Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-02-17
INTERNAL NAVIGATION. AND TIE EFFECTS
OF THE CANAL SYSTEM oF THE DOMlN
Ion cS TIE GENERAL CoNNEACE


To would be difficult 90 over-estimate the im-
port4nce, 90 the people Of the Dominion OF secur-
ing 10 the route Of the 81. Lawrence the great
and growing trade Of the Northwest In tie
possession Of the s.. Lawrence the Dominion hiss
power independent Of political bouudaries or
political distinctions The people now resident
in the Western United States. as well as those
who will yet inhahit that vast region west Of
Lake Superior. are al just as much interested 10
the opening up Of the route from the Upper
Lakes, through the 81. Lawrence, to IT'S fullest
capacity, as those resident in the Dominica
Canada. in creating the Dominion, has hy the
Act OF Confederation, assumed s Continental
attitude She desires that her jurisdiction
should extend 20 the Pacific snd great res
possibility is thereby incurred 20 DO Ler part in
developing, TO the greatest extent. the vsst water
communications from the head of Lake Superior
and Michigan 10 tide water. Mt Only should
this be done, but policy should be initiated, hy
which, within the next ten years. tie Eastern
Provinces and the Eastern States. should he
united with the Pacific Coas by a Northern
route Of Railway, and thus unite B british Colum-
bic, at the West, with ail tie British province,
at the Fast. under one Government.
The truth, however. is, that Canada has uot
sufficiently appreciated the present and future
growth Of the western iuterio-. nor realized the
greatness Of our position, il view Of that growth.
The St. Lawrence and the Mississippi are the
great outlets which give lie and prosperity 10
the lands adjoining them but the St. Lawrence,
from its immediate connection with the great
lakes or inland seas. embraces more extended
and extending population.
4 map Of North Ameries will show 10 the West
Of Lake superior a great plain from which
rivers flow into the ocean North, South and East
about > 900 feet above the level Of the sea. On
one side there is the Mississippi 70 the east,
the st. Lawrence and Lakes, giving 4 natural
navigation to the Atlsn,c Of >, 500 miles; and
to the north, the Saskatchewan and Severn,
which have a natursl but not continuous Davi-
getion fer 1000 miles 10 Hudsons Bay. The
district referred 70, now embraces eight Of the
North Western States, besides Manitoba ani
other parts Of Western Canada. This territory
contains 400. 900 square miles Of land. capable
Of fculuyatioQ, is now occupied by over l2,oF,-
600 Of people, and Is capable Of sustaining ZJo,-
100000. The portion lying between the drain
age Of the Saskatchewan and Red Rivers pos
sesses & climate and soil analogous tc the water
shed ofthe Baltic. and these can all be linked by
the St Lawrence to the East, if the people Of the
Dominion are true to themselves in Offering and
creating favorable facilities for transportation
This great district Of country hes forests of the
finest lumber and most valuable minerals, and
the soil produces the largest crops ofceress, but
all these advantages could not exist but for the
water-liues to the Ocean, which furnish 50 cheap
a transport for the immense commerce which has
grown up between it and the markets Of the
world For this trade even as II nov exists,
(the future Of which none can predict,i costly
works have been constructed in the United States
aud Canada to attract ani secure it 10 each of
the Eastern Atlantic cities The vast and in-
creasing volume Of this trade has become so in
mense, that it is nov highly important 70 sscer-
tain its best channel Of outlet, and if this can be
established beyond controversy. then there can
he no expenditure too great for securing such
national advantage
The value Of the commerce Of the Lakes in
1909 was ascertAined to be more than seven hum
dred millions Of dollars. and the value Of the
commerce on the New York Canals in the same
year exceeded three hundred million Of dollars.
while the value OF the trade by the various trunk
railways between the West and East has been
estimated at four hundred millions. The water
communications existing at present for the distri-
button Of the products Of that Western country
are as follows:
The Mississippi River, the upper portion of
which runs along the western border of the ter