Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-05-07

Ihlrd-That IL may incorporate company
with authority to construct them.
Fourth-That it may exercise the right Of
eminent domain within a State in order 70
provide for the construction Of said railways
or canals etc.
F1fth-It may in it's exercise of the right of
eminent domain, take for public use, paying
just compensation therefor, any existing rail-
way or canal owned by private persons
corporations. These propositions are dis
cussed at considerable length in the report of
the committee. and the decisions of the courts
from which they were deducted are there
cited. After q most careful consideration of
the merits of the various proposed improve
ments, taking into account the cost, practical
bility and probable advantages of each, the
committee have come to the unanimous con-
clusion that the following are the most FEAST
Bile and advantageous channels of commerce
to be created or improved by the National
Government, and Congress shall act upon this
subject, namely:
First-The Mississippi river;
Second-A continuous water-line of ade-
quate capacity from the Mississippi river to
to the city of New York, uid the northern
lakes.
Third-A route adequate to the wants of
commerce, through the central tier of States,
from the Mississippi river, ria the Ohio and
Kanawha rivers, to point in West Virginia,
thence by canal and slack-water or by freight
railway to tide water.
Fouth-A route from the Mississippi river,
ria the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, to a point
in Alabama or Tennessee, aud thence by canal
and slack water, or by freight-railway to the
ocean.
The Committee estimate the cost of the i'm
provement to the Mississippi river at SIC, OO0,-
| 600; of the Northern route, including the Fox
and WISCONSIN River canal, and Hennepn
canal. aud enlargement of the New York
canals, the cost is estimated at $4,000, 900; of
the central route. including the radical i'm
| provement of the Ohio river to give six or
| seven feet of navigation at low water, and of
| the kanawha river to give six feet of water,
| S25 600 900, and the connection by canal or
| freight-railway to tide-water in Virginia:
canal to cost SIS, 100000. or railroad $685.
000 900.
OF the Southern route the improvement of
| the Tennessee river, to give three feet of
navigation, and the construction of a canal
or freight railway to the Atlantic ocean at a
cost respectively of S35 900, 600 or $50 000 600.
| If canals be constructed the total cost will be
about SIS. 000, 900. If the railways be chosen,
the total cost will be about 1920, 900. An
actual expenditure of from $50, 900, 900 to $685.
| 100000 per annum will be required for six
years, when the whole can be completed. The
resulting benefits will for all time annually
repay more than the entire cost But l am
| asked how the money is to be raised for these
improvements. reply, by system of rigid
economy IN all expenditures not absolutely
necessary, by which nearly enough can be
saved for this purpose.
Secondly the issue of public improve
ment bonds, or, third, by taxation if the latter
policy be adopted; l suggest that
| restoration of the tax tea and cof-
fee will produce about $40, 900, 900 per annum.
which will be sufficient to complete the entire
work in six years. The repeal of that tax has
caused but little, if any. reduction in the cost
of this article, and Its restoration would not
materially increase it. At the end of six years
. the tax could be repealed. and these great
public works would stand forever as monu-
ments to the wisdom of the present Congress-.
1 do not believe, however, that it would be
necessary either to issue bonds or to levy ad-
ditional taxes.
The Inauguration of the system Of internal
improvements indicated would so stimulate
the business energies of the country that we
would find it easier to raise the additional
revenue required than it now is to meet ex-
isting obligations.