The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-01-12

from the contingent war fund.
In connection with this subject, feel
justified in alludinQ to the important service
rendered to our soldiers by he State Siniiary
| Commission. From 4 report before ne, made
by Colonel John r. Wood, WAC has been its
faithful Secretary for years, it appears that
the Sanitary COMMUNION paid. in cash
For supplies sent ~ the fad, f.on January july,
80. SUI ~
tt Soldiers II jme in Springfield S2l1
Sent home !, oi2 men hy Trii cash paid 3a6i
Donated to Orphans Home INSTRUMENTATION. 5000
Advanced 70 hepioss ss!liors. 5000
Am1aat Of soldiers Claims colis-ted an paiI, at
~ per cent cUmnisS h......- se}Sy3
This nobls charity /. closing It's operations
in the fsId, deserves the generous nrAise Of
~ good people.
PUBLIC TaPRC T,rzrr.
-. annual reports of the Boari of Trustees
OF ihe Illinois and Michigan CaI.d for 1850
and 1866, with the accompanying exhibits, - be
laid before You, contain Il complete history OF
ihe operations. repairs and renewals % me
canal, and a statement Of the receipts and tx
pendItures for the past two years. fhe Tr0s-
tees were appointed and took charge OF the
lanai IN June, 1915. under the aw OF 1913, c,-a-
tim the trust. In loiS the canal was completed.
and has been constantly and faithfully operated
and nanaged by the Trustees ever a!Ece- by
the provisions 81 the law tie trustees retain tie
canal until all registered canal indebtedness
shall b.. paid. when the trust viii expire and
the canal and all its property Will revert TO the
State. The fourteenth dividend OF five per cent
on the registered bonds was paid Oh the Il day
4 the present month, leaving not AR Grpn 81
Or o10 of this Indebtedness still outstanding
aLi DpaId. From June, lSfJ. to November 80
Is5G he trustees have received from the loan,
Of = OJt 900. from sale of canal Lands and lots
tolls interest. etc, ss,>f5, 53i 81; and during
the same lime have expended in payment OF the
loan Of 81 go CJO, arrears Of InteyeS! and div
- I'd lad tptlr. mr.
mIums gold TC pairs, renewals and operation
of the canal, 3, 345, 53A9l, less 81 SCI - Lsss
on counterfeit money and broken bank bills.
and 1851 400. - in the auds 81 the Treasurer,
November go 1856. In l.5j the receipts from
tolls amounted TO 1900 SO: an excess over tie
previous year of sl4i COZ aud over any preeed-
ing year of 80 900. In Is - tie receipts from
thIs source were 900, g5S. The canal VTJPcT "a
niDety-six miles long, with twcn. six miss OF
navIgable feeders, connecting with the IllIrols
river at La Sale. MAXIM. line OF wafer cJlI-
munication Of three hundred and twenty miles
from the Mississippi river 70 Lake Michigan.
SO intimately are the canal and river rel-ted TO
aud dependent upon each other, that the stage
of water in the river each year materially Affects
the amount of tolls collected by the State frsm
the canal The high water III the river TOR the
past two wears gave Us almost directly the
largely increased revenues above stated Gould
afford to look at the improvement OF the
CATION OF the Illinois river IN this view alone.
II j. readily seen what material benefit wau.1
Tow from II TO .hc state. IAt river and cam.
belong to the State, bI: our people are wiling
that both should be made available for the com
rirrcc Of the country. We very much desire
additional facilities for the outlet and ralet Of
the growing and suffering commerce ofthe great
NorthWest-our abuudanI surplus produce must
get To market without being ChOsed TO death +;
neither the United States nor Illinois can afford
to cramp commerce or permit II - be delayed
with local hIn ORANGES. IL Is folly To talk about
encouraging agriculture and manufactures, and
attempt TO squeeze both 10 market tarJ ugh
Il q
Here we have = fac river two hundred and
twenty miles long, with fall OF only twenty
eight feet. which can, for about 81 o. tt', be
T1GGe II bear iucalculASle amount OF com
mcrct across the State 10 an Eastern and West
ern market for nearly nine month IN the year,
which would yield revenue sufficient n q few
years to pay the cost Of the improvement. At q
rate Of tolls 80 low scarcely 10 be EotIce.jir;
while u i true that this ImprOv yemen, would ~
some sense he local - those cJGatIes lying inn
meGia;Ciy aioug It's banks II Is also true II
would beucac.l!Ir affect u very large portion oi
the State. and indirectly the whole State, just
IS Lake u chi gan and the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers do. II would BE better also TO enlarge
the Illinois and Michigan Canal now but forty
five feet wide. with four fee; OF water, to one
hundred and Sky feet wide EttEe surface. with
seven feet or water. supplied from Lake MIcEI-
gan. forever pouring IHto ;he DeSplaincs, AZ
Joliet body Of water sufficient 70 bear ali steam
craft from the Mississippi river, with unbrokeU
bulk. into Lake Michigan. This Is cminentiF q
ought 10 6e respectfully bu; urgently 5es!eEed.
through our Representatives in Congress, and
by every other proper and available influence.
TO make appropriations 1t once for ta!s object
/ hope vonr boaorable body wIil during the
presen; session again press this Subject upon
the consideration OF our nGtiCEai Congress. Il
i = work OF some magnitude TO be imposed up
on the State; and, although We are able to 40
H. coasilering the general benefits that are 10
result from Il, IL Is neither just nor exped!cat
for the General Government 10 leave IL II our
enterprise, even should it be considered Ind.s-
TcnSabie for the State to begin the Improvement
by making the Illinois river uayIgab!e Tor steam
. ats from the mouth TO La Sale. for the entire
season of navigation ; for II often occurs that
boats % Ike iightest traught are. for months
at 4 time prevented from running NJ all We
ought not 10 abandon the expectation OF sSsls-
lance from the General Government, nor do
believe We are yet without reasonable hope that
Congress NAV be Induced TO take this whole i'm
pTovemeat II hand, au5 complete II in u manner
commensurate with the nrTer ceasIng demands
OF an exuberant and growing commerce,
Under tue act of Congress approved ,'une -,
1866 making appropriations Tor tns repairs, eiG-'
of certain public works commenced uIder the
authority Of the law, and for other purposes,
the Secretary Of War was authorized to provide
for an examination and surrey, among other
points. of the Rock river III tie State of ILLINOIS
and Wisconsin, and the Illinois river from It's
mouth to La Sale, together with such necessary
estimates OF cost therein before provided, as
will enable the Secretary OF War to determIae
what improvements and public works shall De
necessary at the respective points aforesaid j.
II. Wilson, Captain of Engineers and Brevet
Major General C. : a, was design ated to ma he
the examination and survey and duriag the
past summer and fall has been engaged in max
ing such surveys as the limited appropriation
at his command would permit. From CORES
pondencc with him | am led TO believe we may
expect his report to be of the most favorable
character General Wilson native son of Hi |
nois, fully impressed with the Importance OF
these lmpro veIncnts, will zcalously urge upon
the National Government the necessity of their
early completion. At his earnest solicitation
and TO aid him in laying before Congress every
important fact connected with the Improvement /
of the Illinois river. 1 was induced To purchase
for the State the Surrey of the Illinois river, /
made in 1857 by Mr.. Preston, well known for /
his long connection with our public works, be- /
lieyed to be a most accurate, full and complete
survey of that river, with the field notes, maps
and protilcs all of which lwerc deposited IN
the Office of the Bcrd of Trustees OF Illinois and
Michigan Canal at Lockport, In the special Gus
tody of William Gooding, the secretary and of
which the State could not obtain the use with !
out first paying to the executor of Mr. Preston
estate the of fifteen hundred dollars.
similar survey could not now be made by the
State, | am informed, for less than twenty thous-
and dollars. 1 felt that the Importance attach
ed to this survey, and the use to be made of IT,
would justify me IN using the contingent fund
for this purpose. Should your honorable body
be inclined TO approve my action IN this matter
ILLS Will De a. 'Oi "'|
purposes oflegislation in relation to that river.
ieneraI Wilson has had the full benefit OF this
survey in making the examination OF and report
upon this river tits now held by Mr.. GoodlnS
at the canal Office, subject 10 the oruef OF thc
Governor of the State.
The act of the last session of the General As
,emby, approved February Is, 1865, for secur.
pg the completion of the Summit Division of
he Illinois and Michigan canal upon the origi-
,al deep CUT plan, and to secure the thor
"a Oh cleansing OF the Chicago river granted to
he City Of Chicago the right to enter into an
rrang cement with the Board of Trustees of said
anal, with view to the speedy accomplishment
If the work. As the amount to be expended by
he city of Chicago for this purpose is to be a
harge and vested lien upon the canal and its
evenues after the payment ofthe present canal
lebt to an amount not to exceed 81 500 600,
md 10 that extent is charge upon the State,
[ would have seemed prudent TO have provided