, 1865-02-08

[from Our Special Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 6, 1866.
The Legislature have been occupied during
the week With minor mstters. The Senate
passed bill No ], appropriating S75,0 900 for
the expenses Of the session. and turned 1t
over to the HouEe. On its Introduction into
the latter Branch Of the Assembly, Mr.. Hig-
gins moved to amend by allowing those men,
bers Of the last House who were absent With
out leave, sum equal to the deduction then
made from their pay. On Thursday, the bill
came up in regular order. Higgins amend
mcnt was adopted after short squabblc,
when b1r. Branha1n moved to amend further
by appropriating the sum Of sl35, 900, to re-
pay the money borrowed by Governor Morton
from various counties and individuals. The
money was borrowed to sustain the Beneyo-
lent Institutions. The bill also proposed to
Gllow six per cent interest on said sums until
repaid.
The Buttcruuts fillIbustered for some time
over The amendment. Buskirk and Brown
ventilated their spite, hut all in vain. Bran
ham, Griffith, and others On the Union side,
held them square up to the work, and the bill
thus amended was passed-ayes, Sc; nays.
20. It is probable that the Senate will con-
cur at an early day.
On Monday last Mr. Wright introduced
William Young, Of Porter county. and Eiihu
Griffin, David Turner and Zera f. Summers,
OF Lake county, to dlE canal from the Calu-
me- net river t. to Lake Michigan. The object Of
Illinois Calumet feeder dam backs up Upon
lands in Lake and Porter counties. This has
got to be terrible nuisance, The Lceisla-
ture Of 1868 directed the State Attorney Gen
e1al to commence suit against the Canal
Company to have the dam removed, but In
the excitement Of these war times It has been
neglected. The new Attorney General, how
ever, is going to take hold Of tho matter.
Mr. Nr1ght's bill vas referred to the Com
mtttee on the Judiciary. On Friday Senator
Niles, Of LaPotte, chairman Of that commit
tee, reported back the bill with m amend
ment striking out the names Of tie gentle
men above Eecited, and making the act gen-
eral in its character. They recommend the
passage Of the bill when thus amended. Mr,
Niles said, when presenting the report that
the judiciary Committee Lad madc rad;car
changes in the bill, the chief object Of which
was to prevent the possibility Of the mat
unjust speculation. Re remarked t' tut the be-
Calumet river flows west through the north
ern part Of this State, nearly parallel to tho
southern end Of Lake Michigan. Alter enter
ing the State Of Illinois it returns upon itself
tiIQ e1utla4G5 1uLO Tue lAhE. Inc ElT38m Is Dor
dered By wide marsh and bottom lands. The
Michigan and Illinois Cannl company, in or
der to provide IN additional feeder ior their
canal, hare built dam across the rirer near
the line Of this State, and hare flooded many
thousand acres ofland In Lake county. The
people Of that county feel themselves agriey-
cd bY the act. Lake Michigan Is below the
lcyel Of the water In the Calumet, and is only
8 short distance from it. Engineers nre Of
the opinion that hy digging channel from
the river to the Lake, Tic surplus water can
be drained Oft from the valley Of the Calumet,
and he lands reclaimed; The bill, as modi-
fed By the committee, simply gives the con-
cent Of the State to the drainage Of the river
by any company which may be Organized un-
der the general Law, in regard to the drainage
Of swamp 1onds. This may seem like sum
mary and harsh remedy for the wrong done
State. But, ifthe action contemplated should
prove nnjustitiable, the canal company can
have complete remedy In the Federal courts
We're it proper for him to take eognIzance of
the affairs Of our nelghbozs, he would say
that It Eonld be q good thing Il the action
Chicago and Illinois to deepen their canal, 60
as to feed 1t from Lake Michigan. They are
abundantlJ able to do 1t without begging aid
from the General Government. While giving
them an Invaluable channel for commerce. It
would remove tho nuisance OF the Chicago
some place. The committee had perfected
the bill according to the best OF their ability,
but he Wns desir0ns that We should be guilty
of 20 dtsconrtesy toward aneighboring State,
and IN order to insure full consideration, he
moved that the bill, with the amendments,
he referred to the committee on Canals and
Internal improvements.
The bill was 50 referred.
The representatives from the Northwest
eru portion Of the State are clsmorous for Its
passage. They claim tha: II the canal: was
dug, and the water thereby drained off from
the lands, that the Illinois and Michigan
Company would have 10 resort to pumping
at Bridgeport to fill the canal, and that the
pumping would thus create q current in the
Chicago River, and draw off tho filth which
well nigh renders Chicago uufuhabitable dur
ing the heated term, and make the water
pure II this be true your cItY fathers could
well afford to come down here and help lob
BY the bill through. 1t will probably pass,
however.
Mr.. Whiteside, Of Wabash, introduced into
the House on Friday Joint resolution, adopt
Ing and 1atifylng the proposed amendment to
the Federal Constitution abo1ishing slavery.
Whether 1t Was because he corrected tancied
glory or not cannot say, but lie might have
the proper time for its introduction.
The Governor, not anxious to 60 of half
cooked In such grave matters, was Whiting
to receive certified copy from Washington.
He received 1t Saturday, and will Send it In
to-day, accompanied by message urging Its
adoption. It will be passed ii good time.
The Copresheads, however, will exhaust al1
the resources Of Etatesmanship" to defeat 1t,
but they might as well try to whistle down
the wind. Indiana wants, and Will have, her
little Share in indlctine this deadliest blow to
the shareholders rebellion.
Gov. Morton will ask Of this Legislature m
appropriation Of about 920, coo, to encourage
Immigration to the State. The influx Of for
eigners, especially Germans, into the country,
vii BE- unusually large this year, and Indiana
needs them. 1t is proposed to send trusty
agents to Europe torepresent the advantages
not become "clean dat" with political
glamour, they'll attend to the matter.
Recruiting hasn't been so active in twelve
months as now. We shall have eleven full
regiments BY the 18th, aud perhaps more
Tie first district has already recruited over
1,500 men. The boys arc hurrying up and
donning the blue clothes In hopes to b. IN at
the death Of the rebellion; and Indlana will
snatch the brush If she can. Dor.