Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-25
The Illinois Farmers and the Niagara
Shin canal.

A Farmers Convention, of considera-
BILE importance, measured not only by the
talent and influence of the men who COM
posed it. but also by its prospective infu-
enee upon a great internal Improvement,
was held at Morris, Illinois, on Wednes-
day hast, to take into consideration mat
tiers affecting tbs commercial and prOduc-
ing interests of that section, particularly
in relation to the question of, transporta-
ton to the sea-board. Among the promi-
nent men present were Hon. E. B. Wash
burn, General NJ. Birney, Hon. B. c.
Cook, Hon. o. B. Galusha, Judge S. W.
Harris, Hon. Oliver johnson, Ray Had
dock, Secretary of the Detroit Board of
Trade, and q full representation of the
press of Illinois. The total number of
delegates present was about two thou
sand. A permanent organization was
effected by the election of Hon. Sid.
Harris as President, with a number of
Vice Presidents and Secretaries; and a
Committee on Resolutions, headed by
George W. Birney, was appointed. After
speeches from Hon. f. B. Washburn and
General Birney, the Committee on ResO-
buttons made their report. 1t consists of
a lengthy preamble and a series of nine
resolutions. The preamble declares the
ability of the food-producing States of
the Northwest, to meet any possible de-
mand of domestic and foreign markets,
but complains of the expense Tex
ceeding the cost of p%roduction) and
delay of transportation ria the Erie
canal, and declares that nature points
out the st. Lawrence as the grand high
way to the markets of the Old World.
The resolutions declare that a Niagara
Ship-Canal is q national work, and that its
immediate construction should be demand
ed Of Congress; that a proposed canal
"less than eight miles long, fifteen feet
deep, with locks seventy feet wide, and
within. our W boundaries" is better thar
the Welland Canal, which, though not
definitely named, is plainly enough de-
scribed as "a canal twenty eight miles long,
ten feet deep, with locks t~wenty-six and a
half feet wide, and within the boundaries
of a foreign power :" that the tolls on the
proposed United States work should be
kept at the lowest rate which will paw ex-
penses; in favor of the proposed enlarge
ment of the St. Lawrence canals and the
clearing out of the channel of the upper
st. Lawrence and that it is the duty of
the United States, should a new reciprocity
treaty be negotiated. to secure the free
navigation of the st. Lawrence, and the
use on equal terms of the St. Lawrence
canals. The resolutions proceed to point
out other advantages which would ensue
from the completion of the great work,
and to make some practical suggestions in
regard to bringing the matter before the
people. The report was unanimously
adopted.
There can be no question that the pro-
ceedings of this gathering fairly represent
the unanimous sentiment of the people of
the great Northwest. The food-producers
for the wide world find themselves and
their labor "cabin'd, cribbed, confined" by
the ~inadequacy of freight communica-
ton with the Atlantic coast and Europe.
The great need of the Northwest is an
outlet. This it must and will have, and
the party which soonest recognizes its
need and most warmly advocates the CON
struetion of such an outlet, will be the
party of the Northwest and the Union