, 1862-03-01
,Aetieu Of the Beard Of Trade 1VoR
thu Ef1tn a16 hM8 Wf6h1Gnn Canal. = --.

Vt0 10 prepare memorial 10 GuuE&Kee6 nRu0 4
be enlargement Of the Illinois and Michigan /
lanai, made the following report: +
70 the President and Members Of the Board Of ,
the City Of Chicago: -
GEx11xMrr: Your Committee, appointed
February 10Th to prepare memorial to Con-
ps nSaG csa to eaeet9 ~ 1ae
pass war vessels and steamers between Lake;
Michigan and the Mississippi, beg leave to
submit the following report: F.
To Ae Honorable TIC &Rate and Howse Of Repre-
sssitatftss Of The Cnitid &ates Of Ansey5ca, H.
Congress assembled:
beg leave to represent that they have observed
with great satisfaction the very able reports Of
Hon. I. n. Arnold, from the Lake Defense
Committee, and of Hon. f. P. Blair, ,Jr., from t6s
Committee on Military Affairs, with the Bill
II ha ef nos as@S esa as
so As freely to pass vessels Of va, gunooats,
and schooners. between Lake Michigan and
the Mississippi river. In favor Of tne ear1y
passage Of the bill, yonr memela..s aa, r,,'sg neg
reason, that when few months ago. circum-
stances threatened the sunde1ing Of our peace
fnl relations with Great Britain, long list Of
English gunboats was published, showing that
% ont Of the St Lawrence Canals, be thrown
upon the Lakes, by which our commerce, more
ti5an cquaIling In value the entire foreign COM
merce Of the milton, could be destroyed, and
cur lake cities become an easy prey TO
eenaasng 5e caas nj Msss sSoad suse ee
enlarged as proposed as speedily as posi-
blc, when the whole mechanical force Of the t
cities upon the Ohio, from Pittsburgh to !
Cairo, aud aiso that Of the cities upon the
Mississippi aud the line Of the proposed in
proyement from the mouth Of the Illinois to |
Chicago, could at once be brought into requl- |
sition and fleet could be prepared abundant
II able to cope with any force that England
might be nble to place upon the lakes. With
the proposed improvement completed inc en-
Tire force Of gunboats upon the lakes could.
in q few days, be placed upon the ocean to de-
| fend our Eeaboard cities; and, in an eInersen-
! CT, IN ocean fleet could be transferred to the
| likes to meet any enemy that might menace
our commerce upon these inland seas.
Soliciting your caIrful consideration of the
very able reports Of the Lake Defense and the
| Military Committees, your nemorlallsts are
| spared any elaborate presentation OF facts and
| figures upon this subject, and beg Ia conclu-
report Of Tie Military Committee, believing,
as we do, that 81 whether considered in nll1i-
tary, naval, commercial, or political aspect, 1t
| is ia every respect national In its character,
ard deserving the AID q th1s Government ansn1c
for her artisans, freer outlet for manufae-
lures, and in case Of FOREIGN war cheap In
land highway for the cotton Of the South
ssTo New York and Pennsylvania, new com-
merce to their chief cities, more business Tor
their public works, and therefore increased
"To the northwest it will cheaper the pro.
ducts Of the cotton, rice and sugar fields OF the
| South, and give reliable outlet to the pro-
dnc1s Of their fields, forests aod mines; H.
for 1aborers, md give new market tor tho
, | products Of their toll.
an accomplishing ends SO great, how small
is the sacrifice required. To do it now Wlll
be, in the words Of distinguished son Of New
York, in regard to her own canal, ito rear q
structure to stand for all coming time marx,
, 4 type, an E-cnduring record Of the forecast
ard fortitude, power and wisdom OF the gener'
alton which called it into being And Jou1
memo1ialists, as in d9ty bound, will ege'
CHARLES q. WALKER,
: SAMUEL SHACKFoRD,
9 J. J. RICHARDS,
9 r. MCC1EsNEX.
e The report was unanimously adopted, ami
8 copies will be Immediately sent to our Sena
:, tors and I'll our Representatives in Congress
; The Committee also reported the following
4 resolution, which was also adopted:
e Reeoleed, That committee Of ten be appointe
By the Chair to correspond with the Boards 9
bodies in the lake md eeaboaFd cities, and wit
~ thoEe upon the Mississippi and the Ohio. and &C
lictt their en.tts IN 1aTor q the bin nov bcfor
= Congress for the enlargement OF the Illinois m
= Michigan Canal.
in II is to be hoped that the people Of all th
IN free States will unitedly press this importan
J. subject upon Congress, and thus secure th
y completion of this great national work wit
le Ill convenient despatch The sooner it ca
" be done the better 1t will be for the safety al