, 1879-05-15

canal shuuld be kept iu proper re-
pair and condition.. This was not M
appropriation IN atd Of tl.c caual,
hut was really reimbursement 10 the canal for
surplus earnings heretofore paid Into the Trcas-
ury Of tic State. No Que would for n nomcut
contend that the canal had not tho right to use
It's surplus earnings, eren for Its enlargement
and extension. This was really reimburse
mcnt OF tllc Canal Fund. The Stato had used Mt
lcnst q million oftloiars OF The earnings of Tic
caual, null NOW could not the State bo asked to
pay hack at least per cent Oil TINT sunni This
canal was In prsiI, anil about to cease to exist,
on account o! tho IEeidtous Influence Of rail-
rondst wto desired 10 have Il eloscd so as to cut
OF Its competition.
col.L1Ns' SPEECH.
Collins, Of Cools-I a1n satisfied that the
framcr6 OF osir Constitution foresaw the intro
duction Of hills soliciting appropriations for the
Illinois Il Michigan Canal. Il glance at the
history Of water TRANSFORMATION will tshow LIS
why the Constitutional Convention saw 1T to
curtat1 the power Of tho General Assembly in
this particular. Tho New York s. Erie Cauat
ia faalIng into decay, and slowly gravitathg
towards lisuse. But we need not 70 outside Of
this Htntc. The cummings Of tho gn,al for sue
rcssivo years shows TINT our canal Is rapidly be.
coming c1lnrEe upon Us. Behold llln great
natural water course on the north, that grent
chain of inkes connecting US With Eastern sea-
po Hsss a s%fey s !is, Is f II GsSopar.on .o
Tho shipping rottng. at tho decks, atuly
owners, antl tell me, tiIcn, Il water. cau COM
pstc with. stcan: 1t ts apparent tint, in the
constitutional Convention. ,hero wosc frtcuaa
md cpcn,sPs Of tue canal tnctl, who were op.
posed to making tho Rtato the backcr OF water
against stcnml transportation. and tltose who
desired TINT the Stale should stand back and
nil anu financially abet Tho canal, The com
approximations for the CANALS enlargement mud
extension. The compact was .nade, The contro-
versy settled, as'l lricilds and foes
nvok v tbna s hi, OYER ass.v 'S pTosao oa
every sent that bus been coverered intU the
Statc THnsury, but that beyond thnt limit We
have no uowcr to 20. a1ld iltstl fault with this
bill in ,lat. Instead Of appropriating from ttlc
Gcnerai Fund. It vio1ntcs the letter hut not tic
spirit of the Constitution. Gentlemen say TINT
The State has made contract, aud can 10 noth-
Ing but 70 OIL md keep the canal open [urtYer.
the State mas ,nadc such Il contract, cannot VIC
abaii1on this horclcss warfare after We havo
used up tllc EARNINGS OF tlie ranal by paying the
penalty nominated Il, the Ernnt Of congress, or
knowing tlmt 1t must YEARLY become rrratcr
burden u, the pcop|ea am for the canal 10 the
full extent Of thu constitutional limit, which /
heficvu to be fixed Mt The nHuunt Ut the cAtlal-
earnings covered into tho Treasury, mil would
voto Tor tl'ls bl With greater, pleasure did q
not vinlate the letter Of the Constitution, as 1
think 1t does.
FURTHER DISCUSSION.
Shaw said Tint tile people Of tlle State OF
Illinois had been paid over md over again In
the must by tho saving made iE freight. One
Illinois was 20 situutca ttlMt II was tltrcrtlY II
fcctcu by tic influence of thu 1inus River and the
Michigan Cannl. There were 2.coO, UDnf acres Of
land l5lnE each side Of Tho lllnuts River auu
this canal which wcru tributary to them. Heavy
ireIrAts. IN which lie element Of t!.no did not
cnter, sought tsIe cheaper 1tues III water coDnu-
nIcatnn. 1fo did not wn1lt to SEQ this gscat
cntcrpr!sc aba.tluncd Us worthless thing. II
wo did thfs, why talk Of our 1reat Emn!rt Of
tic West, Or tho prosperity Of tho fnturel flo
appealed to lilo mutnbcrs Of th!s 1lousU tu stn,l
by this great Htate enterprise, antt show thcsr
railroads TINT they were still willing tO maintain
thts great water-route of eompcsilnn.
Ftcs!in Halic strong speech tu favor OF the
appropriation. lie argucl tint tic railroads
should be protected agAl,st the 1nachinntons Of
my rs!lroad or combination Of railroads. lie
asked the ,lcmbcra OF tss House II 1t could be
supposed that the iusn who frninci! tho Constt-
tutton q! the State Ind 30 istu acnso rs 10 wish
that this canal should utterly hc abandoned mn,
cxtiuuutshett. ffu believed not, aud ho believed
sE.nt this tuncral Assembly had the power to
hpHFUpflAkE HloHtf u ktEl " III 5ep1tfs l1G
was willing to placs this eatal OF, high grounds
where 1t ctl.lId defend ani protoct itsclf. Dur
Ing Fcl;lln's spcDrh members of The House
clustered around iIul, a.d some Of tic Senators
culnu tnta thu Chatuhcr to listen.
Qrahan, said he supposed the bill would pnss,
Ind tlHt all slsv spcu:!ua thAt eolll hU mnte bu-
tween Tits time a,IA Chrtrsn,4s could not pre-
vent 1t, yet letosc It passed he wanted to pro.
test aEalnst 1t. IG believed 1t WIS against tbs
policy OF u,!r country 70 support these instftu.
tions by Stats aht, aud for lhls reason und sotno
others he was against II.
shrrnuu sattl that tlle members Of tho Consti.
tutnnal consention which fraInetl this provision
would bu charged with Esiocy II It. could he con.
slrucl to mean lat It WIS ugainst tho Ioliry nt
maintaining It's own property, worth millions oi
dollars.
'll,c. rol! was then called, and the bill wa.
passc1, ,--yens, III; nays, ~.
OTHER APPROPRIATIONS.
Senate nill u, apprOprlatlng Sl,000 In aid oi
the Illinois Horticulture! 8s,ricty, was pulsed.
Sexton attempted 10 obtain lhr consent o
the Ilouse 10 call up Itnuhr ils u. rrlatlng Il
convict la1os, hut tlt. spuaker decided that ttl'
the rules. Mitchell statet! that sla Appr,pta'
t!on hills could DO got thrungh Will, to-day II
not interrupted. The House ihen took IN tllc
hlI appropriatlug 81, ,tHkl to William it Archer,
hefort tho Court of Claims. This Mrasur,
stirred up considerable dalrltu III tie lIDllsa, ut
tst which tbs roll WAS called and the bill WIZ
4cfeAtrd.
lhu Senate bill appropriaslng s4o,oOo to Iii.
Chicago Eya mn! Ear lu'|rtnary fol two ysall
| was theu takeh up aud pus1tt.
set'ate ball StN. suproprlatillg $500 to tic Clt,
Vi Metropolis to reimburse tlsut corporation to
nlouey paid out Tor txi1ellsea lArurrrd lurin.
tta fellux'feyer ephleulir, al.d creating u roii
tlnEcnt fund ot S5,o3D I'll be usrd III clsu of i
futura emergency. under directions VI ,hu Stat,
lizard Of dlsaltl, WIS called np u'n. uassett.
1 4Snri6 tl,,.t foS kb,.