, 1870-08-11
THE ST. CLAIR FLATS CANAL.
official Papers Itegnting 10 Its Lo~
cRtlon&
IL EsfE. Eaunf Attd

official Papers Etegnttng 10 Its Lo~
cation%
From The Drfroit Rpst, Aug.9.
The following copies Of otici,1 correspond
ence. in regard TO the international position OF
the ST. clair Flats Canal, will be found inter.
esting. This correspondence would seem to
se.tle the question as to the location Of the
LISTED STATES ESG.SEEas UrFlcE,)
lArnoSkn1 ,;sKof5 II Si,s sL1,S II, TAIs : tn
To Breret Major Generai A: 4 Humphreys,
Brisdaier General, Chief Of Engineers:
SsR: In reply to the letter from your Office
Ct tie 23d INST, transmitting ona from the
Honorable Secretary Of the Treasury to the
turned to you), relative to the location Of the
new clip canal ncrosn the st. Clair Flats, I
have tho honor to report:
!. When submitted my first report, with
plans for this work, August IL, 1866, I was un-
Ger tic impression that it would be in Cana
din waters. But eoon after submitting thrt
report was officially advised in a note from
the then Superintendent General ". F. Nay-
nolds1 OF the Lake Surrey, whom had invited
to read the report. that Was il error on this
point, aud that the boundary between Canada
and the United States was to tho eastward OF
my contemplated location / immediately
transmitted this motto to tho Chief Engineer,
and requested it TO be made part Of my re-
port, Al It would strengthen my reasons for
the construction of the canal By being brought
within United States waters, and thus 1enov-
u.g all objection tlat might a.ise on account
OF supposed location in Canadian waters,
and obviatlng all negotiation between the two
governments upon tho question Of location.
1Eis note from General Kayno!dA Has made 4
part Of mr report.
2. The question Of tile adoption OF the
new plan tot the Improvement was not docid-
ed until By act Of Congress, March 2, 1867.
making smother appropriation for the work.
In this act Congress provided that 1t ehould
bo constructed as had planned ia my second
report, December 10, 1856, which was supple
tneutal to my first report already alluded TO.
Consequent upon this act Of Congress, the
thief Engineer made an official statement to
tho then SECRETARY of War (Mr- Stsnton) in
substance, that the work, as planned, would
pot be i'll Canadian waters, and with the Chief
Engineers letter to me March Il, 1860. di-
rectinG me to proceed With the construction,
4 cuIy Of that statement waB transmitted to me.
Accordingly located tho work, aud it now
stands jus: where it was planned to Be-, and
| where Congress decided it should be, leaving
the boundary to the eastward Of the entire
I work as contemplated in the Chief Eagineer's
statement. It may be s2ld. however, that at
the head Of the work the boundary, as laid
down on an official map have since seen,
| comes very near TO the upper end Of tho east
| ward, and increasing in distance from, aud to
the eastward OF, the dixie as we come further
into Lake st. Clair. No: particle OF the
canal, Or Of tle banks arc at all in tie river
| but IT il wholly III tile lake. When made my
iret report, could not Era.lily obtain M ofli-
cisl map With tue boundary marked across
tlese ilat= which arc in the lake. was gov
erncl hF vessel track On m ordinary map,
which considered might be a boundary line,
but whicl, aftcrwasd discovered WAS not.
3. flase hot the slightest ioubt Ut tie cor
! ,ectners of Genernl l:aynolls' opinion, nor Of
the sccuracv 9f tho statement OF the cllisf
engineer Nieuerni Iiurnphreys), nor Of tho
| a,curary Of the making Of the boundary Oh
TIE t'ititial map alre,,iy referred to. The maps
cf Michigan aud Canada which mieled me arc
Ec. to be relied OH for this question. I
link tic Hon. Secretary 0! tho Treasury may
| rest assured that the canal aud its embauk-
nfnt- urc wholly within our own waters, aud
Nl'lsl1l the Jurisdiction Of the United States.
Srl. RESPECTFULLY your oteiieut servaul,
| I. ]. Guam. Colonel Engineers,
| ...... Drcvct Msjor General, U. S. \.
| LN1nACT ino.I TIE STATEMENT OF TIE CHIEF
ESa1SEEn.
| E>aiSEKR DEpAn14Exr,
| WAstaISs1ToS, March .. 1s67.(
| IN r. NJ SfdH{0ti. ofcsetuGpDf Var.
| SlR-According to the view Goucfal Cram
took Ut tho subject in lis report Of August,
le6G. this canal would lie in British territory,
| Lut, upon an examination Of the maps and
report Of tho boundary Commission, it il
found not to be 30, osc.
The canal will be wholly within tho United
states Territory, etc.
Very respectfully your obediont servant,
tSlEned1 A. 4. HUMPHREYS.
EriGadiez General and Chief OF Engineers, otc