Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-05
MORNING LEADER.
FRTBAY MOANING. JUNE 5, iss9.
THE SHIP CANAL CONVENTION.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND DAY.
SPEECHES OF COL, IENNISON, OF
KANSAS, AND OTHERS.
IEd.torial carrssnondenee.l

The tent was filled with the delegates
and visitors, the day being as lovely as the
most csptiOus dould desire.
Mr.. Taylor, of Minnesota, spoke to his re-
solution of yesterday, as to what it was the
duty Of Government to foster and cherish.
BE strongly advocated the pushing to COM
pletion Of the railroads to the Pacific, but
opposed asking Government aid for the
construction or improvement of internal
Improvements At one point in the gen
tleman's speech, Mr. Chamberlain, Of Ohio
suggested that the speech had better have
been made at a railroad convention.
Hon. E. B. Washburne, of Illinois who
had moved to lay Mr.. TaylOr's resolution
upon the table, replied to chat gentleman.
He thought it opt Ofplace, when this Con
ventiOn had been called expressly to dis
euss the best method of achieving speci-
fed object to introduce resolution which
would at once defeat the whole object of
the Convention. CApplause) The Gov
ernment had already taken in hand the
work Of the construction Of the Pacific
railroad, and they needed no appeal now to
present that scheme. He was astonished
that a gentleman who represented the
growing and prosperous State of Mime
sofa should endeavOr to dam up the outlet
Of his own people to market, and instead
thereof to traverse the Rocky Mountains
and find market for bis wheat at Pugets
Sound. daughter and applause) The
asking Congress to act at the present time,
because part Of the seats from the South
ern States were vacant. BE would, as the
humblest member of Congress, say that he
would not pay such Difference to the trait !
ors who had left their seats. (Applause.)
Those who ,7ere true to the country wouId |
legislate for the whole country. ZAP |
plause.) The gentleman had spoken of |
New York and Illinois as nlendieaats for
Government bounty in this scheme. He |
would ask if the Government was not in
terested in the defense of the West. He |
renewed his motion to lay the resolution
of Mr.. Taylor upon the table, which motion
was adopted.
delegation of good and loyal men had ar
rived from Kentucky, the announcement /
being resolved with applause.
Judge spslding moved that the speakers
be limited to ten minutes each. Carried. |
The Chairman of the Committee on Res
OlutiOns, (Mr. Ruggles of New York, re-
ported the following Resolutions:
RESOLUTIONS.
ResoEvsd, That in view of the immense
increase in the products of the States ad-
iacent to the lakes Of the Upper Mississip-
pi, and Of the necessity of providing for
the defense Of the national commerce upon
those waters this convention holds it to
be an imperative duty Of the General Gov
ernmept to provide any necessary facili-
ties for eheapening and protecting said
commerce by adequately enlarging and |
improving the canals and rivers now con-
Meeting the Lakes with the Hudson and |
the Mississippi rivers.
ResOlUed, That the proposed advantages,
military and commercial, Of q canal |
aronnd the Falls of Niagara be also COM
mended to the careful consideration of
Congress.
Mr.. Riddle offered as a substitute for
the second resolution, the following:
Resclved, That the construction of ship |
canal on American soil around the Falls i
Of Niagara, thus completing the great |
chain Of lakes, and giving them an outlet /
to the oceans is pre-eminently a national /
enterprise, that the National Government |
should execute at the earliest practicable |
day.
Mr.. Riddle spoke to his resolution. He |
said that if one could take general and |
comprehensive view of the entire country, |
and examine the work of nature in con- |
Meeting the chain of communication be-
tween the great water courses, he would |
see that the work which nature had clear
ly indicated, but left for man to do, was
that which this Convention proposed to
urge. The ship canal, and the Niagara
canal were natural links in the water
chain. BE spoke particularly of the lat
ter and the necessity of relieving Ameri-
cans from paying tribute to England, urg-
ing also the Importance Of this canal in
case of foreign hostilities.
Judge spalding said; He was a man of
few words, perhaps Of few thoughts, but
he desired to give no uncertain sound
here or elsewhere: He had already given
evidence to the Convention that he adyoca-
ted the construction of ship. canal
around the cataract Of niagara as a nation
al work. He would now say what he had
never before said at any time or in any
place, that he was in favor of creating an
internal ship navigation from the Gulf of
Mexico 10 the Gulf Of st. Lawrence by means
Of the rivers and lakes. To do this con-
tinuously it was absolutely necessary to
add to the contemplated enlargement Of
the New York and Illinois canals the con-
struction of q canal around the Falls Of
Niagara, unless, indeed as some supposed,
the committee in their reported resolutions
had some interest to subserve not yet laid
open to the public eye.
he was in favor Of the whole work be-
cause he believed it would add greatly to
the commercial prospects Of the nation
and, also, if a technical reason be neces-
sary under the constitution, because it
would fairly be regarded ss part Of a sys-
TEN Of national defense. Gentlemen call
It "a military neeessityi" True it is so.
And so is this convention, when You re-
gard its numbers and the time and oircum-
stances under which it assemblies, a great
military measure. Think of a people hav-
ing 100000 armed men in the field to
protect their government, holding con-
vention TO devise ways and means to caIfy
n e -, IL