The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-01-09

Special Correspondence the Philadelphia Pres

| Special Correspondence of the Philadelphia Press.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-One of the
most remarkable improvements ever con-
templated by statesman, for the benefit
of his country, in this or in any age, is now
under the consideration of one of the Com
mittees of the Senate of the United States,
on the motion of the experienced and sa-
gacious Senator from Minnesota, the Hon.
II. NJ. Rice.
Mr.. Senator Rice has introduced bill
granting q million acres of land to aid in
the construction of q canal between the
headwaters of the Minnesota river and the
Red river of the North, and to improve
the channels of the uppor portions of said
rivers.
The proposition is simple, and the grant
OF lands in that remote region to the
| amount asked not calculated to startle,
either from it's amount or value. 1t is only
when We examine the maps, and discover
the Datgaitutle ofUsc results which con-
summation of the plan will work out, that
we are amazed at its commercial and mil
| itary grandeur.
The Minnesota River takes its rise in
Big Stone Lake, about three quarters of
a mile distant from Lake Traver, the
source Of Sioux Wood River, which is The
moia drttnch Of the Red River of the
| North, if not the Red River itself. So
level is the ground lying between Big
Stone Lake and Lake Traver, that in
rainy seasons batteauX have easily passed
| from one to the other. On both rivers
steamboats, now regularly ply The Min
nesota River Git is called St. Peters River
On the old naps) flows crcuitously, en-
tirely across the State of Minnesota, from
west to east, and affords a fine outlet for
the rapidly increasing productions of &,
large and populous region. The Red River
Of the North, after furnishing a boundary
line to the State of Minnesota, and the
Territory OF Dacotoh, flows north into Lake
Winnipeg Both rivers, with but little
labor on their channels near their source,
are admirably calculated for steamboat
navigation. When connected by a canal,
a steamboat from Lake Winnipeg can be
propelled directly to ST. Louis and to New
Orleans! Not only could a steamboat
be propelled from New Orleans some 1000
miles on the waters of the Mississippi, the
anu TIC ICt>l 1GlfCr vi tIlC NOTIU
to Lake Winnipeg, but it could then pass,
ttHe tcesf, up the waters of the Saskatcha-
wan River, secen hundred miles, to Ed
monton House, which is but one hundred
and fifty miles east from the gold tiiggings
on Frazier's River. in British Columbia!
An Improvement of the outlet of Lake
Winnipeg (the Severn River), would fur
nish q navigable channel from New Or
leans to Hudson's Bay. The Saskatcha-
wan is, it will be seen from the maps, the
natural commercial outlet OF all those vast
regions which are watered by Mackenzie's
River and Lakes AthabaSca, Slave, and
Great Bear, and their numerous tributaries.
The immense region Of country opened up
to trade and commerce by the construction
OF canal of less than a mile in length, has
II geographical area t,oice us d05ye us that
Of M tie Syoses Of khis Union l9ieg east
Of lie mississippi Riuer! True, it is non
thinly populated; and its trade, al this
time, would compare badly with that of
New York Or of Philadelphia. Construct
that canal, and what would be the extent,
in one or t,co years after its completion, of
the population and trade in the fertile val
leys of the Minnesota. the Red River, Lake
Winnipeg, and the Saskatchewan River,