The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-11-24
IIlIuoi, and Michigan Canal

of ceding the Illinois e. Michigan c'nal Ia
the General Government, Gov. Hamilton
has written the following letter TO Presi-
dent Arthur, asking him to urge upon
Congress in his annual message the &C
ceptancc of the overture on the condition
proposed;
STATE OF ILLINOIS, EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
SPRINGFIELD, Nov l5.-TO His Ercel!ency
Chester 4. 1rthur, President Of tie United
States, Washington, ID, C.-SIR: l have
the honor to transmit herewith certified
copy of an act of tle General Assembly OF
this State entitled "An act cedlng the LII
nols d Michigan Canal to the United
States" approved April %, 1882, together
with the proclamation OF his EXcellency,
shelby Nj. Cullom, at that time Governor
Of the State promugaling the vote OF The
people thereon.
In transmitting SAID act and procama
ton to your EXcellency, permit me to call
YOUR attention to the report oil the commit
tee of the House of Representatives of this
state, submitted TO the House April Ia,
1882, at the time the act Of CeSsion was re-
ported to the House by SAID committee.
The following extracts from that report
fully set forth the history OF SAID canal and
the objects of the proposed cession on the
part of the state of Illinois to the United
States.
by acts of Congress of the years 1922
and 1927, there were granted to the state OF
Illinois right OF way for canal connect
ing The Illinois river with the southern
bend of Lake Michigan, and ninety feet of
land on each side thereof; also quantity
of land equal to one.half of five sections
in width on each side Of said canal, from
one end thereof to the other" with this
provIso, that the said canal, when COM
pleted, shall be and forever remain pub
lie high way for the use of the Government
of the United States free from any toll or
charges whatever, for any property OF the
United States, for persons IN their service,
passing through the Same and that in
case OF failure to build this canal as re-
ouired in these acts, the state should pay
TO the United States the amount OF any
land previously sold"
THE GIFT AND THE ACCEPTANCE
created legal obligation on the part OF
the state to forever keep the canal in repair
aud open as a public highway for the pur-
poses indicated IN the acts OF Congress,
and this obligation cannot be avoided at
the will or convenience of the state. That
the canal must be kept Ill operation forever
is imperative, unless the state be released
from tins obligation. Nor does this obll-
CATION work hardship TO the state. 1t
has not proven "a bad bargain" but a
profitable one. The entire cost OF the ca
nal N its construction, principal and inter
est, is S6,j57 ,G91 30. The amount of money
received by the state from the sale OF canal
lands given by the United States is So
$50 039.GS THIS added to TIE net earnings
of The canal, VIZ: 1888 ,G9L14, makes an
aggregate of lands and lots sold, with the
net earnings of the canal, the sum of
$3.50 12l 40 realized by the state, which
shows balance OF ,26204002 clear
profits which were paid into the state
treasury, which is more than one-third Of
Its entire cost. Besides this sum OF money,
the canal Itself and many million dollars
worth Of real estate, part OF said canal
lands, yet belong to the state.
THE BENEFIT TO THE STATE.
The whole northern part OF the state
has heen greatly improved by the construc-
ton of the canal. Chicago, Ottawa and all
the cities between them have been laid out
and built upon canal lands; and although
the canal was constructed through wild,
uninhabited country, yet to-day 1t is truth
fully said that 1.-THE assessed valuation OF
the four counties through which the canal
passes, Is greater than the fifty counties
south of the Capital" The above was the
debt and the credit side between the state
and canal in 1879, and they have not mate,
rally changed since, as the appropriations
of the General Assembly of 1879 and 1881
in aid of the canal were never expended,
and the canal has been self.suslalnlng.
THIS statement of the financial condition
OF the canal shows that the state can we'll
afford TO kept in repair, as by its contract
with the United States it is bound to do.
There IS no doubt, however, that a ces
sion to the United States Government OF
the canal and lands remaining unsold, and
an acceptance thereof, would virtually re-
lease the state from the atoTesold Obliga-
ton. There is evidently au increasing dc.
sire among the people OF this state for the
of the canal to the United States;
''to makelt," as the Governor has expressed
IN his late message, "a great er-way,
free to the commerce of the people of the
nation, and adequate to It's requirements,
WIDE and deep enough to contain volume
OF wafer flowing constantly from the lakes
to the Mississippi river OF sufficient size to
fully answer the demands Of trade for
years to come, and give steady southerly
OF the waters Of Lake Michigan
into the Illinois river"
THE MANNER OF THE TRANSFER.
In relation to the manner OF the transfer
the Governor says: Il therefore respect.
fully request that you will enact law,
with proper safeguards in it, turning the
control and ownership of the canal over to
the United States, subject to vote Of the
people at the next general election, IN pur-
suancc of our Constitution. AS The Con-
sttuuOn requires that the proposition OF
transfer submitted should be specific, 1t
seems 10 ME that the establishment of the
and terms Of transfer is neccs,
sary condition precedent 10 the submission
OF the proposition, and should Uc included
in the same act which provides for such
submission" The Governor states what
he thinks the conditions precedent 20 the
transfer ought to be as follows: The IA
provemenI OF the rivers which form the
southern and western boundaries Of our
state should receive the national aid and
believe will do so, bat do not think 1t
! A ..1N hat