Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1869-01-29

terested in cheap transportation, and orll
desire fair remuneration for the money
theY inv sted in this Enterprise.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, l presume there is ne
western man here who would stand up il
his place in this House of Representative,
and say that be was opposed to the building
Of this Niragara~ship canal. Certainly
would not do so. l am in favor Of thi
measure, as am in favor of every measure
which has a tendency to cheaper transpor'
tation between East and West but in The
present condition of TIE Treasury of The
United States it becomes question for tn.
people of the West to determine which o
these great systems of water communication
shall be first prosecuted to completion, o.
whether they shall all he completed as ono
system of water communication. | regard
the one embodied in ny amendment as o
at least equal importance, aud iht relorc one
which should be considerd now in connec,
tion with the main proposition before the
House, especially so rs both improvement,
can be made with the appropriation asked fol
in this bill, and both being in the Interest
Of cheap navigation Cannot conflict with
each other. submit to the gentleman
from New York, who argued here yesteida,
that the true interest of the people Of The
West was to divert this appropriation for the
purpose Of enlarging the New York canals
that the canal policy Of New York ha:
not been. aud Is not to-day liberal polio,
toward the graia producing States Of th,
West.
When l interrupted him yesterday Il
state that the Esie canal had placed SIS,
600, 900 in the treasury Of New York orel
and above the cost Of that canal and it.
maintenance and repair, only stated wha
is the ihruih. In other words, sir, the peo
pie of the Western States, for the transpor,
tatioa of their cereals to the markets O
the world, have ben compelled to pay into
the New York treasury the entire cost OF the
Erie canal and sl5,00),000 besides. |
know that the gentleman replied that The
whole canal system Of Ny. York cost SO, ,00(
900 mere than has been paid into its treas
ury but, sir, be forgot, or at least he die
not say to this House, that lateral thess can
ais built from various parts Of New York tc
connect with this EaEis canal for the pur,
pose OF benefting one or two or three coun
ties have peculiar privileges accorded to
them in The way Of drawbacks. These
drawbacks to these lateral lines almost
cqnal the entire cost Of transportation o.
products psssi, from them into The Erie
conal, which cost 10 added 10 the through
tolls on the main line. Thus it will be seen
that by the policy Of New York the Wss, is
compelled to pay the entire cost of this
Earle canal Is well as the cost of keeping
it up, ior t.ey charge the through traffic
with these tolls and relieve their own cit-
zens BY means of these drawbacks from the
payment Of any toll whatever on the main
line. Therefore it is sir, that the people OF
West have been led to consider the subject
Of building this ship canal for the purpose
of reducing, it possible, the high tolls o
this Earle canal. under the control Of the
canal board Of New York, by securing q
competing water line from Lake Erie to the
sea board.
In saving what do with reference to the
canal policy Of the State OF New York, do
not underestimate the value Of the Erie can
al to West. Computing the charges made
by the Erie and New York Central railroads
for the transportation, and comparing them
with the actual cost OF transportation by the
Erie canal from Buffalo to New Y rk, the
saving 10 the people East AID West for ten
years from 1855, to 1864 ielusive, reached in
round numbers the sum Of SITS, 000, 900, or
about eighteen million dollars perannum.
Yet during this time the actual cost Of trans>
porta,ion on the Canal, compared with the
receipts, was about !weniy>one per cent,
while the actual cost Of railrrad transporta,
tion. compared with the receipts, was nearly
sixty per cent. This great reduction fur.
nishes On incontrovertible argument in favor
Of extending these water liues TO the Missis~
sippi river, which leads me to the immed.
ale consideration Of the amendment which
have proposed to this bill, which proposes
to diver,e $l,t00,0o0 appropriated by this
bill for the purpose of securing practica>
Bile water line from the Mississippi to the
chain Of lakes on our northern border. This
is essential to all. the State
west 0. lake Michigan, in orbcr that these
States may avail themselvers Of cheap water
lines east of Lake Erie.
The States resting ou the borders Of these
lakes have now, BY means Of the Erie canal,
cheap rates, while the States
ives, are compelled TO rely wholly upon rail.
roads TO Chicago or Milwaukee or transport
their proucts to New York via New Orleans
By means of the navigation Of the Missssi>
pi obsructed as il is by the rapids at Rock
island, which distractions hope will be
removed during the next year
by means OF appropriations already made,
aud others which hope will be mad before
he close OF the present Congress.
II is well known to every Western man
hat during navigation in the summer months
il costs from Fifty to seventy cents per hun.
lred for transportation from New York 10
Chicago by water, 1000 miles, while from
Chicago to Dubuque, distance of oniy ls3
miles, We are compelled to pay 6hy>fve to
seventy Eve cents per hundred BY railroad.
The western people will say to their Repre>
here that they are not content
with this Niagara ship canal alone unless
hey can also have with it such an improves
nent US will relieve them from the onerous
axation imposed by the railroads running
rom Chicago to the Mississippi river.
Therefore i, is that call the attention Of
he House most earnestly 10 lhe improves
nent suggested in my amendment. II is
perfectly feasible improvement, Ms is shown
BY the report OF the engineer bureau OF the
War department, after a careful rursey by
one OF the mos, skilliul engineers. allude,
pf course, to General Warren. He reports
that il is feasible improvement, aud is the
which can be made for he purpose
of connecting lake navi.aticn with ,hS Mis-