, 1866-12-25
TIE HURON AND OnTAHto Shin
CANAL.

beautiful Passages Of the two greatest hI.to
ries. ~@'''e
TIE HURON AND onTAHto sHsx
CANAL.
heport OF tho Board Of Traae Com
nittee.
Trade of The City q chieaso: u 'ns n"afa
DEAR SIR: Your COMMITTEES annof,.s, +,
response TO the invitation Of the Pres,drn
and Provisional Directors of tha Huron an;
oneailo Snip Canal, beg leave respectfully t
report that they proceeded to TORONTO. ar
irving IN that city on the evening of the 18th
and that they weso most cordially received
oy the President and Directors of The C,n.
company, and BY ]arge number OF the les Il
.ns citizens OF Toronto. Most Of the nert
Gay Wss spent In examining I large numbe,
ot uhps ana prohlcs In the Office or the com
pans. and the committee were especially In
tefcsted In typographical model of tn,
country through which the canal Is 10 mas.
From these and other sources of ,nfoz,
nation they are entirely satisfied al
Inc feasibility OF the work. True
II VIII cost large amount Of money, but the
vask and rapidly Increasing commerce of tht
"est Will warrant whatever outlay of capf
ta4 IL may require. The location Of the
caoal and the lakes with reference 10 the nrr,
Willing Winds OF eumme- making It abou.
certain that vessels could make AZ msrv
tStle to Os~eGo and Kingston - 10 Buffalo
and With precisely the same cost. with the
exception Of the tolls on the canal: nyo,dtng
tue ICES BY damage 10 grain In the summer
In
Canal, believed by the committee to be flve
per cent OF It's value; the shortening Of the
distance between Lakes Michigan, Huron
and Superior and the Atlantic seaboasd b7
some three hundred miles, thus avoiding
also the difficult navigation on 81. Clair River
and Lake Withits flats and bars, the t1tp over
Lake Erie land the Wellaud Canal !:
t1a TACT that the shipments
VI .ue Proaaets OF the country tributary to
Lake Michigan have not materially Ia.
creased Tor the last five or elx years, Ill fur.
n'sh conclusive evidence, a. It seems Ia
the committee, that this canal, with the st,
Lawrence River can afford the only ndeouate
avcnue for the vast commerce OF the West
1t is reported that there are now building
lpon the lakes some forty vessels ofa thou
sand tons carrying capacity; but they will
afford very little ralief, for the railway, aud
canals east Of Lake Erie have for sereral
years been found inadequate. to the wants OF
the west, ~ their enormous freight tatifta
nonndantly prove. The great and immediate
necessity for this work aud the fact that II
would at once pay fair interest upon it's
cost, and in very few years prove immense
y productive, has impressed Itself most
deeply upon tn. convictions Of your com
lnittee.
But the ronte for this canal, with the lower
st. Lawrence and its canals, Hes wholly
within the territory Of our Canadian neirh-
oors. 1t may seem impcrtincnt IL US to do
more than to assure them that If they will
build the canal, or, by the assistance Of Eur.
sano, whose breadstnds and provisions, If II
we're finished, would cost her enough less
every two or three years to pay for the work,
secure Its construction, the West will furnish
II, at good paying rates. with all the business
IL can possibly do. But waving all consid
erattons Of dclicacy, the committee arc pre.
pared whenever the Canadian people BECOME
thoroughly determined 10 tnke hold OF the
Work In real earnest. to urge that the eutTee
Northwest give to 1t all the moral and pecu-
hlary aid they eau possibly com.
nand- It will benefit our agricultural
inineral, mercantile and manufacturing
Interests immensely, and We should
be ready to support and MD 1t With an Gu
cTEy commensurate with the Immense bcae-
tits 1t would bcstow upon the country.
Your committee were glad to observe that
there Is among our Canadian neighbors
much better feeling towards this great work:
more unanimity OF sentiment and a fl, bet
Ter appreciation of the feasibility aud The
great necessity Of this great continental en-.
te1prisc. The banquet given to your COM
n,ittee aud representatives from Osreeo- nv
Tile President and Provisional Directors Of
the Canal Company, mud his Worsbin tbc
mayor aud leading citizens OF Toronto. Wa
u magnificent affair. The unsn,n,1ir ,,..;>
tested In the Importance OF the work and Tho
kindly and fraterna1 sentiments Expressed
towards our country, were OF the most cordial
and cheering character. In cenernl vour
received = most klud and courte-
Gus welcome from the many abIe aud dlsttu-
guished gentlemen whom they met at the
banquet, aud with whom they mingled So
cially while at Toronto. Your COMMITTEES
sincerely hope that tho opening Of this canal
at an carly day will bind Toronto and Chi
caEn, Canada aud the Great Northwest, to-
.cthcr In the most intimate social aud COM
ncrclal relations Tour committee will ever
llare the most pleasant remembrance Of their
sis't to Toronto. They also beg to uckrowl.
rdEe the very great courtesy they received
from the managers and all connected with
the Michigan Central aud the Cauada Great
Western Railwaya. All OF which Ia respect.
fully submitted.
WN. BRoss,
Tuos. L. PARKER,
LIP. H1LLlARp,
GEO. Il. LArLIS,
Committee.
CHICAGO, December u, 1855.