, 1862-02-28
Report OF the Colnsaaittee ON
Military. a fairs, Made In
Congress. Feb. 20. 1902,
by Hon. FsP. Blair.

ollars in articles Of prime necessity to the |
Inhabitants Of the Eastern States aud to our
'eef, pork, lumber, and metals. It is carried
n by means Of steam vessels, propel1ers and
all Vessels, unsurpassed for strength, soGdity |
I'D speed by any which navigate the ocean,
nd naEigated bT officers, eng incers, and Sail
'rs Of experience and skill
The shores uf these Lakes arc covered with
imber suitnble for ship building, and in nearly
u the ports are builders md ship carpenters,
md in many engine and machine shops capa-
lie Of furnishing large sized engines Of all
zinds required for the propulsion of vessels.
To these sources VIC hnVe mainly to look In
:asc Of a war tor tie means Of providing those
Dasal 1o1ces required for the protection Of our
commerce and the shores Of these inland va
tcrs. Recent. xyents in our relations with
England impress upon lis the importance Of
rupticn Of friendly relations with that power,
but tLis We .'are prevented from doing By an
agreement between our Government and that
Of Great Britain, made in 1917, by which both
are bound not to build or put atoat any armed
vessels On the northern lakes, excepting two
or three Of small size, which agreement, how |
ever, may be abrogated by either party on |
giving six months notice Of its intention so |
to do.
Subsequently, to the date Of this agreement |
the St. Lawrence and the We1and canals were
constructed with locks. and depth OF water
sufficient to admit vessels Of near two hundred
feet in length and forty feet beam aud nine
feet draught Of water to pass through, cost
ing -. So that Great Britain has the
power in very short time to cover those
lakes will war steamers built On the river St.
Lawrence or in the ship yards at home. To
give notice Of an intention to abrogate the
agreement might at this present moment be
unwise, and Et are thus led to inquire whe-
ther any means may be found BY which we
can escape tue disadvantages under which
bot 1r11&
places Us. Manifestly by the opening Of a
channel from the lakes to navigable rivers
flowing into the tide-Water is the only way to
regain equality with Great Britain.
Fortunately we have q channel already par
tally completed, by which, with improve
ment, a1nsd vessels may bs passed from r1!s 1he
channel is tbs Illinois and Michigan canal, ex-
tending from Chicago to LaSa1ie, on the Illi-
nois river, ninety six miles, and the bed Of the
river itself from that point to its mouth, where
it flows into tho Mississippi, go miles
The yulue Of the commerce on the Mis5Is-
sppi river and its tributaries is little less than
that OF tie hikes. It extends over distance
Of ten thousand miles of nayigable waters
whose banks are covered at many points with
valuable timber, rich in mines, studded with
cities equal in building and manufacturing Ca
pacity TO those on tie lakes, and capable Of
constructing, as recent events nave fully DEM
oDstrated, vessels Of war of most formidable
character
Be- the enlargement Of this canal and the in
provemcnt Of The navigation OF the river, all
fhe naval resources Of the lakes can be trans
and on the other hand, onr naval forces on the
ocean anoson these rivers can be transported
TO The lakes, so as to quickly sweep all hostile
fleets from their surface, and return again to
1idewater. The Importance Of this channel in
purely naral point Of vieM is SO great that its
year with war with England, in the cost Of
vessels, while its value in protecting property.
cities and vessels, ard III enabling Us to uphold
The honor Of our flag, would be inestimable:
| Again: the expense Of transportation by
water is so much less than By raiisoad that If
| if extensive military operations ART to he car
ried on, tile sewing to the Government in this
item would soon equal the entire cost Of the
work.
The Government pays the railroads Two
| cents per mile for the passage Of each soldier,
| near Six dollars from Chicago to st. Louis !;
| one dollar wonId have been liberal compcn-
sation for the came passage by steamboat,
making difference Of ha1f u million dollars
in the carrying of 50, ,0eo troops both ways be-
tween St. Lolli= and Chicago. As the number
cnt points OH the Mississippi river iseseveral
times greater tl.5n *, eco, and as the differ
epce on Government freight is also great
it is easy TO compute the advantages Of such 8
channel in this respect
Commercially, tic value Of work enabling
steamboats, from st. Paul, Omaha, New Or
| lrars and Pittsburgh, and MI the points or
tj1c mississippi and its tributaries, to dischargf
! their car5oyF into the vessels navigating TIL
| lakes, and the LITTER in case Of netd to ente1
The Mississippi without breaking bulk, IL
Il Which cotton aud sugar from the South conlt
find its way to New York and New Englant
by internal routes and navigation SO cheap a
to compete with, and be- in case Of need,
substitute fer that By the ocean, can Aardl,
be estimated; all the cities from St. Loui
to New York, ill the lines Of transportation
! from the east to the west, would fecl its intll
ence. It would, in effect, open q new Quite
; to the Mississippi river, BY which the product
. t Of the soil as low down az Memphis Woul
find an outlet, ard through which mercllan
disc, the grain and provisions, the lumber an
minerals Of the Northwestern States would y
:, carried down bt}ow that point. It woul
= thus join III enc the two great systems OF IL
;. land commerce ot the continent, and incrcas
tie yaluc o. taxable property ovcFancxtendc
: section of country.
Politically, its tendency to bind together tt
S1a1ee Of the Northwest and Southwest, an
J. both these TO the East, is manifest.
d Z Political opinions and attachments mu
= necessarily be changed and impaired wlel
c they arc opposed: and strengthened and CO.
frmed where they arc favored by permaue1
l. material Interests. This proposed work is Of
t. plishcd, Tire Mississippi itself IN importsnc
;, and snrpaea in value any artificial cham
- which has ever bten opened in any country,
It VIC except the Eric Canal, which alone can
II compared with it..
It viii cause the waters Of the lakes whis
= now have I'LL outlet ny the river St. Lawreu
To TO flow, in lsart, to the Cuff Of Mexico, mi
- alcd with those of the Mississippi, and BIZ
ii 1T tics Of init rust and intercourse the citi
-, or st. Louis and Memphis with Buffalo II
- Chicago.
Wwlu link New Yerk with Tennessee
strong and perpetual bonds. 4 work Of SUI
q. magnitude, SO national in it's character a
\. uses, seems justly to demand the aid Of t
=, Iational government in lis performance. MOI
I'll ips short Of such sid can, for :! long time
as least, ear1y it forward to completion; un!c
Id indeed, it were 10 be done By cotporati
IA which Honld undertake it, when finished, ,wj
~ q sole view to its own profit. which would i
s. rair, in 4 measure, tho public objects Of
h. Undertaking. To perform it now would o.
H. he TO resume d determination long El1
" this Government.
ne In the year 18c2 an act was passed to auth
or- ize the State OF Illinois to open a ca
ur through The public lands <sto connect
bc Illinois river with Lake Michigan" and
os proved 50iA March, granting to the State
iro lands Of the United States, for a "canal G
me- Meeting lac Illinois tiyer with the Eouth
- bend or Lake Michigan, and ninety feet
III, each side Of raid canal
at On tie $$..d, March, 1927, an act was appro
by the President Of the United States, EMIT
od. IAN Act to grant 4 quantity Of land to
IL" State Of Illinois for the purposes Of aidin!
: opening q cana! TO connect the waters of
1llirofs river with those of Lake Michiya
m. granting to the State Of Illinois ia guam
~ Of land equal to one-half Of five section:
see width on each side Of said canal. and ress
u 4 ing each alternatcSection TO the United Sta
the to be selected by The Commissioner Of
~, Land Office, under the direction Of the Pr
dent the United States, from one end OF
tic said canal to she OTTER; provided, that
said canal, when completed, ehall be and
and the Government Of the United States,
IN from any toll or other charges whatever,
one any property O. the United States, or pers
luc in tneir service passing through the sal
IN and the said canal shall be commenced VII
1ne i've years and completed In twenty years.
lhe March 2, 1Ss8, an act was approved by
nnd PrcsidvHt, extending the time Of comment
en-, and completing said canal ia five years
TO On the G9th of March, 1872, an act was
was crnycd hy the, President pranting S. ECO a
7eFy Of land, in lieu of certain lands within
>1nS boundaries of:tte lands before granted,
re- had been sold aid patented to individual
. the Uni: cd States before the location Of
the State hid been approved
nd Ann2]%r sct ,ets subsequently nassed BIZ
did Congress Of the United States mski1
They further donation Of land for The sa,ne
ne5, poEe.
E.cre In pursuance Of the above named la7
lhey the Unred States, the State Of Illinois nut
'e OF izcd the construction Of the Illinois and b
'tale ican cana1, running from the Illinois rlrc
One miles.