Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-05-17

on that commerce, is in itself a Just
reason why we should interfere and
pass this measure, in order that Con.
gress may have control over this ma
tional highway, connecting the lower
with the upper lakes, and thus connect
ing the lakes with the ocean, which
thus far has been to us an unknown
sea. And in order to keep this ques-
ton of tolls within the power of Con.
gress, | offered the amendment to the
twenty third section of the bill, giving
this control to Congress, in order that
we may not escape from the rapacious
Jaws of one class of monopolies to be
swallowed up by the voracious nav of
another and in the hope that this COM
peting highway may be used to cheap
en- transportation upon all the great
lines eastward upon which we now
depend to carry off our surplus pro-
auctions, and in some degree to meet
the growing wants and expectations
of an Industrious, intelligent, and vir-
tuous population, now numbering mil.
lions, who have cast their lot west of
the great lakes and in the valley of
the Mississippi. And here wish to
express the thanks of that people to
the honorable member from Massachu-
sets, [Mr. Banks, who spoke so elo-
quently on Saturday of the growing
wants of this great nation, and to his
colleague, Mr.. Eliot for his earnest,
persistent, and successful effort to i'm
prove the great river upon which we
must largely depend hereafter for the
transportation of our products.
Mr.. Speaker, if we would keep pace
with the growing civilization Of the
age in which we live, we must foster
and encourage our internal commerce,
by opening up new avenues, and i'm.
proving the natural highways which
Providence has carved out for us, and
thus encourage every branch of our in
dustry, and enable us with ease to
meet the great responsibilities and
burdens imposed upon us by the rebel
lion and war through which we have
passed, and from which we have sc
triumphantly emerged. This improve.
nent is but one link in the great chain
of improvements necessary to develop
our great material interests, and raise
this nation to the high and brilliant
destiny that awaits it.
Mr.. Speaker, the measure as it is
now presented, believe, has in it but
few if any Objectionable features, un
less it be the fact that it authorizes 8
corporation to construct this canal in
stead of providing for its construction
under the direct auspices of the Gen
eral Government. For myself, ! would
prefer that the government should it
self undertake this great work of mate
rial improvement, in order that it may
be as the ocean, free for the com
merce of the world but | have nc
doubt that whatever we could do by
ourselves we can do through the neces
sary agencies we may create. That
we have the power to create corpora
tion for this purpose was decided by
the Supreme Court in the case of Nc.
Cnlloch against the State of Maryland,
where it was decided expressley that
Congress has power, where an object
is necessary to be accomplished, to
create the means by which that object
may be accomplished, and that it may
create corporation as one of the
means, if that is deemed the best way
to accomplish the end sought to be at.
tanned. Here the hammer fell.