, 1879-01-23
DRAINAGE.

|
. tion of n TIlc-Atnkcra' 'AssnciRttoM-afatn"-
rial IN tho Legislature.
SrR1hoF1HtD, Jan. 2o.-An association WAS
formed hero On Tuesday for The purpose OF urE.
Ing upon the Legislature tho Importance Of the
passagc Of Drainage law. ". ". Arnold, OF
Whitehall, was chosen President, ansl the lion.
D. II. Hnrtx chosen Secretary. The evening sea-
sion was taken up 1argc}y With general di.c''f'
sion upon the drainage Gucstiun, and the best
means To bc used with reference to thr passage
Of law under the constitutional amendment. /
The following rcsitlon. which Inns been largely |
circulated and si9ncj, was presented TO Tic
Association, With the request that It nc !a,i be.
furo the Legislature with the Endorsement I'll |
the Drainage Association:
To Lhs Honorable ths St'tnte and th' Home Of
1..s; % oo. x 1s,ncs.,y Sti hf inritU s a.
tcntion Of your honorable bHly to the condition
| ot our lnws on tl!c subject oF drainage:
! !. Tie at OF 1871, entitled "AH at TO pro.
drains, bitches. lcvccs md other works." coil.
8istng Of flfty-six sections, ilas been rendered.
| practically vntuclcss by rrasor Of decision OF
.lykc IS. Wright, rcpurtcd In Elgllty-Firss Iii
i. Tho sct Of 1877, while Il probably was rs
good a. could be passed at tint time, owins 10
| thu public demand upon this important salblnct.
.. Extensive works, In various f'arts of INC
State, have becn commenced under tl'n laws
nhovc referred 10, which eahtiot he i!ntsfeli, or
kept In repair without the passage Of some leg
| tslatton.
j. The benefits OF these works. nnl The vast
amount uf In0ncy expended In constructing
them, will be lost unless legislation can speedily
be had.
proner s5.tem 81 , es;.a'o aFs a. etaeM =, ,et ..
d. When reclaimed, 1t Is estimated these landa
will be worth At least t40 UN, ,ooo more than they
arc now, and will ndd that amount TO The tax
able wealth Of tlc State. ...
:. THIS 1,s0O,oN artcs of lnnl consists of
Bmamt,e bogs. md hikes. worthless in tts Frrscpt
condition fur agricultural purposes, ami rcnucr-
Ing tic surrounding Country, unhealthy, bv
renson Of its mtasuatc atmosphere.
It's proposed to reclaim these lands by drains
and levees. Tl,e Lee,slaturc VII tot t authorize
my Tux to be leyieL, or any debt collected. cx-
ceDt eeganst the property benefited by fl'e pro-
il js not proposed to tnx The State, the county,
nny municipality to hslrngt any train ditch.
or lcvec; but It Il tic permission to hello thc'n'
actyes In o. lawful manner that the people arc
the end therefore. that these general objects
may be carried out, We respectable invite your
Intention to tic a1nendu,cnt to Sec. 81, Art. 4,
e sopc ~ te neae
In The juagtncn. Of tic undersigned, that
amendment will cnatlc your ho'lntable holy 10
pnss oil the laws necessary to fscian nn'l ~, brs:
amount uf territory. The cstlnnte ot 1,A0U0
nercs 0n1y includes swamp md Dver1lowed Ia'",
, md. as . conscqncueet only embraces CO. q st.all
, system OF drainage. Theru Is not orc fartn
out of scventy.ilve In tho State hut needs drain
ing any much ralnl" to 1fg IT "a into itga ,ts,
, It's Weld ot uycry Held Of wheat or coru woll!
be larger and faircr II tho un2s we're properly
drained"
Drainage has been defined u. the "arI OF ren.
iering lnl not only SO free from moisture that
no xupcrtfuuus water shall remain IN IT, but that
1lo wafer shall rcninln long enough to tnlurn Of
rctar tho hcalty growtho Of sucl' plants as aso r.
qutrc for the sust cnancc OF unn Or beast" 1t has
been snitl by distinguished agrculttrIsto TINT
Q Illinois comprises In une body tho largest area
+ Of c1uaIy fertile 1auds to be iuund on the faec
. thing wanted for lie full develop ncnt Of III
: productive power IA Through u1d systematic
. undcr.lrainacc anl for the power to 10 tais e
: must depund upon tic ocs!on Ut your honorable
U Ne rcsrcctfnlls suggest that tic Legislation,
DO nade rs simple as possto'o to the end fha
Q oil n,ay understand It, ntd In View ol The fac'
= thai large aunls af money have bccn invested iE
attempts at drainage NIL The probability Of hlgl
z satcr Iu the spring, which would probably
dcstroy works. III MI unfinished condition. 81
rc,lectfullY and earnestly 0sls that YOUR lce!sla
. tiun 10 as speedy atl |rs'snps az thc Constitu
. tton Ut the State will permit, and Us tic inpur
J! tancu Of the snhjcct drmanas.a
y IN conclusioe NJ i1yito your attention to the
a overwhelming yute by Which he trninags ancnd
7 tncnt wns adopted, a1"t putnt to II Us al cy
= drucc Ut tic demands aud lns!rcs OF slc 2corl
i on this important subject. proposition whir
g Ind over ~ 0U majority, III on election wlic
+ all the votes not III the affirmative were c0untc
1t against IT, lust Impress t.A Importance upon tn
10 attentonot yuur honorable body without turtle
g Wt have tito honor to l,c, your obedeut scrs
~ ~ ants,
y A committee, consisting Of S, 7. X. Prime c