Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-01-11
TWO MESSAGES.
Mississippi River improvement
and the Hennepin Canal
Project.
President Arthur Messages
Congress on These
Subjects.
Work of the Departments and
Congressional Committees
Yesterday.
TWO MESSAGES.
Washington.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE.

\ SIENlAl MhSSAoh.
President Arthar to-day transmit
ted to congress the following mes
sage:
Il transmit herewite a communication from
the secretary of war submitting the annual ~
port Of the Mississippi river commission. take
this occasion 10 invite thc early attention OF con
greSS TO the continuation of work on the MlSslS-
Sipp river, which has been carried ON under plans
of the commission. Ny sense of the Importance
of the improvement of this river, not ontN te
the
PEOPLE OF THE NORTHWEST,
but especially TO the inhabitants of the lower Mis-
SiSSippi valley, have already been expressed III d
special communication 10 the last congress Inc
harveStS of grain and cotton produced III the re-
zion bordering on the Mississippi are 50 vast
as 10 be of national Importance, anu Use pro
iect now being executed for thlr cheap
transportation should be sufficiently provided Ter
The uncompIeted works have been remarkable
and with the highest encouragement for
ULTIMATE SUCCESS.
The improvement act of Aug. = lSs9 approprla-
ted S} Il3 900 for work on that part OF the river
below Cairo, Tho estimates OF the commission
already transmitted to congress call for SS0O0,ut0
for the confirmation OF The work below caro- anu
it appears from the report that allapproprlauohS
available for active operations nave neSt eA
hauSted. and there is urgent need for an liilhe-
diate appropriation of Sl,unuUN,uVu WIN WtAth "
coutinne the work without loss OF time IN view ot
the approach of the flood season ana attendaht
early passage of a separate blll on TINS S4nlScI
ISignedl CHESTER \. ARTHUR,
Executive Mansion Jan. ), 1881.
THE HENNEPIN CANAL.
The president also sent to congress
a special message in respect TO the
construction of the Hennepln canal.
Accompanying the message are copies
of the act of the general assembly or
Illinois ceding to the United States
the Illinois and Michigan canal, a
record of the state officers vote
upon the proposition to cede the
canal at the state elections according
to the act of the legislature and a
letter to the chief engineers transmit
ting to the secretary of war a report
of the surveys proposed by the Hen
nepln canal In the message the
president says:
the state of Illinois with copy of the act OF the
general assembly of the state, rendering to the
United States a cesSion OF the Illinois hNhsah
canal upon condition 1t be
ENLARGED AND MAINTAINED
os a national waterway for commercial purposes
proposed in the ceSsion a subject that congress
had under considerati IN by the act of August 20
1892 for the survey of a canal from point on ile
Illinois river at or near the town OF Hennepn, by
the most practicable route to the Mississippi rvet
at or above the city of Rock Island, the cana
to be not less than seventy feet wide at water
| line, and not less than seven rect II
depth, with water capacity tol
vessels of at least go TONS and als6
survey of the Illinois and Michigan canal aht
estimate the cost of enlarging the dlmensons o
the proposed canal between Hennepln ana tht
| Mississippi river The surveys ordered IN tht
! above act have been completed and report upol
| them included in the last annual report OF tht
| secretary of war. y copy S herewith submitted
IT APPEARS FROM THESE PAPERS
| the estimated yield of corn, wheat and oats fo
| 1882 in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, iowa
! Minnesota Kansas, and Nebraska, was more Ihal
one thousand million bushels. 1t is claimed II th'
| cheap water transportation route which Is nov
| continuous from the Atlantic ocean to I'm
| cago, is extended to the upper MlSslS+pp
| bv such canal. great benefit in the reduction
freight charges viii result to the people OF the up
| per Mississippi valley whose productions nav nav
| onIy partly noted, not only upon their own ShiE
mentS but upon articles OF commerce USED bl
| them which are now taken from the CASTER
| states by water only far as Chicago. As mat
| ter of great Interest, especially to the citizens
| that part of the country, | commend the genera
| subject to your consideration : -
| Signed CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
Mansion January Sth-