Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-02-16
Charles City, Iowa, Feb. 16, 1866
The Illinois Ship Canal,
AND IMPROVEMENT or rHr MISSISSIPPI Rrvrl

AND IMPROVEMENT OF rHr MISSISSIPPI RIVE
As every body knows, Illinois, 9
rather Chicago, has for years bee
clamoring for a ship canal connectin
Lake Michigan with the Mississippi
river by the way of the Illinois rive
Owing to the rapids at two points j
the Mississippi river-the Lower Raj
ids at Keokuk two hundred mile
above St. Louis, and the Upper Rapid
two hundred miles further up-thi
ship canal would be almost who'll.
useless to large portion of the North
west unless the Rapids could be i'm
proved by constructing canals AROUND
them of equal capacity with the Hi
nois canal.
We have never doubted that the
Illinois canal would be built by one
means or another, but it is equally i'm
portant that the Wisconsin canal
: should also be built. Illinois may and
does oppose the latter enterprise, but
Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will
never rest contented until this canal,
by way of the Wisconsin and Fox riv-
ers, is constructed, as well as that
through Illinois. The growing wants
of the States named demand it, and
ssiH haze IL sooner or later.
But the object of this writing is to
congratulate our readers upon the pas
sage in the House of Representatives,
and to thank Congressman Allison for
his advocacy, of the measure to i'm
prove the navigation of the Mississippi
so as to render the Illinois Canal avail
able to us when it shall be built.
When the bill was up for action in
the House on the I'd inst, and before
the previous question was ordered,
Mr.. ALLISON, of Iowa, moved to
amend by adding the following:
Sec. 8. And be ii further enacted, That
there shall be appointed by the President of
the United States, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate. three commissioners to
improve the Upper rapids and Lower or Des
Moines rapids of the Mississippi river.
Sea- And bet further enacted, That the
said commissioners shall forthwith make a
careful examination of said Upper and Lower
rapids of said river. and determine upon suit
able plan for the improvement aforemention.
ed, which plan shall provide for the construc.
ton of a canal around each OF said rapids to {
width of not less than one hundred feet, will
locks of not less than two hundred and seven
ty-five feet in length, and not less than seven
ty feet in width. Which improvements shall
be made so as to insure q safe and uninterrupt
ed water navigation, at all times during tn
season of navigation, Of steamboats, and 9th
er vessels drawing four feet of water. Whicl
plan shall he submitted to the President o
the United States for approval.
Sec. s. And be IL further enacted, Tha
upon the approval by the President Of thu
United States of the plan of said improve
ment aforesaid, the said commissioners ar
hereby authorized to construct said canal &C
cording to said plan, under the direction o
the Secretary Of the Treasury, and to prosecut
the same to completion with such dispatch a
the nature of the work and the funds appro
priated by Congress for that purpose shall per
init. And the said commissioners shall max
q report annually to the Secretary of the Urea
sury on the progress of said work.
Sec. Ind be IL further enacted, That tn
Secretary of the Treasury shall have the ex
elusive control and management of said canal
and shall have power to establish all needfu
rules and regulations concerning the use ant
hare md to ftx oil nod
ify the rates of toll upon said canals, and shall
employ such surveyors, collectors, and agent
as NAV be necessary to collect said tolls.
Sec. Z. And be IL further enacted, That salt
commissioners shall have power to emplo,
such surveyors agents, and other persons a
they may judge necessary to perform the worl
hereby committed to them, with full power {,
enter upon, appropriate, use. and condemn
any lands. waters, streams and materials o
any description necessary for the prosecution
of the improvement contemplated by this hill
Prorided, That when private property shall b.
taken for such purpose the same shall be con
demned and compensation made therefor il
the manner provided by the laws of the Stat,
of Iowa, or the State of Illinois, as the cas-
may be. And il shall be the duty Of said com
missioners to cause all the work done upoI
said canals to be let to the lowest responsible
bidder, at public lettings. of which sufficien
public notice by advertisement in the publ
newspapers shall be given.
Sec. s. And be IL further enacted, That til
revenues delivered from said canal, over an,
above the expenses Of management and of re
pairs, shall be paid into the Treasury of til
United States, and a separate account shall b
kept of such receipts.
Sec. 8. And be further enacted, Tina
the Government of the United States shall is
sue the sum of 50 900 000 in bonds of tn,
United States, to be issued by the Secretary
of the Treasury, redeemable twenty years from
date, bearing interest at the rate of six pc
cent. per annnm, payable semi-annually, f.
the purpose Of constructing said canals tn
said interest to be payable and the said bond
to he redecmable, out of moneys to be heresf
ter appropriated 10y Congress and the sai'
principal and interest to be reimbursed 10 tn
Treasury of the United States from the toll
and revenues of said canals,
Sec. 10. And be IL further enacted That tn
said bonds shall he issued in the. discretion O
the Secretary of the Treasury. in such sums a
may be required from time to time in tb,
prosecution of said work And said commits
sione,s shall furnish vouchers and proofs IL
duplicate az the work done and materials fur
nished. at such times, under such regulations
as the said Secretary may prescribe
Sec. IL. And be IL further enacted. Tha
said commissioners shall each rcceivesuch sala
~. not exceeding 50 500. as the Secretary o
the Treasury shall, with respect to their re
spective duties and services detirmine Ans
said commissioners shall respectively Civ
bonds for the faithful performance Of their du
ties in such amounts and upon such condition
as the Secretary Of the Treasury may prescribe
their duties shall cease upon the completion
of said canal.
After the reading of the amendment
Mr.. Allison said /:
Mr.. Speaker-lt is not my purpos
to make any remarks upon the orig
nal proposition before the House, bu
only to present few reasons to tn,
House why ! believe the amendmen
] had the honor to present few me
ments ago should be adopted. Tn
proposition contained in that amend
ment is simply to improve what ar
called the Upper and Lower rapids 9
the Mississippi-the Lower one a
Keokuk, Iowa, two hundred mile
above St. Louis and the Upper rapid
two hundred miles further mn tho rix