, 1862-04-29
ENLARGEMENT OF ERIE CANAL.
How to Get Gunboats to the Lakes.
Favorable Action Of the New York
Legislature.

Favorable Action Of the New York |
Legislature.
We published come days since an able re- |
port submitted to the New York Legislature
upon the enlargement OF: Erie Cana, so that |
gunboats may be passed through 1t to the |
lakes. As this is matter in which the West |
has the deepest interest, We append the act |
which passed both branches Of that Legisla=
tu1e almost unanimously, on the 22d inst |
The doverner was especially requested by
joint. resolution to take all necessary and
proper measures to invite the attention Of the;
general Government to the importance Of the
work in question to the national interests.
The act giyes5the full consent Of the State,
and provides all necessary details. It Is now
lett to Congress to decide whether they viii
do anything in the matter. ri.
~ Acr. to adapt ne Canals Of this state to the ::
Uefence Of the Northern and North Wester7 Lakes.
The People Of the State Of New York, represen-
ted in Senate and assembly, do enact as folloxs:
ted States shall provide ths means, either IN cash
or their El1 per cent stock Or bonds, reaeenablc
within t"enty years, for defra51ng the cost Of en-
tona tier In whole Of tn part upon the Erie and the
oswego canals, including any necessary alt ration
Of said canals Or their structures size sufficient
to pass vessels adequate to the defence Of the
northern and northwestern lakes, the Canal Board
shall without de1ay, put such work under contract,
IN hs ana 5eq9rsd By w es
period, without serious interrupt n to navigation,
With power, In the discretion 0f the Canal board,
to direct the construction Of new and Independent
locke, when found more advantageous.
The said Canal Board shall, whenever the Gov
ernment Of the United States shall provided the
saaf as ato5sead construct eana ot she Eeqni
at OF near the villags Of Clyde, to some proper
point on the Great Sodus Bay, Or Lake Ontario
lied IN ike msnner toe to enlarge lie chsnpiasn % "a
ma, and Its locks and other structures, toa size
sntnclent to pass vessels oi Ike capacity, IN case
manner proridethe mems required for that pur-
pose.
SEC s. The dimension. and character of all the
work herein aboye mentioned shall be determined
by the Canal Board subject to the examination
and concurrence Of the War Department Of the
Government Of the United statee. Contracts for
PEI cent C. stock md bonds q The Gnited states ate II
the Commissioners Of the Canal Fund EhA11 20
elect.
sEc. 4.5onc completing the said work, on either
Of the said canals the Government Of the United
States shall have the perpetual right Of passage
III or cGaee M qeesss Soas
gunboats, transports, troops, supplies or NUM-
lions Of war, subject to the general regulations
DJ 3QE GlAtc Hull i1UE u t&uE 1QT the
navigation OF it's canals.
SEC. s. Any moners or other means which
may be received from The Government Of the
By appropriated e Be- W expended for he purposes @
here1naboye mentioned.
SEC 9. Bpt nothing in this act contained shall
o. abty d1eey of Indirectly, on he pa pat so ot
money NO q the state ofNew York for lie purposes e
! specified In this act.
| Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, to whom more
than to any other man is due the honor Of
this success, writes to the New York Tribune
! In relation to it:
| 1t was necessary before applying to Con-
| gress to remove By State legislation every
| preliminary or local obetaeleswh1ch could en-
ba11ass or delay the work. The bill which was
| prepared for tllat purpose, directing the i'm
mediate enlargement OF the locks by the State
Canal Board whenever the General Govern
| ment shall furnish the means either In money
| or United States six..per cent stocks, and con
ceding as IN equivalent perpetual transit free
| from toll, all national vessels, troops, or mu-
nitions Of war, was received with almost
unanimous appreciation by the Legislature.
! It passed both Houses BIZ large m2jorities
the vote in the Senate being q to $, and in
| the Assembly - to IL.
The opinion Of the Legislature was expressed
with still greater emphasis by the subsequent
and unanimous paesage Of the joint re5olu.
! ton Of both Houses, requesting the Governor
to transmit the net to the President, and alse
to adopt any necessary and proper measures
"to invite the attention Of the General Coy
ernment to the great importance Of the works
in question 'tto the National interests.''
| Il is gratifying to add that o more careful
examination of the approximate estimates oi
cost, officially submitted to the Canal Com
mittecs Of the two Houses, sufficiently shoH
that the total expenditure for enlarging ths
locks Of the Erie and 0swego canals 60 ii
number,) as ascertained by comparison witt
for simIlar work, will not exceed s, ,000, 900 anf
more probably can be kept by proper economy
within $, ,000, 600. No important alteration 0
the channel Or Of the bridges, Or Of any othc
structure Of those two canals Except th'
locke,) will be needed for passing vessels 9;
feet By 200, stated by Capt. Ericsson to b.
fully adequate to the defense Of the Lakes
BIZ separatc section Of the act, simiia
provision is made for the enlargement, b,
similar means, Of the Champlain Canal, ani
all its structures, If the Government shoul
; Eo desire, which would afford direct an
st. Lawrence below Montreal The cost Q
; that work was estimated By the State Eng
neer at three and o half millions, 4 sho1
canal Of twelve miles from Clyde to the caps
cious and valuable harbor Of 6odus Bay, O
: Lake Ontario, is also included in the act, fo
the consideration Of the Government.
, Every preliminary or local difficulty bein
thus removed, By the prompt and i1teuliger
action Of the state, IL now only remains fo
} Congress to decide whether these works, {
: any or either Of them, possesses suf1lcicr
naluarl merits either In military or con
! | mercial aspect, to justify the issue Of tt
moderate amount Of stock required for the
| construction; and whether any OF either
: them fai1l5 comes within the class Of "nay
, gable channels needed for public defense.
: Embraced in the comprehensive and trul
1 natural report just made to Congress by t
. Military Committee Of the House Of Repr
6 sentative6.