Litchfield enquirer., 1863-07-16
For the EnquirsE The Ship Canal.


 For the EnquirsG
 The Ship Canal.
 The Ship Canal Convention which was con. vened at Chicago, June End was an occasion of great interest, Some sixteen or seventeen States were represented by delegations ..mors or less numerous.
 The Convention embraced on the list of its members many men distinguished for talents and high position.
 The Hon. H. Hamblin, Vice President of the United States presided as President.-- Vice Presidents, Secretaries and Committees were appointed, one of each from the several states represented.
 Connecticut was represented by. four dele. gates. The action of the Convention was per. fectly harmonious. A Committee of one from State was appointed on resolutions: All resolutions before being acted on had to re- ceive the appreciation of this Committee of which the Hon. Mir. Ruggles of N. Y. was Chairman. There was an expectation op the part of the members from the North West that it was the duty of the Committee to locate the proposed Ship Canal and designate it's dimen. tions. which view was not generally entertain ed. It was finally agreed that the purpose and duty of the Convention was to awaken the pub lie mind to the object and to urge upon Con. gress the speedy adoption of measures for it's accomplishment.
 It is urged upon the country as gres. nae tionsl work. While its considered as essen tial to meet the increasing demand of the Commerce between the East and the West, 1t is deemed vastly important as means of Na. tional defense.
 Our present treaty with Great Britain per: mits us to keep only one small armed steamer on each of the lakes. -
 In case of war between the two counties our enemy could speedily cover those waters with formidable navy through the Welland Canal, while we would have to build one for each sec. ton of tho lakes east and west of Niagara Falls. If we have Ship Canal connecting the Mississippi River with lake Michigan, and lake Ontario with the Hudson River our Gun Boats could pass to any point on these inland waters where they might be needed,
 Able Engineers will be prepared to present to the next Congress estimates of the cost of construction, &c.
 If the public mind is sufficiently enlighten- ed with the importance of this measure 1t will be soon accomplished,
 As commercial measure New England has a deep interest in its adoption.
 The bread stuffs of the West will reach us at much lower price than possibly can be as present and our articles of manufacture will command the markets of the West.
 The estimated cost of the whole work is about thirty millions of dollars. Its practical operateon would be to open some eight thou. sand miles of navigable waters to the Atlantic Ocean through the Hudson River giving out. let to more than million square miles of isE. tile lands. The lake coast is one third great. CT than our whole Atlantic coast. g,s5s
 Nearly two thousand vessels now nayieats the several great lakes whose aggregate caps city is over four hundred thousand tons f
 The annual products already of this vast fer. tile region of country, though comparatively new, is immense, as some statistics from our last csnsus will show, viz: of Wheat, Corn and all other grains, more than 0O,OO0,00O of bushels, and the wealth in animals too is ysry great, they numbering in 1860 over seventeen and half millions. These enormous products are the results of culture of . little mere than quarter of a century. The extensive and numerous mineral productions of the Nsrth West are strongly augmenting ths pressing necessity for an increased outlet to market.
 Atpresent the facilities for conveying cere. als to an eastern market great as they are, t Is impossible to send forward all the grain, as quantities of it have been kept back for want of means of conveyance for the term of three years. When cheap and sufficient outle, is furnished to the great West, industry will be stimulated and products greatly increased.-- The increasing demand of Europe upon this country for food is g consideration in E,ver of its construction.
 As a national object the vast results of this enterprise cannot fully be estimated. It would form living and perpetual bond between tho East and the West, insure 2 unityof intcresls and harmony of action which would make the inhabitants of the two extremities one peo. pie forever.
 s.W. GOLD.
 West Cornwall, June 2sth 1863.
 The New Fork Timer states that after the last battle of Chancellorsvilla, Zen. Meade's appointments to superseds Gen. Hooker was