Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-03-04
The ship Canal.


to construct a ship canal for
the passage of armed and naval vessels
from the Mississippi River to Lake Michi-
gan, which has passed to a third reading:
Be IL enacted By the Senate and House Of
Representatives of'tke United States Of Amer
Tea in Congress assembled, That as soon as
the State of Illinois shall by conveyance,
satisfactory to and approved by the Attor-
ney General of the United States, transfer
20 and vest in the United States clear and
unincumbent title to the bed of the Illinois
and Michigan Canal, and the land over
which the same passes. including its banks,
margins, tow2aths, feeders, right of way,
locks, dams, water power structures. ard
all the property, right, title, and interest
of the said State of Illinois of, in, and to
said canal, with the Entertainments and ap.
purtenances thereuuto belonging, or in any
wise appcrtainirg, that William III Swift,
DOW one OF toe trustees OF tho said Illinois
ana Michigan Canal, together with SIX IL
ful ard eXpeIienccd engineer t. the TOpo-
graphical Corps OF the Udi.ei States army
to be designated by the Secretary of War,
aad a citizen Of the State &C Illinois, % be
designated by the President Of the United
States, be appointed commissioners with
authority, under the direction of the Sec
rotary Of War, to Urge the Illinois and
Michigan canal. and tp improve the nayi-
CATION Of the Illinois and Des Piaines Riv-
srs, in such a manner as to furnish . suit
able aud sufficient water communication for
the gunhoats and other naval aud war ves>
seis Of the United States. between Lake
Michigan and the Mississippi River of the
Dimensions aud in the mode hereafter pro-
yidei.
Sac. Q And be IL further enacted, That
the said commissioners shall forthwith
make careful examination and survey of
the said canal and river. and determine
upon q suitable Plan for the improvement,
sfore mentioned, which plan shall provide
for the enlargement Of said canal to Il
width of not less than one hundred aud
sixty feet, with lucks OF not less than three
hundred ard fifty feet in length aud seven.
ty-fiVe feet in width, and for the improve
ment Of said rivers in su oh manner as to
insure u safe ami interrupted water navi-
cation between Lake Michigan and the
Mississippi rive., at all times during the
season of navigation. Of gunboats, steam
boats, naval and war vessels of the United
States, and all other vessels not drawing
over ak feet of water, which plan shall be
submitted to the President Of the United
States for approval.
SEC 3. And he Il further enacted, That
upon the approval by the President IF the
United States of the plan of said improve
ment aforesaid, the said commissioners are
hereby authorized to construct the said i'm
proveWent, according to said plan, under
the direction of the Secretary Of War, and
to prosecute the same to completion with
said dispatch as the nature of the work
and the funds appropriated for that purpose
from time to time by Congress shall per
nit That the sun Of one million icllars
be, and the same are hereby, appropriated
towards the expenses Of said work, which
shall be wholly expended in the improve
ment of the navigation of the said rivers
according to said plan aud, upon the
transfer of the title Of said canal. as pro-
viced in the first section Of this Lill, and
the approval Of plan Of the said improve
ment as aforesaid, the said commissioners
are authorized to draw from time to time
on the treasury of the United States for
the amount hereby appropriated, in such
sums ms shall be required for the prosecr~
ton Of said work, such money to be drawn
in such manner and under such regulations
The sum ~ twenty thousand d, liars be,
snd the same is hereby, appropriated to
defray the expenses of said commission ers'
examination, survey, plat and report, to BIO
drawn by the said commissioners in man
ner aforesaid. And the said commissioners
shall make report annually u the Secre-
tsry OF War on the progress Of said work,
with estimates of the amount which will be
required for the prosecution of the same
during the succeeding year, and the Secre
tary Of WaT shall include the amount so
reported in the estimates for the exrendiL
lures Of the War Department, and the same
shall be provided for in the annual appro-
priations for such department..
SEC. !. And be 1t further enacted, That
the said commissioners shall, under the
direction IF the Secretary of War. have
exclusive control and management Of the
said canal and improvements. and shall
have power % establish all need fui rules
and regulations Cuneeruiug the use aud
navigation thereof, and to fix, alter, aud
modify tho rates or toll uyou said canal and
rivers included IN said Improvement, and
under the direction of the Secretary of
War, 10 employ such agents. engineers,
Surveyors, draughtsmen, collectors, aud
other persons, as they may Judge necessary
for the performance Of the work hereby
committed 10 them. with full power 20 en-
ter upon, appropriate, use, and condemn
sny lands, watrr streams, and material Of
any description necessary for the prosecu-
ton Of the improvement contemplated in
this bill: PrOrided, that when private
property shall be taken for such purpose
the same shall be condemned and ccmpen>
cation made thereof in the manner now
provided by the laws Of the State Of Hi
nOis. And It shall be the duty Of such
commissioners to cause all the work doue
upon said improvements to be let to the
lowest responsible bidder at public lettings
of which sufficient public notice, be adver-
tisement in the public newspapers, shall be
given.
SEC. 5. And be IL further enacted, That
the revenues derived from the said canal
anu river, over and above the expenses of
management, and of repairs and expPnli-
lures thereon, shall be paid into the treas.
ury OF the United States. and a separate
account shall be kept of . :ch receipts, and
she same shall be appropriated as follows
First, for the payment of the interest and
principal expended by the United States
upon the said work !; second, to the paw
ment to the State of Illinois of the entire
amount which was a charge upon the said
canal at the time Of conveyance thereof to
the United States, together with the inter
est thereon, which amount shall be paid to
the treasury of the United States, upon
such vouchers and under such regulations
as the Secretary of the Treasury of the
United States shall direct.
Ssc 6. And be IL further enacted, That
the said commissioners shall receive such
salary, not exceeding three thousand dol
lars per sn1um, as the Secretary of War,
shall, With respect 10 their respective du-
duties anl services, determine Prorided,
That such additional con- pensation only
shall be allowed to the said commissioner
designated from the Typographical Corps
as shall. by the Secretary Of War, be deem
ed proper; an; said commissioners shall