necessary for the support
40 the Government in future.
Then, again, We nli.ht refer to the effects
the building Of the Eric canal IS an index
What may be expected from this. Althou
tie means Of transportation Ey the present
| nal ard BY Isi1road arc now considerable. tt
arc often insufficient to carry OF the prod'
zoe Of the country without delay, and US q cor
Queuce. high fTeigh1s rule But rs the po
latiou Of tie States We 11ayc nau1ed is doua
every ten years, NC must expect that tils
5cuty will, unless rcmcded, increase fr
year to yesr, checking production and Eeta
ing the Advancement OF the country. CT
SIS is tie productlyencEs Of these States,
Il more than one acre in ten Of their arab!e In
600 and ir some, as Minnesota, not one in h
drcd, is as ret under cultivation, and the I
W. in use is lot cultivated in 4 manner to dc
44t op its full capacity OF iPTuduciion, SO TINT
;Tel may confidently expect that, Il properly
lt2e 1cfe6, !ne pfodnct1seness u luls ies'oa
ycr more than Keep pace with the increase Of T
sis u1nticn.
Il . railroad to the Pacific ocean shou!t
constructed, this canal would form 1iDl
the Chain Of communication by water Il
100 New York to some point on the Misst
river where Paciic railroad would terniu
thus reducing the cost Of transportation
,.c many articles over onc-half the distance.
''s's In conclusion, we may repeat, that #he'
an considered il q military, naval, coma1ert
;'Ss4 or political inspect, it is in every respect
1000 tional in its character, and deserving the
( III Of this Government.
1ent le euhsI uctiun "ouau oI etiaa ..at-;nt
;, be n tnaea E,uo,.o and iova1 ,+,en ~ +ha M
up a+ go -. ~; ao.,t ~. cana5 !;
TOD opening the Mississippi to our boats, an
h'111 sconquering pcace'' for the nation
iual NsS En ah1 IT. ~. Stss ~
de. and in case Of foreign var cheap inland
,ras. WY fer the cotton Of the South.
~ To New York and Pennsylvania. ne" c
= IF merce to their chief Cities more business
ton tneir PUBIC WORKS. anu tne1elofe iae1e
~. To the northwest it will cheaper the
and ducts of the rice and sugar fields Of the SO
Wse ard give reliable outlet to the product
- tf,aft finICis fot1es.s md 1niales