, 1880-07-31
TIE CANAL.
Address Prepared by the Special
: Committee.
Why,It Should Be Deeponed and the ILL.,
nois River Improved.
Importance Of the Work In War
and in Pcnce.
How It viii Cheaper the Cost Of
Transporting Grain Abroad,

How II Will Cheaper the Cost OF
Transporting Grain Abroad,
And Thus Give. an Immense Impetus 10 Tho
Prosperity Of tho Country.
In pursuance to call, convention Of lead-
iug otlzens or tho State Of Illinois wps held on
the 18th day Of March at Ottnwn, for tho purpose
Ut conziderIuR and ndoptfng the necessary fncas-
ure4 to secure the enlargement Of tho ill'no's
g. Michigan Canal to h shtp-canal and tho Inl-
proycmcnt Of tho Illinois River, The Convcn- |
lion called together very large nutntcr Or rep"
resentntsve men ot tho stntc, and. bcforo ad-
tournmcus, It adopted n scrics Of resolutions
urging somo notion on the General Government
TO carry ont tho project. At tho conttancdmect.
ing an Executive Committee, consisting o.
Messrs. ]. Young Senmmnn, Lyulan Triitnoulls
and Murry Nelson Of ChtcaEo' u .. rrotlynnn
OF rektn. John 8. Lee OF Peoria, william He'd
dick of Ottawa, A. ]. OConnor Of Ln sallc, Ed
win Porter Of Jollct, r. y. Potter Of 1fcpry, T. D.
urcwstcr or pcra, John L. THOMPSON Ut Lacon,
John Norton Of lockpoFt, Mayor W. II. Camp"
bell Of Hnvnnn, II. ii. Singer Of Lctnunt, c. H.
Gould OF Morris. and Carter II. Harrison OF Ch-
cugo, was appointed. This Committee tnot ut
reorn on April Inst, and, nftor cotBnltatlol'
adopted tho following:
Etsolred, That d committee OF three bg ap-
pointed by this CDmmIttco tonrupnrc IN ahtlfess
sress sa' dpo se O. question, @ Of tha canal and rscr
ihat his Honor Mayor Harrison, rhalrm9Man ~ Of
this Committee, bo tho Chnlrnian Oh salu eom-
mittec.
In conformity with tho above, Messrs. Dnrerc
aua Pretty1nnn werg gelcctcd aa tho other two
members, ind, attcr tho appointment OF FL
nnnpu Committee nnd tho adoption ofn rcsosi-
tiun requesting tho Illinois Representatives III
tho contemplated Improvement, tho Committee
adjourned subject ~ the call OF tho Chairman.
Tho Subcommittee hav0 now tho honor OF
presenting to tho pouplo OF tho great Cona1uon-
wcalth Of Illinois md 10 tho memboN Of cou-
gress =. ,...-z-
THE ADDRESS CONTEMPLATED ABOVE;
and, III thus ulAeharging their duty, hnvo not
been unmlndful Ut tho henvy responsibility inn
pcscd upon them In properly presenting the vast
importance Of tho enterprise, not o.ly from
cotnmerclal, but a military standpoint
Tho question Of cheap transportation has en-
Rngeu tho most earnest and serious attention OF
cur ssntesmcu and ccononisss from tho earliest
days of our Republic down TO tho present dnys
and will ever claim consideration.
Whatever touches tho pocket Of our people
and aids In tho promotion of tho prosperity,
commerce, nnd wealth OF tho Mutton has de-
SERVED and will ever deserve tho deepest sollci-
tudc, Tho dcvelopment OF the resources Of
our vaat territory has been very largely duo to
the facilities afforded for chcnp nud easy trans
portuuon. The earliest and fullest development
to fuclutatc cUt,mcrco between tho different
sections Of the country was in the llne of watcr
navigation. Nature hnd prOfusoly scattered
wuter-courscs all over tho broud cxpnnso
OF tho A1ucrlGan Contthunt, unriya[ea iii
either magnitude, oxtCnt, nr mhJesty,
but tho ingenuity, skill, and toll of
tnun had TO 10 called into re1uls[tlon 10 st.
at ft7o~ ttrnrf 4HrPnr
t.t,nB md communications between tho various
scrtluns. These wore undertaken OIL us intKc n
Hculc as means permitted; and ito onc ever
puesuun9A their cxpelency nnd utility. Win
tho wonderful growth nnd spread Of rntcoads,
yhurt-sfghtcd and nurrow-fnlnded persons havo
conc to entertain IN opinion that canals Aud
wutcr routes for tntcrilal commerce hArD
lost their value; but the fact stlll re-
mlins, "a Infested DY tito vfcws OF wise
and nble economists, thAs theeo clu,cls nrc the
3Mly seco9alzed meana for tho rcgH!ation u1ld
years nyO England gave MI ttninc1tsh j1uetis tu
her commerce by III enlarged Ryktcm nf chiNll;
trlbutab!c 10 thsr,. Her expenditures In tils
tue urD su!d 10 hMre exceeded EatU,OOJ,UQ. Her
ssea ssss aE t1s S9n iars hays e e
tlUi OF uuurly every cainl II, tho Kingdom, nnd
sre as u souiless, impcr4shp6lc cstatc, inoro OPP
press 70 tsG people oi Insaaa 'nan no'
F.i Fruncc las s1 naI Gccu tdlo In mukiux watcr i'm
pfVfetlleHts, AAO posSeose1 FefS Sou4PAenoA-
uEaaARY
hns OF late years BEEN vUry actiyo In chcapcning
coursea. Her present Efforts nru towards tnnk.
iu1 her rivers narlKahle. Mnny, stre!tIIs which
aicw years s!nco vert nnyigAbig onfy lnr yery
used mor1 for pleasure excursions thhn lni
nctnal travel, Nro now bearng tho bulk Ut thf
contiguous 10 thulr Ilnus ThIs il do,a by con.
1ractluE the calllinc!s eetwcen strong stnMe
caMsed, ertlicss ehnlI,s ire sirutchod rrnni far:
distant points nioax tho bed Of tho rivers; light.
dr'uHht tow-neass satsh t;ta up ,"'s s6n!s
IL leugth. This system IS being carried ont il
s III WIFE, g hsnt
os On Eys aons Tpse wS oe w. ,eS
% Ger that % @ ~ u heavy WIZ stosthaiaup * %
I'll rallroad companies nf Germany. and that b,
thus mnktnx ,y3tsr coupe,o with tha ra!Iroa.l
protlt, W. uiltat coIclndu that Il monarchy set
ii. example which should b fuIlowel by 1 gnv
unlsea ststes ii lis isb nos bscn con vi Wholly t dlo in d.
ye!opinx her internal wntsr laStiGss e. but ht
sr "Hs peon vS he efeet
political lnQ- rolling than an Intelligent plnn ~
the 1outl Of tlle people. Individual stAtes hnvt
however, done very MUCH w1thit1 tholf fcspeot'V
New York completed tho Eric Canal In 1871 Il
been rrpaid many hundred iold, uul enable
her to asaune she title of Ertpirp, ,bta,c.
Canals at great ctiat have been tIniAhed in soy
eral ulhur Flutes, and hiLvc enttad thu cnru nil
enerR!us nf tao nl!eHt u thels ssatca.non, bn
,1s,r s'sstE,s 'h " 4ny ,.S
crcnscu population wsH.ld rIvu to ths movement
of irude. Consequently, many al tiIuso tni,,.i
rsAds being subsequently built ald running
tho direction Of tra4!u liiHyotnanta huyn ApteNrt
~ nsh mors nenSci Ii taonEsss o
suitnblB for trufsic. W. have sthted tllat III