Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1864-03-01
nAurNpOpT IOWA Tuesday EVENING MlRcH Qcf sHvoa
Tae CANAL QueyrlON.

THe CANAL QUESTION.
The fellssisg isssssssise eissasssss - ths
ship CssAl sssvey sass up % Thsrsday ~
bsloss the Legislature
TIE O&s;e anseunesd ths Ship Canal Bill q
The special order before the House foe this af.
ternooo.
n. Magill offered the following amsndmeat
Proeidsd fnyshsr, that the survey coatea-
plated By this Act shah b sxteaded - % =
embrace . survey sround the upper and lower
Rapids Of the Mislisippi River, ssd
PROVIDED fxssksv, That the improvement oi
the Upper end Lower Rapids Of said river
should q An oct Of justice TO the whole State
be made On indispensable condition il any bill
for Ship Canal from the Lakes 70 the Mis.
sissippi River, which il 70 receive the support
Of the Congressionsl dslegasioa from IoSa"
Mr.. Sanderson opposed the amendment. He
regarded il - calculated TO embafrass the or
isinai bill. The object Of the bin vas TO obtain
{ survey from the Lakes to the Mississippi and
he rbelisvsd The tendency Of the aaendmeat
would be to render the bill imprscticable. The
appropriation Of one thousand dollars he ~
esraed q very small sum for the work 70 be
done, and hardly sufficient 70 deffay the sx-
pense Of the survey coatemplated BY the or
iginal bill; and the adoption Of the amend
ment would render the whole measure in0per.
asive and simply IN a6surdity.
NJ. As9sll feI some fe,ucsance 10 entering
apoa this discassios. bsins appssbensive u
might eive rise 70 local Of sectisnal feeling
then which nothing Vas farther from hin.
He vss acsuased solely By considerations Of
psblic good, and pobltc policy. This was .
measure Of 0tste policy, and % such must be
considered, and in committing the State 70
pelicy IN . matter Of such magnitnde - the
ono before 10, insisted that such policy should
be bread enough and comprehensive enough
70 embrace the interest Of the whole State.
He called attention to the fact that al the
efforts which had bees msde as yet In behalf
Of this measure, came from one locality
The city Of Davenport He passed high en-
logy upon the beauty, the business charac
tsrissics and adsa0tages Of DGvenpost, and the
enterprise, wisdom, spirit aud patriotism OF
her citizens and public men, md would cheer
fully aid in any legislation for her benefit.
wore It not 10 conflict with the other and
greater interests Of The whole State. Bot be
believed the construction Of Snip Canal 10
The Mississippi river, no matter where 1t may
reach tho river, should have coupled with IL,
"a indispensable condition, the improve.
,neut Of the Upper aud Lower Rapids as uec-
esssfy to accommodate and do justice TO the
interests of the whole State. He urged at
some length, the great advantages which
,nust result to the State from the construction
Of The proposed Ship Canal, and the stiii great.
er advantages which he believed would result
from tbs Improvement Of the Rapids.
Mr.. Wolf opposed both amendments for the
reason that they were not necessary and were
cnly calculated to defeat the bill beca use
they proposed additional expenses no. called
fpr and not desired. Gentlemen Offering and
Importing the ameodmen,s seem TO have for.
gstlen that the object of the bill was merely
o provide for Z sarvsy If route from La
sale vert . ard to the Mississippi river. They
IRE mistaken about the bill being Of a sec.
{ onal charac er.
The building Of canal would not abolish the
Mississippi, aud the canal would be benefit to
Iowa il it opened any where ON it, eastern bor-
der The United States would select the route,
and he would be in favor 0f q canal even if il
opened on the front of Minnesota. Tie object
O the bill is to survey route 90 that our Con.
gressmen N present the facts and figures be.
fore Congress. veral routes were though:
Of. The northern route, by way Of Green Bay,
had already been surveyed; the route down
the Illinois was well understood the statistics
of the survey of the rapids could be found in
the archives OF the War partment. Tie
route from La Sale westward is the only con-
tempated route for hich our delegation in
Congress have not the necessary information.
This bill provides for portion vi the means for
surveying that route. Will we deny il merely
because It might benefit one portion of Iowa
more than another As to the improvement
OF the rapids and building the canal we have
already seht joint resolution to Congress.
The Governor is to appoint the surveyor, aud
it is tor him to determine which is e nearest
and most practicable route. The bill does not
10 ate the western terminus. 1t is as likely to
be above as below the rapids. Let the surveyor
determine that, aud let the matter be presented
to Congress in the most favorable light. He
didn't think it necessary " dwell upon the ad-
to be derived fiOm canal all were
agreed about that.
Mr.. Sears spoke at some length, opposing
both amendments He favored the bill ~
reported.
Mr.. Thomson said: It seems to me that the
gentlemen from Clayton and Clinton who have
previously occupied the Hoor have completely
the object of this bill. They eem to
aim at tn construction Of canal. The object
Of this bill il merely to secure survey-to sess
cure the sanction of the State for that object,
The gentleman from Clayton admits that the
northern route has been already surveyed, and
he further ststes that the rapids have been sur.
veyed - far back a. 1887, aud the appropria-
tions expended, but that was 0uly to remove the
ebstructions bat, cir, and that - late ~ 1859
Congress made an appropriation of tl0O,OOO
for these improvements. At the time this
last appropriation. was made by Congress 1t
was decided after thorough exami, stion Of
both the canal and the removal Of obs bstruction
plan, in favor Of the removal Of the 0bstruc-
lions. Sir fru9 ny kaow1sdgs Of she country
and the form in which this bill is drawn, ask
ing for 4 survey on the nearest practicable
route, am inclined to hink that it is - likely
70 intefsect the Mississippi above - below
the rapids but at whatever place the western
terminus may be locat6d it. Will be net on the
opposite bank Of the Mississippi river By rail-
r0ad running through Central Iowa ak NO
more than 70 have this matter squase)y bolore
the representatives Of the people Of the etate
Of lows, and let it stand ON itsUWn merits.
Mr.. McNutt believed that the construction
Of . ship canal from Lake Michigan ~ the
Mississippi ct . point opposite the State Of
great adv ntags 70 This State.
NJ. Paulk poke At some length in favor Of
the amendment. ts+~s, \
stG ff-s
He did not believe . canal tapping Tie Mis-.
siesippi riyer. below the rapids would ever re-
suit in one cents worth Of bcne9t to the State