YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 06471 8779 . y \Ufdifyi' (Trv.../\urJLtiA*iL<&tA.&J± *\ <^- 'i***' ^tYtf^. -•¦-J (. ^ A [ , $Q3 ¦ \ IfoJU. Cera-. J^j. ^\ 5- Sf- tat* of Unc 9mI. \ REPORT OP SAMUEL B. RUGGLES, COMMISSIONER APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Under the Concurrent Resolution of the Legislature, of April 22, 1862, in respect to the ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS FOR NATIONAL PURPOSES. Transmitted by the Governor to the Legislature, April 8th, 1863. ALBANY : COMSTOCK & CASSIDY, PRINTERS. 1863, C / 3 » -^ REPORT OF SAMUEL B. RUGGLES, COMMISSIONER APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Under the Concurrent Resolution of the Legislature, of April 22, 1862, in respect to the ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS FOR NATIONAL PURPOSES. Transmitted by the Governor to the Legislature, April 8th, 1863. ALBANY : COMSTOCK 4 CASSIDY/* PRINTERS. 1863. »tah of $*fo lorh. ISTo. 174. IN ASSEMBLY, _A.pril 8, 1863. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER APPOINTED UNDER THE CON CURRENT RESOLUTION OF APRIL 22, 1862, RELATIVE TO ENLARGING THE CANALS OF THIS STATE FOR NATIONAL PURPOSES. > STATE OF NEW YORK : Executive Department, ) Albany, April 8, 1863. J To the Legislature: In compliance with your resolution of this day I transmit herewith the accompanying report of the Hon. Samuel B. Rug- gles, commissioner appointed pursuant to the concurrent resolu tion of the Legislature adopted April 22, 1862. HORATIO SEYMOUR. REPORT. To His Excellency HoteAtio BfeYMoufe, Governor of the State of New York: By virtue of the concurrent resolution of the Legisla ture, adopted April 22d, 1862, and the appointment by your official predecessor pursuant to that resolution on the 6th of May following, the Undersigned was specially delegated to attend at Washington, in behalf of the State, to invite the attention of the General Government to the measures proposed in the act of the said 22d of April, " to adapt the canals of this State to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes," and to " the great impprtance of those measures to the national interests." Undef the requirement of the # letter of authority appointing the undersigned, he1 now respectfully presents the following'' REPORT : In the discharge bf the duty committed to the under signed, pursuant to the concurrent resolution of the Legis lature of the 2'2d of April last, he Mg attended at "Wash ington on nuittef oug Occasions, and during a large portion of the period gfiTbraced in the two sessions of Congress, between the 12th of May, 1862, and the iM of February followirig. Throughout that period he ha^ endeavored, to 6 EEPOET ON THE the best of his ability, fully to present the subject em braced in the concurrent resolution of the Legislature, to the consideration of the President and of the Con gress of the United States. In so doing, he has personally attended before the President and seyeral of the Heads of Departments, and also, before the various committees of the Houses of Congress, who have had the subject in charge. He has also attended and assisted at several meetings of members of Congress, informally assembled to con sider the merits of the proposed measures, and has been en gaged in constant and daily consultation and conference on the subject with individual members. The letter of authority undejr which he acted, expressly permitting him to choose his " own time and manner for. accomplishing the object sought," he has deemed it proper and necessary, by extensive correspondence and other wise, to collect and embody the leading facts of the case, and to present them, from time to time, in behalf of the State,s in written memorials and other statements, submit ted to the President and to the members of Congress col lectively and individually, together also with official let ters from canal officers of the State, and other persons able to impart authentic information. Commencing with the 14th of May last, the undersigned has reported, from time to time, to Governor Morgan, and since the first of January last, to yourself in re spect to. the condition and progress, including the defeat (believed to be temporary) on the ninth of February last of the measures introduced into Congress- to carry out the national measures proposed by the Legislature of New York. The report to your Excellency of the 2d of April instant, ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 7 refers to the important proceeding instituted on the 2d of March last, by a large number of the Senators and Rep resentatives in the last Congress (ninety-eight in number), to call a National Convention at Chicago, on the first Tues day of June next, practically for the purpose, among otners, of presenting' with undiminished force to the next Congress, the high considerations of national importance, military, commercial and political, involved in the adequate enlarge ment of the canals between the valley of the Mississippi river and the Atlantic. ' For the more convenient examination of the whole mat ter by the Governor, and also by the Legislature, should they wish to do so, the reports above mentioned are now" embodied herewith in chronological order, and in connec tion with other documents necessary to present the sub ject intelligibly. The reports and documents thus arranged, will exhibit, among. other matters— ~ 1st. The preliminary legislative proceedings and other public movements, leading to the passage of the act of the 22d of April last, and 'explanatory of the motives of the Legislature. 2d. The nature and extent of " the national interests" involved in the measures proposed by the act, and pre- sented in behalf of the State, pursuant to the concurrent resolution of the Legislature, to the consideration of the General Government. 3d. A connected history of the proceedings and measures in Congress for carrying into effect the purposes of the act, with some of the causes of the temporary defeat of those measures, especially* including the great exaggeration of 3 REPORT ON THE the probable cost of the works proposed, and the unwar ranted assumption of the want of capacity in the Erie and Oswego canals, to pass vessels required for national purposes. 4fh. The immense increase in the agricultural, products of the Northwestern States, crowding the canals of this State,, enhancing the cost of transportation, and rendering it necessary to enlarge their locks without delay, with the beneficial effects of that enlargement on the commerce, prosperity and strength of the State and nation, 5th. The measures now in progress in the Northwestern States to obtain adequate channels for their commerce through Canada, wholly avoiding the canals and railways of New York-— and also for obtaining aid and relief from the next Congress. 6th. The further measures which, under the circum stances1 of the case, would appear to be necessary and desi rable on the part of the State, to effect the objects. of the act of April last. Respectfully submitted by SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. Albany, April 3d, 1863. TABLE OF DOCUMENTS FORMING PART OF THE REPORT. Fags. No. 1. Resolutions of the Assembly of New York, March, 1862 . ...* 11 2. Resolutions of New York Chamber of Commerce, April 3d ........ .-_. 12 3. Memorial to State Legislature of N. Y. Chamber ' of Commerce, April 14th... ........ ... 12 4. Extracts from reports of canal committees of the Senate and Assembly, April „.... . 15 5. Act of Legislature of New York, April 22d 21 6. Concurrent resolution of Senate and Assembly, April 22d . , 22 7. Appointment of Samuel B* Ruggles by Governor Morgan, May 6th ..„..........*... 23 8. Mr. Ruggles' letter of acceptance, May 9th 23 9. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, May 14th . . 24 10. Petition to Congress of Millard Fillmore and others „-*. 26 11. Proceedings of Canal Board, fixing size of en larged locks, May 23d . 27 12. Mr, Ruggles' report to Gov, Morgan, May 31st.. 28 13% Section proposed in act of Congress for enlargipg the locks of the Erie and Oswego canals . — ., 31 14. Canal Auditor Benton's letter as to the cost of enlarging locks. ...... . ... , ... — 32 15. Governor Morgan's letter to Mr. Ruggles, June 3d 33 16. Canal Auditor Benton's letter to Gov. Morgan as ' to mode of payment by U. S., June 2d 34 17. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, June 5th .. 35 18. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, June 11th . 37 19. Memorial to the President of the United States in behalf of the State of New York, June 9th. 37 10 REPORT ON THE Page. 20. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, June 14th . 55 21. President Lincoln's Message to Congress, June 13 56 . 22. Letter of thanks of Governor Morgan, June 19th. 57 23; Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, June 19th . 57 24. Letter from Governor of Massachusetts, June 23d 59 25. Supplemental Memorial in respect to Canadian canals, June 28th 60 26. Mr. Doty (Sec'y of Gov. Morgan) to Mr. Ruggles, July 2d 63 27. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, July 1st 64 28. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, July 2d 66 29. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, Nov. 28th. 66 30. Extract from President Lincoln's Annual Mes sage, December 69 31. Resolution of thanks to the President by N. Y. Chamber of Commerce, December 69 32. Mr. Ruggles' report to Gov. Morgan, Dec. 27th.. 70 33. Memorial to Congress by N. Y. Chamber of Com merce, Dec. 26th 75 34. Mr. Ruggles' report to Governor Seymour, Feb, .9th, 1863 84 35. Gov. Seymour's letter to Mr. Ruggles, Feb, 13th 86 36. Statement to Congress of application of revenues of N. Y. canals, Feb. 4th 86 37. Statement to Congress of comparative exports of breadstuffs from New Orleans and New York, Feb. 5th 88 38. Letter of E. Bennett, engineer, as to capacity of Erie canal and cost of enlarging locks, with letter of Mr. S. G. Chase showing its present crowded condition §9 39. Call for Convention at Chicago 93 40. Resolutions of Illinois Legislature _ 94. 41. Report of Ohio Legislature.. qq 42. Further report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Sey mour _ 917 DOCUMENTS FORMING PART OF THE REPORT; No.l. Resolutions of the Assembly of the State of New York, in March, 1862, in respect to the enlargement of the New York Canals for purposes of National Defence. On motion of Mr. Taylor, of Washington county, it was Resolved, That the State Engineer and Surveyor be directed to examine the Champlain canal, with a view of enlarging the same to a sufficient capacity for the passage of gunboats through Lake Champlain, thereby connecting the tide waters of the Hud son with the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario — being a direct and expeditious route-— securing by this means an available and efficient protection to the northern frontiers of this State and the adjoining State of Vermont, in case of war, and adding largely to the revenue of the canal in time of peace, by reason of such enlargement ; and that the State Engineer make an early report of such examination, with a view of -bringing the subject before the General Government by a concurrent resolution of this Legislature. On motion of Mr. Alvoru, of Onondaga county, it was Resolved, That the State Engineer and Surveyor be directed to cause to be made and reported to this House at the earliest possible moment, an estimate of the cost, and to report the feasi bility of an enlargement of one tier of locks (through) the length of the Erie canal to 150 feet in length and 25 feet in width, for the consideration of the General Government, as con nected with the. subject of lake frontier defence. At the request of Mr. Alvord, the mover, the Oswego canal was subsequently, included, , , 12 REPORT ON' THE No. 2. Resolutions of the Chamber of Commerce of New York, of the 3d April, 1862, in respect to the enlargement of the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals. Resolved, That in view of the paramount importance to the city and State of New York of the commerce of the northern and northwestern lakes, and duly considering the unprotected condition of the cities and communities adjacent to those waters, with the dangerous facilities of access, for naval purposes, through the St. Lawrence and Welland canals now enjoyed by a foreign power, the Chamber of Commerce of New York regard, as a matter of the highest necessity, the enlargement, without delay, of one tier of the locks o.n the Erie and on the Oswego ca- najs, to a size sufficient to admit the passage of mail-clad vessels adequate to the defence* of our northern and northwestern frontier* Resolved,' That a committee of five members be appointed to memorialize the. governments of this State and of the Union, on the subject of the preceding resolution, and to invite the proper co-operation of the citizens and public authorities of our northern and northwestern communities. No, 3. Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of New York, for enlarging the locks on the canals for the defence of the lakes, with a communication from Captain Ericsson. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of JVW> York: The memorial of the undersigned, a committee appointed on the 3d of April instant, by the Chamber of Commerce of New York, respectfully represents : That the Chamber of Commerce of New York have duly authorized and' directed your committee to memorialize your Honorable body on : The paramount importance to the city and State of New York, of the commerce of the northern and northwestern lakes ; on the unprotected condition of the cities and communi ties adjacent to those waters ; and on the dangerous facilities of access, for naval purposes, through the St. Lawrence and the Welland canals, now enjoyed by a foreign power J and to urge upon the governments of this State and of the Union, as a mat ter of the highest necessity, the enlargement, without delay, of ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. IS one tier of the locks of the'Erie andof the Oswego canals, to a size sufficient to permit the passage of mail-clad vessels adequate to the defence of our northern and northwestern frontier. Your memorialists are aware that the important subjects above referred to have recently received the full attention and careful consideration of«ble and appropriate committees both of the Assembly and the Senate, whose official reports, just made to the respective Houses, are of the most satisfactory and com prehensive character. They embrace succinctly, but fully, the most important features of our lake commerce, and especially its present defenceless condition, and exhibit the necessity of the proposed enlargement of the locks on our canals, with a force and clearness whieh leaves little for, your memorialists to add. They will only express their earnest conviction, with that ' of the numerous body they represent, that the highest interests of the State and of the American Union demand prompt and vigorous action by the proper authorities to secure to the vast interests, both State and national, at stake on our inland seas, that equality of naval defence, with that equality also of naval access, which was the true and only object of the diplomatic arrangement with regard to the lakes supplementary to the treaty of Ghent. That equality of condition has been virtually destroyed, whether intentionally or not, by the construction of ship canals in Canada, of dimensions far beyond the require ments of any existing commerce, and capable of placing powerful vessels of war, without a moment's warning, upon that undefend-r e4 water frontier, As inhabitants of a city, to he severely taxed for municipal* State and natiojual objects,, it is gratifying to, your memorialists to. know that the necessary expenditure for sequring our great inland seas, with their vast and rapidly increasing commerce, from all danger of naval aggression, present or future, will be, comparatively small, and can be limited to the post of enlarging one tier of the locks, (ninety in number) of the Erie and Oswego canals; that their cost, if twenty five feet broad and 160 feet long, will not exceed three and a half millions of dollars, and if extended to 200 feet in length, may be kept within five millions. The Legislature hardly needs to be infbrnjed. that looks of the latter dimensions, with the present enlarged channel of our ca nals (being seven feet, deep, fifty-iwo feet wide a.t bottom and 14 REPORT ON THE seventy feet at surface) will require no alteration of the channel, or bridges or any other structure on the canals. The only inquiry, then, remains, but it is one of cardinal impor tance, whether locks of these dimensions will pass mail-clad ves sels adequate to the defence of the lakes ? On this point, your memorialists are now enabled to furnish evidence of the highest character, from a source no less distin guished and reliable than Ericsson himself, whose invention of the " Monitor " has filled the world with his fame, and to whose vigorous and well directed genius our country already owes so much. From thiseminent engineer your memorialists have just received a written communication, stating that a lock 25 feet broad and 200 feet long, will pass a mail-clad vessel carrying a gun of 15- inch calibre, with a ball of 450 pounds, and capable of destroy ing any hostile vessel that can be put upon the lakes. That communication your memorialists now respectfully trans mit herewith to the Legislature. SAMUEL B. RUGGLES, CHARLES H. TRASK, WALTER S. GRIFFITH, DENNING DUER, EZRA NYE, Lake Defence Committee of the. New York Chamber of Commerce. New York, April 14, 1862. Communication from Capt. Ericsson, referred to in the pre ceding memorial : New York, April lith, 1862. Sir — After full consideration of the subject of your inquiry, I have to. state that an impregnable iron vessel, 200 feet long and 25 feet wide, constructed on the general plan of the " Monitor," will have sufficient buoyancy to carry a shot-proof iron turret carrying a gun of 15 inch calibre, with a ball of 450 pounds, and capable of destroying any hostile vessel that could be put upon the lakes. Without coal, ammunition and stores, such a vessel will draw 6 feet 6 inches, and measure 18 feet in height from bottom of keel to top of turret. Before going into action a cer tain quantity of ballast, in addition to coal, ammunition and stores, will be put on board, in order to attain what maybe termed the fighting draught, of 8 feet. Yours very respectfully, J. ERICSSON. Hon. S. B. Ruggles, Chairman of Lake Defence Committee, JV. F. Chamber of Commerce. P. S. The cost of a war vessel, as above suggested, will not exceed $200,000. ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 15 No. 4. *' Extracts from the Reports of the Canal Committees of the Senate and Assembly, referred to in the preceding Memo- ' rial. From the report of the Senate committee, consisting of Sena tors Cook, Hutchinson and Connpixy : " The frontier line between the United States and the British possessions, in North America, from its commencement in the St. Lawrence river, westerly through the great lakes, forms a length of water boundary of about fifteen hundred miles ; to this should be added a thousand miles of coast on Lake Michigan, of which one harbor, Green Bay, is as large as Long Island Sound. The American shore line, of .northern , lakes, including bays, sounds and islands, is 3,620 miles. The British shore line, including bays, &c, is 2,629 miles,;> . « Our coast is studded with flourishing cities and villages, sur rounded with fields rich in harvests of grain; and these grealj lakes, well termed inland seas, are crossed, in every direction, on both sides of the boundary line, by large but unprotected fleets of steam and sail vessels, bearing freights which already exceed those of our seaboard. Shortly after the treaty of Ghent, a supplementary treaty was made, between the gpverninent of the United States and that of Great Britain, in the following words : " The naval force to be maintained upon the American lakes, by His Majesty, arid the Government of the United States, shall, henceforth, be confined to the following vessels on each side, that is : " On Lake Ontario, to one vessel, not exceeding one hundred tons burden, and armed with one eighteen pound cannon. • f On the upper lakes, to two vessels, not exceeding like burden each, and armed with like force. "On the waters of Lake Champlain, to one vessel, not exceed ing like burden,, and armed with like force. "All other armed vessels on these lakes shall be, forthwith, dismantled, and no other vessels of war shall be there built oi? armed. , ,.. • , "If, either party should be hereafter desirous of annulling thjs stipulation, and, should give notice to that effeqt to the other party, it shall cease to be binding after the expiration of six months from the date of such notice., , , 16 REPORT ON THE "The naval force so to^je limited, shall be restricted, to such services as will in no respect interfere with the proper duties of .the armed vessels of the other party." Not only does this treaty prevent our placing on the lakes all vessels of war, save those enumerated, but in case of unexpected hostilities, there is no channel, east or west, or south, from the seaboard or the Mississippi, through which gunboats could be taken to the lakes in time to prevent the total destruction of their cities, villages, harvests, fleets and commerce. On the other hand, Great Britain has secured herself against this danger on her part, by constructing canals and loeks of sufficient capacity to pass gunboats of ample size for the protection of the cities, property and vessels of her subjects. The canals around the rapids of the St. Lawrence are built to pass vessels, from that river to Lake Ontario, 186 feet long, 44^ feet beam, and 9 feet draught. The Welland canal, around the Falls of Niagara, connecting Lakes Ontario and Erie, will pass vessels 142 feet long, 26 feet beam, and 10 feet draught. The Rideau canal, avowedly constructed for military purposes, occupies an interior line, comparatively remote from the frontier, and connecting Montreal with Kingston through the Ottawa river. Of these works we do not complain, nor can Great Britain justly complain of us, or view it as an act of hostility, if the United States government takes immediate measure to plaee itself on an equal footing. We shall but follow her example. The mere statement of the above facts, respecting the extent of the northern frontier, the magnitude of the interests and com merce at stake, and their defenceless position through the exist ing treaty, is sufficient to show that the opening into the great lakes of some channel of internal communication larger than any we now have, is strictly a national work, and plainly required by prudence as a measure of military necessity. The idea that our eanals could be speedily enlarged to pass vessels of war, of sufficient power to be useful in the defence of our northern and western frontier, would have seemed visionary a short time since, but in our efforts to enlarge ear canals, solely to meet the requirements of commerce, we have brought them almost to a size to pass such iron-clad steamers as the astonish ing lessons just taught by the "Monitor" have demonstrated are to be our ehief reliance, not only on orir seaboard but also on. all our northern and western water frontiers. ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. IT ¦ It is also' a matter of national interest that, in conjunction with the proposed enlargement of the channels of navigation between the Atlantic and great lakes, a'n increased commerce will be turned towards the seaboard through two important outlets which are to be opened from the Mississippi river to the lakes. One is the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers through the State of. Wisconsin, from Green Bay to Prairie du Chien, now nearly completed. This will be the- outlet of the upper Mississippi. The other is a proposed ship canal, from Chicago through the State of Illinois, by enlarging the present canal and improving the Illinois river. This will be the outlet- of the lower Missis sippi. Both will form great branches of a water route, of which the enlarged Erie canal must be the main trunk. Both are worthy of National and State encouragement. They are quite distinct, and not antagonistic. v The ship canal from Chicago is one of great magnitude, the locks of which are to be 350 feet long by 70 feet wide. It in volves an expenditure of $9,292, '44 at the lowest estimate, and can be completed in five years. The present canal transports a large quantity of grain, and yields ^a handsome revenue over ordinary repairs and expenses. The improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers is 295 miles in length, of which about 175 miles are in successful opera tion. Its locks are 160 feet long by 35 feet wide. The harbor of Green Bay is protected against storms and invasion by numerous bpld and rocky islands. . The lower Fox has had an uninterrupted navigation for the last two years, pass ing steamboats and barges capable of carrying from eight to ten thousand Jbushels of wheat., The upper Fox is not yet fully im prove/!; nevertheless it passes boats arid barges, of greater capacity than those of the old Erie canal. ¦ By these two important routes there will be in a few years an unbroken navigation between the harbor of New York -and the Mississippi river. They will give a safe transit to our com mercial and naval vessels through a fertile and populous region, and one too which has always been loyal to the Union. The necessity of such outlets has been demonstrated by an unnatural rebellion, which willfully closed the lower Mississippi against the richest sources of her prosperity. The commercial and agricultural interests of the Valley of the [Assem. No. 174. J 2 ''¦ 18 HEBORT ON THE Mississippi, of the great lakes, and of the Erie canal, will ever be the most important in our country. They are surely entitled to the same military protection that is given to a smaller com merce on our Atlantic coas|;. This can only be provided, under our treaty with Great Britain, by opening channels from the east and west, through which iron-clad vessels can be moved without delay whenever the occasion may demand. The Erie, Champlain and Oswego canals are the only possible channels for this, purpose east of the lakes. According to the recent report of the State Engineer, (Assem bly Document No. 8,) these canals can be adapted to the pas sage of iron-clad steamers of the dimensions therein mentioned at the following cost : Enlarging the locks on the Erie canal $2,815,900 00 Enlarging the locks on the Oswego canal. ¦. 625,500 00 Enlarging the locks and prism of the Champlain • canal 3,770,190 00 $7,211,590 00 This work can readily be* paid for in six per cent, stocks of the United States Government, payable at a day sufficiently dis tant to avoid any material increase of the present financial bur dens or taxes of the country. For the comparatively trifling annual interest on its stock, the Government will secure perpetual transit, free from toll and charges, on all its vessels, troops and munitions of war. It will be necessary and proper that the officers of the National Government be fully consulted as to the size and character of the proposed works of enlargement. The whole of thi% work, so important to the national defence, can be speedily completed." From the report of the Assembly committee,' consisting of Messrs. Ogden, Loveridge, Murphy, Johnson, Beadle, Gere and TAylor : "The enlarged Erie canal is of itself a splendid though artificial river ; its depth of water is seven and its breadth severity feet. It is reliable, constant and well protected, and on its peaceful bosom is borne a vast tonnage,, immense wealth and an almost imperial commerce. True, it is and was designed as a great com mercial channel, a highway for the products, whether agricultu- ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 19 ral or manufactured, of a vast country to the best markets of that country arid of the world ; but it seems eminently proper that the ways and means thus furnished for the purposes of peaceful trade should be converted, in case of necessity, into a means of defence and protection to that trade. It will be an era in the history of the nation and of public expenditures, when money expended for purely defensive purposes shall, in the largest and best sense, serve the ends and multiply the facilities of internal trade. The New York State canals were built for business and commercial purposes ^ built before the day of iron-clad gunboats or steel-plated vessels, or floating and revolving batteries pro pelled by steam; before the art of war and of defence had changed its character or assumed its present aspect ; but fortu nately these canals exist ; they are open water-courses, and are ready made to meet the wants and exigencies of the day and circumstances in which we live. The Erie canal is already of sufficient channel to float and pass the iron-clad gunboats pro pelled by steam, and such as are on the Mississippi and in southern waters ; now they are peculiarly adapted and essential for lake and harbor and coast defence. The locks on this canal are not, however, of sufficient size ; they must be enlarged to make the prism of the canal available." " The New York canals touch Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. These are each important in a defensive, as well as commercial point of view, and it would perhaps be difficult to say which was most important ; but they are separated from each other. The falls of Niagara interpose between Erie and Ontario, and Champlain stands isolated from both. Our canals, however, form a connecting link between all three. From Albany the Champlain canal reaches the head waters of the lake which bears its name, a distance of sixty-six miles. This canal enlarged, and with locks of requisite capacity, would pass gunboats from the Hudson river to the lake in twenty-four hours, and when there they would guard and protect for one hundred miles, our eastern border and the western border of Vermont. They would also guard the entrance to the lake from Canada through the Richelieu river, which Unites its waters with the»St. Lawrence river. Gun boats could also pass down the river to the St. Lawrence, and thus aid in breaking the chain of water communication between Lower and Upper Canada. This we submit is a most important view of the question. Our colonial, our revolutionary and our' 20' REPORT ON THE national history, each testify to the importance and the dangers of this old and very natural war path, and we are thus admonished of the necessity and importance of guarding it well and securely. The enlargement of the Champlain canal of capacity to pass gun boats of the proper size to the waters of the lake, cannot fail to secure the attention of Congress, and the importance of the object sought must commend itself'to favorable consideration. Returning to tide water, or the Hudson, whose waters unite with it,, we find the mouth of the Erie canal.' A double tier of locks exist, with only a partial exception, to Bjiffalo, These locks, in order to pass. gunboats of the proper size to operate upon the lakes, should be from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet in length, and twenty-five feet wide. Passing westward, these boats,. on reaching Syracuse, a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles from Albany, could, by passing on the Oswego canal, reach ¦Lake Ontario at the city of Oswego, a distance of thirty-eight miles. Passing still westward from Syracuse, to the depressed valley or level where the' surplus water brought by the canal from Lake Erie, and discharged into the Cayuga marshes and the wa.ter ' courses which lead frorii them to Lake Ontario, and the half-com pleted "Sodus canal" is reached. This was a work projected to unite the Erie canal with "Big Sodus Bay." A comparatively small expenditure — say three hundred thousand dollars— it is said would complete this work, and when done it would enable gun boats, by a canal only ten miles in length, to pass from the Erie canal to the waters of " Big Sodus Bay," one of the largest, safest and best guarded harbors on any of the great lakes,, and where a naval depot could be^established with entire safety and be easily protected at all times, the bay being some six miles in depth, with a breadth of from one to three miles, with bold shores, deep waters, protecting head lands and sheltering islands." "In connection with the subject of defence, it may not be amiss •to notice another aspect of the case. These improvements, so • necessary for war purposes, will greatly facilitate and enlarge the trade and commerce of the country; will give increased capacity to our canals tq, meet the business wants and rapidly increasing productions of, the country; and thus, while looking towards war, the ultimate and certain result would be to promote develop and enlarge the arts of peace. This view of the subject) or this resulting, as well as the primary object and advantage, is eminently national and broad in its sweep. The commercial ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 21 t ¦advantages would, in much the larger measure, inure to the benefit 'of the western and southwestern States than to New York; it would cheapen and facilitate to them the means of transit to the seaboard and' eastern markets, for their surplus, products, and carry wealth and thrift to them, more than to us; and this is the brighter side of the picture, and one. which gives beauty and grace, adding to the dark necessity of war the silver linings of commercial intercourse and gain. Should the defensive uses of the work be never required by reason of an uninterrupted peace, (and which desirable result would surely be greatly promoted by preparation to meet war,) still the money would be well and nationally invested as a commercial enterprise, to. develop the resources, trade and wealth of the whole country; it would not be like wasting money on useless works, or schemes purely theo retical, or of doubtful utility." No. 5. Act of the Legislature of New York. AN ACT to adapt the Canals of this State to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes, passed April 22, 1862. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact us follows: Section 1. Whenever the Government of the United States shall provide the means, either in cash, or six per cent, stock or bonds, redeemable within twenty years', for defraying' the cost of enlarging a single tier of locks, or building an additional tier in whole or in part, upon the Erie arid the Oswego canals, including any necessary alteration of said canals, or other struc tures, to a size sufficient to pass vessels adequate to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes, the Canal Board shall without delay put such work un J. B. CUSHMAN, Clerk. No. 7. Letter of authority from Governor Morgan to Samuel B. Ruggles. New York, May 6, 1862. Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, Sir — Your knowledge of the canal system of this State, your experience in the use and management of our canal property, as well as.your intelligence and patriotism, lead me to believe that' I can best carry into effect the resolution of the Legislature by asking you, if consistent with your numerous duties, to devote as much time as may be necessary for the purpose of visiting Washington, and presenting the subject proposed in the htw recently passed by the Legislature of New York (for adapting the canals of this State to the defence of the northern and north western lakes,) to the consideration of Congress. You will choose your own time and manner for accomplishing the object sought. I shall be glad to have a report from you after your return to this city. I expect to leave for Albany to morrow. I am, with much respect, Your obedient servant,' E. D. MORGAN. No. 8. Acceptance by Mr. Ruggles. New York, May 9th, 1862. , Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, referring to the resolution of the Legis lature of the State of New York, which- requests you " to take such measure-gas may be necessary and proper for inviting the 24 REPORT ON THE attention of the General Government to the great importance of the national interests" affected by the recent " Act to adapt the Canals of this State to the, defence of the northern and northwestern lakes;" and asking me "to devote as much time as. may be necessary for the purpose of visiting Washington, and presenting the subject proposed by the law to the consideration of Congress." Thanking you very truly for this gratifying proof of your con fidence, I cannot hesitate to comply with your request. I may require two , or three days, in which to collect and embody cer tain matters of recent information in respect to the commerce of the lakes, which may be useful to Congress, but hope to be able to leave here for Washington by the 12th' instant. In accordance with your further request, I shall duly report to you, after my return, and also, if necessary, from time to time, until the matter shall be decided by the General Government. With high respect^ Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. [ His Excellency Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of the State~of New York, Sfc, #c. No. 9. Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan. Washington, May 14, 18,62. Sir — Having arrived at Washington on the 12th instant, I have proceeded, without delay, to ascertain the condition of the busi ness of the House of Representatives, in order to determine the riiost advisable mode of inviting their attention to the recent act of our Legislature to adapt the canals of the State to the defence of the lakes. I find, that as early as the 20th of February last, the committee on military affairs,' through their chairman,. Mr. Francis P. Blair, Jr., of Missouri, presented an elaborate and able report to the House, in favor of a ship canal from the waters of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi river, accompanying the report by a bill for its construction, by enlarging the existing canal from Lake Michigan to the Illinois river, and by improving the navigation of the river. ' In that report the whole merits of the work are examined in a large and patriotic spirit, not alone in its military and naval ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 25 ¦ aspects, but in its broader and more enduring influence on the commerce, wealth, population and power of the country.- No attempt is made, to narrow the discussion to the naked considera tion of its merely _naval value. The expanded and statesman like question of its permanent commercial and political value, in developing and strengthening the lasting prosperity of the nation, and in strengthening the bonds of, constitutional union, is fairly and thoroughly presented and examined. In so doing, frequent reference is made to the far-reaching effects,, in all these respects, of the Erie canal, as a practical example of the national value, character and probable results of a work like that proposed for the West. It was evident at once, that the same, train of thought; and illustration would be applicable to the works now proposed for_ enlarging both of our great national channels of navigation — the one, connecting the Hudson, ' and the other connecting the Mississippi with the lakes — and that the success of both would be promoted by uniting th^m in a single bill. In addition to this, was the important consideration, that the bill for the west ern work (which, for the sake of brevity, may be called " The .Illinois canal, v) had been introduced so early in the. session, that it was then ready for its final passage, so that it was yester day called for the purpose, but at the request of several of the New York members was postponed until Thursday, the 23d inst. By that time our representatives will have- the opportunity. to consult with each other, and with the friends of the' Illinois canal, and will then decide upon the course best to pursue. As far as I have yet been able to ascertain the views of the members from this state, they will be nearly unanimous in supporting the proposed measure of enlarging the locks of our canals. Mr. Spaulding and Mr. Corning are temporarily -absent, and it is not thought best to convene the delegation for common consul tation until they'return, but meanwhile to confer fully with indi vidual members. I have duly submitted the act of the Legislature, and the measures it proposes, to the consideration of Mr. Sewarp, Secre tary of State, who is fully' aware of their importance. I shall call to-day on the Secretary of War and the Attorney General, to consult them on the details of the bill, the execution of which may require their official action. 26 REPORT ON THE It is very* possible that the British Minister may not re gard the enlargement of our canal locks for military purposes with entire indifference, but it is believed that any decided manifestation of concern on his part would only operate to show more clearly the necessity of the measure, and thereby to aid its passage. Every proper care will be taken to give no just cause , of offence, but the right of the United States to " equality of access " to the lakes, and the necessity of practically securing it, will be distinctly asserted. With much respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To his Excellency Edwin D. Morgan, Governor, #c, 4rc, fyc. P, S. — I go this evening to New York, for two days, intending to return here on Saturday evening. No. 10. Petition presented to Congress from Millard Fillniore, and others, inhabitants of Buffalo and other western cities, in favor of the proposed measure of enlarging the canal locks for the defence of the lakes. The undersigned citizens of earnestly solicit Congress, in addition to provision made and contemplated for the defence of the northern frontier, to adopt, without delay, the measures necessary to secure the enlargement of the Jocks of the Erie and Oswego canals to a size sufficient to pass vessels adequate to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes, pursuant to the provisions of an act of the Legislature of New York, passed April 22, 1862. This work accomplished, vessels more powerful than the Monitor could pass from New York to Lakes Erie and Ontario, or from the lakes to New York, or from either lake to the other, during the season of navigation. The immense national interests involved in the military pos session of these waters can be secured in no other mode 'at so small a cost of time and money. We deem it not extravagant to assert that, if the proposed work were accomplished, no at tempt would be made to wrest the control of the great lakes from our National Government. The equality of access to them which was designed to be secured by our treaty with Great Britain, has been wholly destroyed by the construction of the ENLARGEMENT OF THE: CANALS. 27 Canadian canals, and we are not permitted to build and main tain war vessels upon the lakes. The superiority of our com mercial interests over those of our neighbors, but increases the danger of sudden attack, and is no defence whatever. We. have no impediment to offer, if, during the season of navigation, a fleet of British gun boats from the Atlantic shall propose "to take possession of the entire chain of lakes and connecting rivers. A long line of flourishing cities and villages can thus be laid under- contribution or be destroyed, while a commerce exceeding in value the foreign trade of the nation is either suspended or falls a prey to our ambitious rivals. Is it the part of wisdom to incur such risks? No other nation ever manifested such indif ference to its vital interests, or overweening confidence in the preservation of pacific relations with the only power with which it was liable to serious differences. Recent events have shown how readily, and without notjce, war clouds may obscure the hor izon. Should we not profit by the lesson and be prepared for dangers that are always impending, while so considerable a por tion of the continent owns European, sway ? The National Government has expended large sums for the defence of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The interests of the North and West- are equally entitled to such protection, and it is respectfully submitted that, by the adoption of the project in ojuestion, our inland frontier is amply defended, and a commerce of inestimable value to our Atlantic States and cities secured from hostile interruption. (Signed) MILLARD FILLMORE, ^ tand many others. May 16, 1862. t No. 11. \ Preamble, Resolution and Proceedings of the Canal Board of the State of New York, in respect to the dimensions of the Locks necessary for the purposes of the Act of the Legislature. STATE OF NEW YORK: Canal Department, \ Albany, May 23, 1862. } At a meeting of the Canal Board,, held at the Canal Depart ment, on the 22d day of May, 1862, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted : 28 •.:;.?/. report' on the Whereas,' The Legislature of the State of New York, at its last session, enacted the following "Act to adapt the canals of this State to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes," passed April 22, 1862. (Here follows the act in full.) And whereas, certain duties are thereby contingently enjoined upon the Canal Board : ' Now, therefore, for the purpose of discharging what seem to be the present duties of the Canal Board in the premises, and to give such assistance in their power for the furtherance of the project, the Canal Board of the State of New York do hereby determine that, in case the Government of the United States shall make provision to execute* the purposes of the aforesaid act, they will cause locks to be enlarged or constructed, of suffi cient' capacity to pass boats two hundred feet in length,1 twenty five feet in width, and of such draft of water as the canals will permit. STATE OF NEW YORK: ? % Canal Department. ) I have compared the following copy of a preamble and resolu tion with the original minutes of the proceedings of the Canal Board, on file in this department, and do certify the same to be a true transcript therefrom, ana. of the whole of said original preamble and resolutions. In ¦witness1 whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed my [l. s.] official seal, this 23d day of May, in the year 1'862. (Signed) N. S. BENTON, Auditor. No 12. Further report by Mr. Ruggles to Gov. Morgan. Washington, May 31, 1862. Sir — Mr. Corning having returned to Washington, the New York delegation in the House of Representatives was duly con vened to consider the subject of the "Act to adapt the canals of the State to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes." A large majority attended, the number present being 'twenty- three. Of the remainder, some were away in the army, and the others either indisposed or temporarily absent. At this meeting, the merits of all the works mentioned in the act were distinctly presented ; including not only the enlarge- ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 29 ihent of the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals, so obviously* and admittedly necessary for affording, in conjunction with the proposed enlargement of the Illinois canal, the means of. un broken communication, both military and ' commercial, between the Hudson and the Mississippi, but also the enlargement pro- posed"by the act, of the Champlain canal, as important in opening direct and speedy access from, the Hudson to the St. Lawrence, at a point below Montreal, and also the branch proposed in the act, from the Erie canal to the safe and capacious harbor of Great Sodus Bay, as a valuable point of rendezvous for naval vessels on Lake Ontario. The immense and rapidly increasing amount of the commerce of the lakes to be protected, together with its present undefended and exposed condition, and especially the national character of the cargoes, both on the Illinois and the New York canals, as exhibited by official tables, were also brought in detail to the. particular notice of the delegation, accompanied by general con siderations of the vital importance of this vast interior lake trade, Het only as a nursery for seamen, and in furnishing cargoes for foreign, export, commanding in return a corresponding amount of duty-paying imports ; but still more so in its higher and nobler function of cementing and consolidating the Union between the East and the West, and in securing, in allcontingencieSjthe political unity of this great portion of our continental republic. No specific action on the subject was asked or desired, at that particular time, from the, New York delegation, as such. They ad journed to meet, again, when the necessary measures should be matured by t]^ proper committees in Congress. It was moreover 1 thoughtjudicious by experienced advisers not to make, the State of New York prematurely or unduly conspicuous in suggesting, still less in dictating any particular mode of action, but rather to par ticipate as far as practicable with the West, and especially with the important Sta*te of Illinois, in urging upon Congress the works mostyurgently needed in a general system of national defence by means of adequate canals.. With this view, Mr. Browning, of Illinois, introduced into the Senate a resolution of inquiry into the probable cost of enlarging " the New York and the Illinois canals" to a size adequate to the passage of' gunboats. The measures proposed by the act of the Legislature of New Yor£ would necessarily come up for consideration, first before the 30 ' REPORT ON THE "military committee, to whom had been referred the petition of Millard Fillmore and others, inhabitants* of cities adjacent to the'lakes, for the enlargement of the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals, as proposed by the act of our Legislature. On Wednesday last, that committee afforded me a hearing, at which the subject was discussed at considerable length, with the necessary statement of facts, and somewhat more broad ly in its national aspect, especially embracing- the present, and still more the future ¦ importance of the great food-pro ducing region adjacent to the lakes, in securing to the nation, of which it is a part, an essential and fundamental element of political power. The undefended condition of that vast inter est was fully urged upon the committee. Their attention was also particularly invited to the importance and value of adequate naval communications through Lake Champlain, and with the harbor of Great Sodus Bay. At the close of th9 discussion, the committee unanimously and unhesitatingly agreed to report, as, an additional section to the pending bill for the enlargement of the Illinois canal, a 'provi sion of three million five hundred thousand dollars, for enlarging the lodes of the Erie and of the Oswego canals, on the terms and in the manner proposed by the act of New York- The •proper consideration and preparation of the details of the section, and the necessary consultation with the Secretary of War, whose previous approbation it was quite essential to obtain, caused a short delay, during which the House adjourned over until Monday next. The section will then be reported to the House, as soon as Mr. Blair, under its rules, c^n obtain the opportunity. I send you, herewith, a copy of the proposed sec tion for your examination. It has been carefully drawn, with reference to. the mode of action by the Canal Board required by the terms of the New York act, and also to secure the neces sary certainty and promptness of payment to* contractors. I believe it will effectuate it* object,, but I should nevertheless be happy to receive such suggestions for- its amendment as may be thought necessary by yourself, or by the Auditor of the Canal Department, whose long experience in the fiscal affairs of our canals would impart much value to his advice. I regret to add, that the committee were not willing to report any provision for the Champlain canal or the canal to Great Sodus Bay, to be appended to the Illinois canal bill. They may ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 31 possibly agree, on further consideration and examination, to report them as independent measures. On the suggestion of Secretary Seward, I have verbally sub mitted to President Lincoln, in general outline, the subject com mitted to my charge. Under the permission of the President, I shall present to him, without delay, the statements in writing,. and somewhat more in detail, waiting only for the actual presen- . tation to the House of the additional section, by the military committee, to be able to state to the President precisely what measure of aid by the General Government will be proposed. I am much gratified to add, that the President evinced great interest in the matter, regarding it as a measure of the highest importance, not only to his own administration butto the last ing interests of the country. There is now good reason to ex pect, not only his favorable consideration, but very possibly his: efficient co-operation at such time and • in such mode as he may ' deem necessary and proper. With high respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. His Excellency Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of New York, fye., fyaf, fyc. No. 13. Additional section referred to in the preceding Report. Amendment submitted by Mr. F. P. Blair, Jr., to bill H. R. 288. Amend by adding the following : Sec. 8. Ar.d be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to cause to be enlarged, through the agency of the. Canal Board of the State of New York, under the provisions of the act of the Legislature thereof, passed April twenty-two, eighteen hundred and si^ty-two, entitled "An act to adapt the canals of this State to the defence of the northern and northwestern lakes," one tier of the locks on the Erie canal and one tier of the locks on the Oswego c^inal to a capacity sufficient to pass- vessels-of-war at least twenty-five feet wide and two hun dred, feet long from" the Hudson river into Lake Erie and» Lake Ontario, with such additional feeders and alterations of the chan nels of said canals- as may be necessary, with power to construct new and independent locks when found more advantageous, the United States to have the perpetual right of passage through said 32 REPORT ON THE Canals free from toll or charge for its vessels-of-war, boats, gun-' boats, transports, troops, supplies, or munitions of war, as granted by said act, it being hereby" expressly understood and provided that the expense of all said work to be paid by the United States shall not exceed three millions five hundred thousand dollars. Before commencing said work, or any part thereof, the proposals to be received for its execution, with a sufficient specification of its dimensions and character, shall be submitted by said Canal Board to the Secretary of Warv for his approbation, who shall cause the same to be examined without delay by a competent engineer in the employ of the Government, and shall also clause such inspection to be made of the work as it proceeds, and of the vouchers rendered for the same, as he may deem necessary. Duplicate certificates of the work done shall be rendered monthly by the engineer or inspector so to be selected by the Secretary o{ War — one to the War 'Department of the United States, and the other to the Auditor of the Canal Department of said State; on receiving which, the Secretarj' of War shall pay to said Auditor the amounts therein Certified, such payments to be made either in money or in the stocks or bonds of the United States, bearing interest at six per centum per annum, payable half-yearly, and redeemable at the pleasure of* the Government after the expira. tion of five and within twenty years from their date. No. 14. Letter from Hon. N. S. Benton, Canal Auditor, to Mr. Ruggles, in respect to the cost of enlarging the locks of the Erie and Oswego canals, and presented by him to the Committee on Military Affairs. STATE OF NEW YORK : ^| Canal Department, K - Albany, April 30, 1862. J Hoh. Samuel B. Ruggles, Dear Sir — I have your letter of the 28th' instant, and note the contents. I have this moment got sight of the State Engineer's report, which I inclose to you. I am somewhat disappointed at the contents. In my judgment, the estimate for enlarging the locks on the Erie and Oswego canals is large, when, we take into consideration the situation and condition under which the work will be d6ne. On examining the books in the department, I find the cost of building the enlarged locks on the canals ranged from $22 000 ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 33 to $25,000. There appear to be some few exceptiops, where the price exceeds these amounts, owing to special causes. The com bined locks at Lockport cost $164,000., If the locks are lengthened, by making the addition at the foot of the present locks, I do not see why the expense should exceed the original cost of the. present locks. The expense of enlarging the weigklocks ($142,000) should be thrown out; The United States will have no occasion for their use ; and besides, the State must resort • to other means of ascertaining the cargoes of vessels carrying 400 tons, than the weigh-lock. It will cost less to enlarge the berm lock than the one on the towing path, for the reason that there will be less disturbance of the section work connected with the lock on the berm, than on the towing path side of the canal. It will look strange to see ene complaining of an engineer's estimate, on account of its being large. The cost generally exceeds the estimates. In this case, however, if the plans and specifications of the work are settled and fixed, and no alterations afterwards allowed in the plans, to increase the cost, I am dearly of opinion that the work can be done within the^ estimate. I assume, and such I believe to be the fact, that the engineer's estimate is based upon the fact, that stone is to be used in the contemplated work. If composite walls with timber facings are used, you must see that the expense of the work must fall very much below the estimates. \ Yours respectfully, N. S. BENTON. No. 15. Governor Morgan to Mr. Ruggles. ST^TE OF NEW YORK : \ Executive Department,' 1 Albany, June 3, 1862. J Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, Washington, D. C. Sir — I have read with unusual interest your communication of the '31st ultimo, and have submitted the same to the Auditor of the Canal Department, and have conferred with him in relation thereto. Mr. Benton has submitted to me some suggestions as to the manner of payment, which I inclose you. [Assem. No. 114.] 3 34 REPORT ON . THE - Although some inconvenience might be experienced, if pay ment should be made entirely in United States stock, yet any temporary embarrassment should not be counted against the vast interests involved, in giving to the Government the facili- ties-of a ship canal through the State, connecting the Huds6n with the great lakes ; and while the suggestions of the Auditor are worthy of careful consideration in the proposed amendment, nevertheless, if, in your judgment, their insertion, or even a pro position to that effect, would hazard the measure, then do not present' them. It affords me' the highest gratification to learn of the favor with which your efforts are being repaid. I. am with great respect, Your obed't servant, E. D. MORGAN. No. 16. Communication from Canal Auditor Benton to Governor Morgan, referred to in the preceding letter. STATE OF NEW YORK: | \ Canal Department, \ • Albany, June 2, 1862. J To the Governor : Under the provisions of the additional section of the bill pro posing to enlarge the Illinois canal, I think serious difficulties will arise in making payments to the contractors on the work as it progresses, unless the Secretary should make the stipulated payment in money. 'I will assume that from the commencement of- the preparations to the close of the whole work, it will take seven months, and that the monthly estimates will reach $500,- 000 a month. At the close of the month, the engineers prepare their sworn estimates of the amount of work done and materials furnished, which will be transmitted to the War Department, and the Secretary of War will then transmit the half million of dollars in stocks, which must be converted into money before the contractor could be paid for his month's services. This would ¦ be the process of every month or two months until the whole work is completed. There will be contingencies. Will the Secretary meet the requisition promptly? Will the stock be convertible into money when needed ? Note. — This difficulty might to some, and perhaps to' a con siderable extent, be remedied, by providing in the contract that ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS; 35 a certain and fixed percentage of the work should be payable in United States six per cent, stocks received from the Government. This would throw upon the contractor the onus of raising the mbney on the stock, which he would do by pledging it collaterally. You, ^ir, are quite familiar with the embarrassments we have to encounter, in consequence of the financial restrictions of our State Constitution. During the next two years a'prudent finan cier in this department could manage $1,750*000, but he cannot, I think, grapple with $3,500,000. Quere. — Do the provisions of the section accord in all respects with our State law in reference to this' subject ? Suggestions. — Could not Mr. Ruggles obtain such a modifica tion of the proposed section as to provide, after all the plans, specifications, estimates arid contracts have been made and sub mitted to and approved by the Secretary of War, that the said Secretary shall advance to the State such an amount as shall appear necessary, by the sworn proximate statement of the engi neers, to pay, one month's cost of the, work after put in progress? The advance shall be accounted for in the manner provided in the bill, before the Secretary* shall be called upon for another monthly advance. The advantage of the change will be this : the financial officers of the State will have in hand securities upon which, under the Constitution and laws of the State, they can make advances and investments of the Canal Fund, and by this means payments to the contractors, promptly every month, will be better secured. Prompt and available payirients to the contractors will insure material reduction in prices. v Respectfully submitted. N. S. BENTON, Auditor. ' [Note. — By some accideat in the mail the two -preceding letters from Gov. Morgan and Mr. Benton, were not received by Mr. Buggies until long after the additional section in question had been reported t > the House.] No. 17. Further report by Mr. Ruggles to Gov. Morgan. Washington, June 5, 1862. Sir — The additional section, by way of amendment to the Illi nois canal bill, providing for enlarging the locks of the Erie and of the Oswego canals, a copy of which was sent with my letter of the 31st ultimo, was duly offered in the House by Mr. Blair on the 3d instant, and was ordered to be printed with the r©- •36 REPORT ON THE port from the committee»on military affairs, accompanying that additional section. For the purpose of practically retaining priority for the bill, Mr. Blair, after the vote for printing the additional section and report, moved the recommitment of the bill, which proceeding, un der the peculiar rulesof the House, gives him the power, as chair man of the committee, to report it anew at any time when his committee- shall be called, and thereupon to ask for it the im mediate action of the House, without sending it to the com mittee of the whole, there to slowly await its turn. He hopes to reach this point in a few days. His present report, as you will perceive, places the measure distinctly and almost exclusively on the ground of military necessity, although broadly referring, near the conclusion, to the superadded considerations of" national interest," both commercial and political, and which, under the concurrent resolution of the Legislature, and your instructions, I was specially bound to present to the General Government in behalf of the State. # The matters of fact necessary, to give weight to those con siderations, and then presented to the committee, will be fully repeated in a memorial in behalf of the State to the President, and also, if necessary, in a direct communication to Congress. Mr. Blair and other members are of opinion that a distinct rec ommendation of the measure by the President to Congress, would be in the highest degree desirable. The President is, however, at the moment so much engrossed with the intelligence con stantly arriving from the seat of war, that we have thought it better to refrain from obtruding the master- on his immediate attention. The earliest opportunity will, however, be taken to present to him the whole subject in all its national aspects, mil itary, commercial and- political. A proper exhibition of the mag nitude of our lake commerce, and its cardinal importance, present and prospective, as a fundamental element of national .strength, cannot but exert" a just influence in securing his concurrence in any measures needed to guard such an interest from even the possibility of foreign aggression. With much respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To His Excellency EnwiN D. Morgan, Governor, fyc, fyc, #c. ENLARGEMENT OF THE GANALS. 37 No, 18. Further report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan, with the memorial presented to the President of the United States in behalf of the State of New York. Washington, June 11, 1862. Sir — On the 9 th instant, I submitted to the President of the United States, the Memorial in behalf of the State, a duplicate of which is herewith transmitted, embodying and somewhat ampli fying the views which I had previously presented to him in per son. I am led to believe that it wasfavorably received, and that it will probably be transmitted by the President to Congress. The only difficulty which we now seriously apprehend is the unlimited amount of expenditure authorized, by that part of the pending bill which directs the enlarge riient of the Illinois canal and improvement of the Illinois river, during an indefinite period, and pledges Congress to make yearly appropriations, which are magnified by ignorance or malice, or both, to twenty, thirty, and eve n^fifty millions of dollars. A proposition will pro bably be made to fix the amount in the bill at a sum not ex ceeding ten millions of dollars. With high respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. His Excellency EnwiN D. Morgan, Governor, 4rc, life., fyc. i - ¦ No. 19. Memorial to the President, referred to in the preceding report. To His Excellency, Abraham Lincoln; President of the United States. The Legislature of the State of New York, on the 22d of April, 1862j passed. an act to adapt the canals of the State to the de fence of the northern and northwestern lakes. Their joint reso lution, of the same date, 'requested the Governor of the State "to take such measures as he' shall deem necessary and proper "for inviting the attention of the General Government to the " measures proposed in the act, and their great' importance to the - " national interests." Pursuant to that resolution,, the Governor,, having transmitted to the President of the United States a copy of the act, duly au- 38 REPORT ON THE thenticated, specially delegated the undersigned, as having been officially connected for several, years with the canals of the State, to present the subject proposed in the law to the consideration of the General Government. In the execution of that duty, the principal facts necessary to be. understood have been verbally communicated to the President, but, under his permission, they are how respectfully laid before him in writing, and somewhat more in detail. They fall under the two general heads of the |National De fence and the National Commerce. I. The practicability of employing canals as engines of national defence mainly arises from the recent unexpected but very import ant discovery, that impregnable mail-clad vessels, comparatively small in size, are capable of effectually resisting vessels of vastly greater dimensions ; and further, that one such impregnable ves sel would be able, in a few hours, to destroy a whole squadron of vessels of war of the description heretofore in use. This stri king truth, so signally demonstrated by the recent achievement of the Monitor upon the waters of the Chesapeake, almost within the hearing of the National Capital, must inevitably work a rad- icaV revolution in naval warfare. Among its other singular and immediate results, is the greatly increased importance which it imparts to canals of moderate volume, heretofore supposed to be useful only for carrying vessels of commerce. As carriers of im pregnable vessels of war, they assume at once a new dignity. They rise to the rank of naval channels, and become necessary parts 'of the machinery of war. The interesting question then arises, what dimensions are re quired for a canal to enable it to pass impregnable vessels ade quate to the defence of our national waters, and especially the great chain of lakes? On' this point testimony is at hand of the highest authority, derived from a source no less reliable than Ericsson himself, the inventor Of the " Monitor." A letter herewith transmitted from .that distinguished engineer and mechanician states: That an impregnable war vessel of 25 feet wide, and 200 feet long, with a shot-proof turret, carrying a gun of 15-inch calibre, with a ball of 450 pounds, and capable of destroying any hostile vessel that can be put on the lakes, will draw, without ammunition coal or stores, but 6 "feet and 6 inches water ; and, consequently, will ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 39 need only a canal wide and deep enough to float a vessel of those dimensions, with locks of sufficient size to pass it. The Erie and Oswego canals of the State of New York, respec tively connecting the Hudson river with Lake Erie at Buffalo, and Lake Ontario at Oswego, are 70 feet wide, and 7 feet deepj but their present locks are too small for the ..purpose in question. The cubic contents of a lock required to pass the impregnable iron vessel above described are about 38,500 feet. The present Erie and Oswego locks, which are but 18 feet wide, 110 feet long,. and 7 feet deep, contain but 13,800 cubic feet. If enlarged to 26 feet wide, and 220 feet long (to admit the swing of the gates), they' would contain 39,900 cubic feet. ' In point of capacity, the canals of Canada far exceedT those of thaState of New York. The locks of the series of canals around the rapids of the St. Lawrence, within the British dominions, which afiford direct and easy access from the Atlantic into Lake Ontario, are 45 feet wide, 200 feet long, and, 8 feet deep, and have a cubic capacity of 72,000 feet. The present locks of the Welland canal, which opens a similar passage from Lake Ontario into Lake Erie, are 26 feet wide and 150 feet long, with a cubic capacity of at least 31,200 feet, which may be readily increased to the full amount required, by lengthening the locks. The Rideau canal, which connects' Montreal with Kingston, on Lake Ontario, through an interior route by way of the Ottawa river, is only 5\ feet deep; but its locks are. 33 feet wide, and 142 feet long. ¦ Their present cubic capacity is 23,430 feet, but if lepgthened to 220 feet, would be 36,600. The greater width of the lock would measurably compensate for the shallow draught, and permit the passage of> war vessels of dangerous dimensions.. From this brief summary, it will be seen at once that the British Government, whether' designedly or not', has secured to itself means of naval access to the lakes, far exceeding those the United States now possess, and that the only appropriate and certain remedy for this evil is the adequate enlargement, without "delay, of the locks of the American canals leading into that im portant chain of waters. On this point, the opinions of our intelligent and loyal citizens are very decided. Numerous peti tions have already reached Congress from the inhabitants of the cities adjacent to the lakes, (including, among other eminent individuals, a former President of the United States,) in which they forcibly and truly state that " the United States have no 40 REPORT ON, THE impediment to offer if, during the season of navigation, a fleet of British gun boats from the Atlantic shall propose to take posses sion of the entire chain of lakes and connecting rivers," and earnestly solicit the 00vernment. to adopt measures for their defence, without delay, by the enlargement of the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals, expressing their opinion that " the immense national interests involved in the military possession of these waters can be secured in no other mode at so small a cost of time and money." The country has learned with much gratification, that the committee on military affairs of the House of Representatives, in Congress, have already had this subject under attentive examination, as forming part of a general system of defence. In the comprehensive and truly national report recently made to the House by that committee, they express their earnest con viction that " a small fleet of light-draught, heavily armed, iron clad gun boats could, in one short month, in despite of any opposition that could be made by extemporized batteries, pass up the St. Lawrence, and shell every city and village from OgdensbUrgh to Chicago. ' At one blow, it could sweep our com merce from that entire chain of waters. Such a fleet would have it in its power to inflict a loss to be reckoned only by hundreds of millions, so vast is the wealth thus exposed to the depreda tions of a maritime enemy." The vivid language of their report utters but the truth in declaring that the wide-spread cities and commerce of these great inland seas " are now as open to incursion as was Mexico when invaded by Cortez." It is no sufficient answer to assert that these canals of Canada, affording facilities of access so, dangerous, were constructed only for commercial prirposes. Nor indeed would it be true. Taught by the experience of the war of 1812, the attention of the most eminent British statesmen and commanders has long been occupied with the importance of these canals, not merely as com mercial, but as military channels. THeir struggles in that war to secure the naval command of Lake Ontario, together with the" conflicts on Lake Erie and Lake Champlain, are well remembered.- In 1814 the Duke of Wellington declared to the British Ministry " that a naval superiority on the lakes is a sine qua non of success in war on the frontier of Canada." The treaty of peace in 1815 was followed, in 1817, by the " diplomatic arrangement," by which Great Britain and the United States mutually agreed to ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 41 dismantle their vessels of war on the lakes and reduce their naval force on each side "to one vessel of one hundred tons burthen on Lake Ontario, and one on Lake Champlain, each armed with one 18-pound cannon, and on the upper lakes to two such. vessels, armed with like force." In 1819, but two years after that pacific arrangement, the Duke of Richmond, then Governor-General of Canada, transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies a report from Lieut.-Gen. Cockburn in favor of a line of water communication, unquestiona bly intended as a military work, leading from Montreal, by way of the Ottawa river and the interior chain of minor lakes, of which ,, the Rideau is one, to Kingston, on Lake Ontario. .In 1823, it was determined that the cost of the work should be wholly de frayed by the mother country, In 1825, a commission, of which Major General Sir J. Carmichael Smith was President, reported the estimated expense to the Duke of Wellington, then a member . of the British Government, whereupon the canal, with connecting works on the Ottawa, was constructed, openly and avowedly as a military work, by the Royal Engineers, under the direction of the Ordnance Department. It was completed in or near the year 1831, at a cost exceeding a million sterling. The preamble of the act of the local Parliament in Canada, "authorizing the tak ing of lands for the purpose, passed in February, 1827, expressly recites, that " His Majesjty has been pleased to direct measures to be immediately taken, under the superintendence of the proper military "department, for constructing a canal connecting the Waters of Lake Ontario with the River Ottawa, and affording a convenient navigation for the transport of naval and military stores." In 1831, Colonel Durnford, of the Royal Engineers, in his testimony before a committee of the British Parliament, stated that provision was made for block-houses at several of the locks of the canal, and that the wofk' being intended as a military communication, it was necessary that fortifications and works of ' defence should be erected at the entrance of the canal, and in ¦ its immediate vicinity at Kingston. A fortress of very consider able strength was accordingly erected, and is now the most im portant military work on Lake Ontario. The completion and defence of this interior line of water communication has been followed by the construction of a series of short canals, of much greater size; • along the St. Lawrence 42 REPORT ON THE river and around its rapids. Their capacity very far transcends any commercial necessity which can reasonably be expected on that line of communication for a long time to come. In point of fact, the descending trade of the St. Lawrence (necessarily preponderating, like that of the Erie canal, largely over the ascending) is not one-third of that of the Erie canal. Never theless, the existing locks of the Erie canal are adequate to pass a descending trade double of that it now enjoys ; while, again. the locks on the St. Lawrence canals, 45 feet by 200, have double the Capacity of those on the Erie— from which three elements, it is arithmetically evident that the locks of the St. Lawrence have at least twelve times the capacity really required for any purpose of existing commerce. It was the deep conviction of danger in this inequality be tween the canals of the two countries for the purposes of national defence, and the absolute, necessity of regaining, without delay, that equality of naval access and condition intended to be secured by the treaty stipulation of 181 7, which led the Legisla ture of New York to pass the act of the 22d of April last. That . such were the views of the Legislature fully appears from the reports on the subject made in their Senate and Assembly. The report of Mr. Ogden, chairman of the canal committee of the Assembly, substantially confirmed by that of Mr. Cook in the ' Senate, truly asserts that these large dimensions of the Canadian locks, " so far beyond the meagre wants of Canadian commerce at the time, suggest that the higher object/ of inilitary defence was not lost sight of by far-seeing British statesmen in their construction;. and they will not complain if, on a subject of so much moment, we follow their -example. A preparation for defence, and provision for the rapid concentration of military and defensive power in time of need, could not be construed, by any logical or fair course of reasoning, into hostile" intent ; nor would it provoke criticism frorii a nation so careful as Great Britain in placing herself in defensive position. "Defensive measures are always pecific' measures ; their bear ing and tendency are towards peace ; they avert rather than provoke war ; induce caution on the part of rivals and antago nists, and never provoke hostilities on the part of friends. It is submitted, with entire confidence, that the means of placing gun boats speedily and certainly on the border lakes will tend greatly to prevent war with our northern neighbor. She would / ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 43 i respect us more, and surely not fear us less, if we stand on a perfect equality with herself in the particular referred to." In opposition to these sensible and patriotic views, it has been asserted that no'real necessity exists. for. enlarging the channels of our American canals for the passage of gun boats, but on the contrary, that the safety of our cities and commerce on the lakes may be fully and surely provided for, either by accumulating and storing materials for gun boats at .points on the canals near the lakes, or, in case of war, by marching a military force into Canada, to seize and destroy its canals. In respect to the first of these expedients, it may be observed that, even if it could be lawfully and wisely adopted under the provisions and true intent of the. existing treaty, the very mate rials thus "to be stored for any adequate number of vessels (esti mated at $200,000 each), and probably destined only to decay through a long course of years, wouldcost very_nearly, if not quite, as much as the whole expense of enlarging the ninety locks on the Erie and Oswego canals ; and, furthermore, that we should much underrate the resolution and activity of our vigorous ad versary in assuming that, with his large and powerful fleet of gun boats, ready at any moment to be precipitated into the-lakes, he would give ua time to complete our vessels before ^he mis chief would be done. In respect to the proposed seizure and destruction of the Ca nadian canals, it may in like manner be observed, and that, too, in a spirit of perfect amity, that our British brethren, sharing with ourselves a descent from common ancestors, inherit, at least, a reasonable amount of courage, if not of obstinacy; that the matter of seizing and destroying their canals, however trifling it may seem, would hardly go by default ; and, at any rate, that their numerous and swift-sailing gun boats could ascend and ravage the whole coast of the lakes before our military columns of adequate force could be put iri motion. Such, too, seems to be the.present opinion of the British people, as manifested through their public journals. The leading article in the London Times of the 7th of January last, in reference to the disturbing affair of the Trent, then, pending, declares : "That as soon as, the St. Lawrence is opened again there will, be an end of our difficulty. We can then pour into the lakes such a fleet of grin boats, and other craft, as will give us the. complete and immediate command of those waters. Directly 44 REPORT ON THE the navigation is clear, we can send up vessel after vessel with out any restrictions, except such as are imposed by the size of the canals. The Americans would have no such resource. They would have no access to the lakes from the sea, and it is impos sible that they could construct vessels of any considerable power in the interval that would elapse before the ice broke up. With the opening of spring, the lakes would be ours." It was after a careful examination of this important matter in both Houses of the Legislature of New York, and taking into view not only the greatly exposed condition of her northern water frontier, but the immense stream of lake commerce pour ing into her territory and through her canals and railways, not only from the mineral and grazing districts of northern Pennsyl vania arid Ohio, but from the truly imperial group of agricul tural States adjacent to the upper lakes, that the act of the 22d q£ April was passed by large 'majorities both in the Senate'and Assembly, placing all the State canals connected with the lakes at the service of the General Government. By the provisions of the act, the* United States will become fully entitled, whenever it shall provide the pecuniary means for enlarging the locks on the Erie- and the Oswego canals, to the perpetual right of pass age through those canals " free from toll or charge, for its vessels of war, boats, gunjboats, transports, troops, supplies, or muni tions of war." . The act grants a similar right of perpetual pas sage, in case the Government shall provide the means through two other channels, one being a branch canal (now partially construct ed) from the Erie canal to the safe and commodious harbor of Great Sodus Bay, on Lake Ontario, furnishing a very desirable rendez vous for naval vessels ; the other being the enlargement of the Champlain canal, on the direct route of the old and natural war path of our revolutionary history, and opening a channel bf rapid and easy access to an important military point on the St. Lawrence river, below Montreal, where the chain of water com munication between Upper and Lower Canada might be broken. The cost of enlarging1 the locks dn the Erie and Oswego canals, to be paid by the United States, will not exeeed $3,500,000. That of the branch to the Great Sodus Bay is not yet definitely ascertained. The enlargeriient of the Champlain canal has been estimated by the State Engineer at $3,700,000; but with due economy may probably be considerably reduced below that amount. ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. ' 45 The enlargement of the locks on the Erie and the Ogwego canals can be easily completed in a single winter, and* if neces sary,- by the 1st of May next. Up to the 30th of September, 1861, the State had expended, in constructing thesei two canals, and in enlarging their dimensions to the size required for the commerce of the lakes,, the sum of $43,575,167. Their net tolls* deducting repairs, are wholly devoted to the reimbursement of the debt incurred in their enlargement, and are kept at the low est rate consistent with that object! These, then, are the prominent features of the canals which the legislative act of New York -has placed at the service of the Government. In view of her peculiar geographical position in the Union, with three of the six great northern lakes (Cham plain included) lying immediately on her border, she now feels entitled respectfully but earnestly to claim that the national duty of defending such a chain of seas, not only from imminent and immediate danger, but the remotest chance of assault and ravage by a maritime enemy, is among the highest and most im perative obligations of the General Government. In entering into the Union, of which, through every change of circumstance, she has been a loyal member, she voluntarily and cheerfully sur rendered to the General Government, without stint or reserva tion, the rich 'revenues from foreign imports, which her geo graphical position, commanding at once the ocean and the lakes, would have enabled her, with any views less comprehensive and national, practically to monopolize. For the sake of that priceless Union she gave up all to the Common treasury, for the very purpose of enabling the National Government, then called into being, fully and faithfully to dis charge its sovereign and transcendent duties, among which none Was "more conspicuous or emphatic than the solemn and perpetual obligation imposed by the Constitution, "to, provide for the common defence of the -States." She does not presume or desire to calculate the value or courit the cost of that glorious national structure, and nevertheless, in view of the scanty measure of protection and relief she now asks, far less for herself than the loyal group of sister States richly clustering around the lakes, she" cannot refrain from stating that the duties collected at the single port of New York, and faithfully paid over to the national treasury, already amount to $971,063,527; of which immense 46 REPORT ON THE 'sum $355,235,855 is included in the single decade from 1850 to 1860. These duties, it is true, were eventually paid by the consumers of foreign products scattered broadcast throughout the nation, but it must be remembered that of those consuiriers a population of 10,858,005 are embraced within the States adjacent to the lakes, without including the narrow but very valuable strip of territory on those waters belonging to Penn sylvania. How much, or, rather, how little, has been done by the General Government to provide for the common defence of the States around these inland seas from hostile attack, sufficiently appears from the fact, that the whole amount appropriated for every species of lake defence, up to the present moment, is but $1,676,- 650; while on the other hand, the cost of the fortifications alone on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, to say nothing of the hundreds of millions expended on the navy, has been $34,487,809. To these facts the attention of the General Government is now invited, in no spirit of c'omplaint or supplication, but only of unaffected filial respect. New York did not complain, even in 1811, when the Government, then administered by President Madison, denied the petition presented in her behalf by De Witt Clinton and Gouverneur Morris, two of her first Canal Com missioners, seeking the scanty measure of aid which, at. that early day, she really required for pushing the Erie canal through her nearly untrodden territory out to the great national wilder ness around the lakes. The refusal, not particularly parental in tone or manner, served only to invigorate her youthful and unaided efforts, and compelled her to win alone the reputation she gladly would have shared with the ever-honored Union, of which she was, and is, and ever will remain, a dutiful and obedi- ent'member. But the present exigencies of her ca"nals, like those of the kindred canal of Illinois, are wholly national ; the duty of adapting them to the common defence emphatically and exclu sively national; and it would be neither just nor generous to require either her or Illinois separately to burthen their people for objects plainly of primary interest and necessity to all- the States. 11. ' The .question then arises, cannot the United States now afford to expend the amount necessary to defend these lakes, with their immense fleets of commercial vessels, from maritime aggression? and this brings us to the class of facts secondly ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 47 above proposed for examination, involving the national import ance of the commerce of the lakes. They will conclusively show that the national commerce, for which the lakes afford the natural channel, constitutes a funda mental and vital element of our national strength ; that it has now attained such dimensions that the General Government can not, wisely or safely, neglect or disregard it; and that, even for fiscal purposes, its' pecuniary value is so. great, with a prospect of increase so enormous, that- the nation cannot afford, for a moment, to leave it exposed to any possibility of disturbance. The present condition and- past growth of this commerce will need to-be stated somewhat in detail. It is so interwoven with the Erie canal, its great national outlet to the ocean, that the history of neither can be complete without including both. The Erie canal, completed in 1825, with the scanty dimensions of forty feet wide and four feet deep, was regarded, for several years after its completion, hf a considerable portion of our popu lation, as a local work, mainly intended for the State of New York and its local commerce. Nor was this narrow view, at the time, particularly surprising, for, as late as the close of naviga tion in 1837, of the total weight of the cargoes carried on the canal (somewhat inaccurately denominated in the official tables as its " tonnage") being 387,506 tons in all, the local proportion furnished by the State was 331,251, while that of the' cargoes coming from States west of her limits, and which, for brevity, may be called its " national commerce," amounted only to 56,255. Notwithstanding this disparity, and the slender portion then furnished by the West, an effort was made in the Legislature of 1838, for nationalizing the canal, at least, in public opinion, by pointing out the latent capacity of the agriculture of the States around the lakfes, and its inevitable effect in reversing the pro portions then existing between the local and the national cargoes. Differences of opinion, honestly entertained, on such a point, could be settled only by time. Twenty-four years have now elapsed, and the .following is the result : Tons reaching tide-water by the Erie canal: Local. National. 1837 ¦_ < ,331,251 56,255 1842 '. 258,672 221,176 '1847 618,413 812,840 1856 374,580 1,212,550 1861 291,184 ¦ 2,156,425 48 REPORT ON THE - It will thus be seen that the proportions which, in 1838, were four to one in favor of the " local" commerce, were so entirely reversed that in 1861 they became nearly eight to one in favor of the "national." By further analyzing the .official tables we shall.readily detect the cause of this immense increase of the national commerce, in the rapid development of the agriculture of the west, which may be regarded as " national agriculture," in contradistinction to the loc^l agriculture of New York. The comparative progress of this interior agriculture is strikingly manifest in the cargoes of wheat and wheat flour, carried by the canal, being, in barrels : Local. National. In 1837..., 747,676 284,902 1842 543,064 1,146,292 1847 791,106 3,989,232 1856 '.. 276,034 3,209,741 1861 f 745,022 6,712,233 If to this be added the very important element of Indian corn, (the transportation and consumption of which have reached only their infant stages,) the contrast will be yet more striking. The ''national" wheat and flour carried on the canal in 1861, was 6,712,233 barrels. The " national " corn was 6,796,390 " • 13,498,523 The "local" wheat and flour was.. 745,022 The "local" was 210,510 955,532 showing a " national " proportion in these two cereals exceeding thirteen to one. A similar disparity also exists in the products of " the forest," being, in tons : Local. National. Inl837 174,733' 7,637 1842 125,623 31,069 1847 328,652 117,323 1856 173,608 335,797 I860 166,687 647,705 The fact may also be added," though rather incidental to the main.subject, that the 494,057 tons of mineral coal .transported through tho canal and its branches in 1861, were exclusively fur nished by the coal fields and coal-bearing mountains of Pennsyl- ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 49 vania and Ohio, transmuted into gold by that very transporta tion. It is on these facts that we claim that the Erie canal, with the Oswego canal as its co-6qual and complement, has now practically become what its early projectors and friends insisted it would eventually become, a national canal. Like the national city of New York, geographically included within the limits of a single State, it belongs virtually to the nation. Its. great office is to transport, not the trifling local products of any single State, but the accumulated products and fabrics of great groups of States to and from each other, and to and from foreign nations. Any measures for protecting its commerce, or in any way cheapening its means of transportation, inure to the benefit of the State of New York only in the scanty proportions above exhibited, being at present but one in thirteen for its most valuable cargoes ; and even that proportion, small as it is, must steadily diminish under the resistless progress of our western agriculture. The Erie and Oswego canals carry but a portion of the com merce of the lakes. Nearly all the merchandise which ascends the lakes, requiring expeditious movement, is carried, as it pro perly should be, by the railways, which also carry a small portion of the descending cargoes. > Of the descending agricultural products, the proportions Of flour and grain coming from the lakes and carried eastward, in 1861, were as follows : From Buffalo 51^ per cent. Oswego... „ 15 £ " Dunkirk and Suspension Bridge 9 " Minor points in New York 11£ " 874 " Descending the1 St. Lawrence to Montreal 12| " 100 In respect to the total amount of the commerce of the lakes', it may be stated in general, that the descending portion consists mainly of agricultural products, with a moderate percentage from the forest and mineral regions ; and that the ascending por tion embraces the equivalent amount of manufactures, mer chandise, and other products or property received in exchange. Its pecuniary value in both directions is between two and three h undred'millions. [Assem. No. 174. J 4 50 REPORT ON THE This descending commerce is almost, entirely the growth of the last twenty years. ~ In 1837 it contributed to the Erie canal, in values, but $4,713,636. So slow was its early progress, that, as late as 1841, the- amount of wheat arid flour received at Buffalo was only 5,785,960 bushels; and of Indian corn, but 201,031 bushels. The wheat and flour increased in 1851 to 10,609,341 ; the corn to 5,988,775 do do 1856 to 14,095,911; do 9,633,277 do ' do 1860 to 24,014,324; do 11,386,217 do do 1861 to-37,973,175; do 21,026,65*7 being 59,007,832 bushels of these two cereals, with about two millions of smaller grains. The total amount of cereals of all descriptions carried on the lakes, and consisting almost exclusively of wheat and flour and Indian corn, as extracted from the carefully prepared reports of the Boards of Trade of their principal cities, is as follows : Bushels. From Chicago ' 54,167,007 Milwaukee .... 18,7,78,629 Toledo 18,706,510 Detroit ..., 7,167,450 Estimated for other ports 3,000,000 101,819,596 The proportions may not be entirely accurate, but they suffice for the main purpose, which is to bring boldly out the one gigantic and all but overwhelming fact, that the cereal wealth yearly floated on these waters now exceeds one hundred millions of bushels. It is difficult to present a distinct idea of a quantity so enormous. Suffice it to say, that the portion of it (about two-thirds) moving to market on the Erie and the Oswego canals requires a line of boats more than forty miles long to carry it. The whole hundred millions of bushels, if placed in a single line of barrels of five bushels each, would span the American con tinent from New York to San Francisco, with a remnant nearly long enough to cross the Pacific. Shall not the American fleets, which yearly carry a mass of food so* enormous, be protected from maritime assault and devastation ? The limits of the present communication forbid the full consid- i ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 51 eration of the transcendent importance of a cereal wealth so im mense and capable of1 such enormous increase. Its existence is a new fact in the history of man. In quantity, it . already much exceeds the whole export bf cereals from the Russian Empire. the great compeer of the United Stat.es. Under the comprehen sive and magnanimous statesmanship of that truly Continental Power, a magnificent system of canals, and river-improvements, and railways, steadily prosecuted through every political vicissi tude, from the days of Peter the Great down to the reign of the present enlightened Emperor, connects its vast agricultural in terior with the Ocean and the Mediteranean, through the Baltic, the White and the Black seas — encircling the empire with points of agricultural export, stretching round from Odessa to Riga and St. Petersburg, and thence away to Archangel — and yet its total yearly export of cereals was, in 1854, but twenty-seven millions of bushels, and in 1857 only forty-nine millions, being a little less than half the, amount carried in 1861 upon our American lakes. It was the constant aim and effort of ancient Rome, even in the zenith of its power, to provision the capital and the adjacent provinces from the out-lying portions ofthe empire. , The yearly crop contributed by Egypt, under Ptolemy Philadelphus, was fif teen millions of bushels. Under the prudent administration of the Emperor Severus, a large store of corn was accumulated arid kept on hand, sufficient to guard the empire from famine for seven years. * The total amount thus provided was but one hun dred and ninety millions of bushels. The product, in 1850, of eereals, in the five lake States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illin ois and Wisconsin was 252,000,000 of bushejs; being of wheat 39,000,000 and Indian porn 177,000,000. In ten years, as shown by the census of 1860, it increased to 354,000,000 bushels ; be ing of wheat ,78,000,000, and corn 275,000,000; the residues con sisting of the smaller grains. Nor is this all. A prospect' far more grand and national is just opening on the commerce of the lakes. The greakand long- cherished measure of connecting their southwestern extremity, by an adequate water communication, directly with the Missis sippi, near its confluence with the Missouri, and thus uniting, in one vast, continental .sys'tem, the broad basin of the lakes with the great net-work of navigable rivers, outspread for thousands of miles over the wide expanse of the- great central interior of 52 REPORT ON THE the Union, is now awaiting the decision of the National Legisla ture, which, in view of responsibilities so august, might well resume the significant title of " Continental Congress," adopted by their fathers. Let us not attempt to lift the veil from a fu ture so stupendous, inevitably destined to repeat, on a yet gran der scale, that immense agricultural development around the , lakes which has now become historical. The rich cereals of Missouri, and Iowa, and Minnesota, and Kansas, States just creep ing from their cradles, are already numbered by hundreds of mil lions of bushels, much of it perishing, or wastefully consumed for fuel, merely for want of this new avenue to the Atlantic. The prediction in 1838, that our great interior States must eventually " become the common granary of the Union, and dis charge the duty of supplying subsistence to the surrounding com munities," though seriously questioned at the time, is already iiearly, if not entirely verified. The fundamental law of demand and supply, necessarily causing the most advantageous distribu tion of labor, especially in a continental nation, united like ours under a common government, is now, at least partially, obeyed. The wheat crop of New York, v^hose principal and proper office is commerce, has already fallen to 8,681,000 bushels, hardly enough to feed her population for one-third of a year. The bushels, produced in 1860 by all New England were but 1,077,- 000, sufficient only for three weeks' consumption. Surely, if any portion of our whole republic is especially interested in- securing the, food-bearing vessels of the lakes from the possibility of cap ture or interruption, it is the three millions of sagacious, loyal, and thrifty people who inhabit the granite ranges and rocky promontories of that ancient and noble family of States, who, finding it easier and better to spin than to plough, compel their numerous and sparkling waterfalls, so richly scattered over their rugged country, to purchase from the fertile West the bread which they require. The magic power of the Union so entirely abolishes East and West, that the fabrics of the East are prac tically only the food of the West, reappearing in another shape, and, in that more portable and convenient form, increasing the sum of our foreign exports. It was a fortunate, if not a providential, coincidence, which led, in 1846, to the removal of the " artificial and arbitrary restraints on the freedom of commerce created by the British corn laws, just as the. vast agricultural power of our lake States ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 53 began to dawn on the civilized world. The imports of cereals into the British Islands instantly rose from 37,916,000 bushels in 1846, to 115,959,000 bushels in 1860; and it may be safely affirmed that the year will never again arrive when those islands .will yield food enough for their own consumption. Despite any and every struggle, the stern necessities of hunger will bind them at last, with bands stronger than iron, to the nation that can feed them. Our table of exports of domestic produce for the last forty years are replete with instruction as to the commercial and fiscal value, for national purposes, of the commerce of" the lakes. The total value of breadstuffs and provisions yearly exported to foreign countries, as exhibited by those tables, was $12,341,901 in 1821 ; and in 1836, had actually diminished to $10,624,130; and again in 1838, to $9,636J650. Up to 1845, it had increased only to $16,743,421, but in 1847, when the agricultural products •of the great interior States began to pour in heavily from the lakes (as shown by that unerring barometer, the Erie canal), it ¦ rose at once to $68,701,921. Since that time it has fluctuated more or less, with the vary ing necessities of the nations of Europe; but, in 1856, the amount hdd reached $77,187,301, which was'agairi inceased in the year ending the 30th of June, 1861, to $93,969,682, exclusive of $4,245,410 in cattle, hides, and tallow, which, for the present inquiry, might fairly be included. It is a fact of much sig nificance that, in the year last mentioned, the total value of the cotton exported was but $34,051,482, and during the current year little or nothing, conclusively showing that we shall be compelled, at lea«t for a season, mainly to rely on our exports of food and our manufactures, which are its direct or indirect derivative, for the means of importing the duty-paying foreign commodities from which the treasuary must derive its revenues', apart from taxation. The value of the manufactures exported in the year last mentioned (excluding those of cotton, which were $7,957,038) was $25,149,037, which, added to the $93,969,- 682 of food, makes a total export of $119,118,689. This sum will purchase its equivalent in foreign commodities, on which an average import duty of 25 per cent.' would be $29,779,471 ; con clusively demonstrating that the commerce of the lakes, for which these national canals furnish the necessary outlets to the seabord, has become eminently and emphatically national in its 54 REPORT ON THE character, and consequences; that it' constitutes a fundamental and vital element of our national strength, political, commercial and fiscal ; and that, in all these respects, it has now attained a ' national importance that American statesmen will not willingly, and cannot safely disregard. With the view thus presented of the direct influence of these . agricultural exports in securing duty-paying imports in return, it is really difficult to prescribe a proper limit of expenditure for securing the completion of cheap and capacious navigable chan nels, by which to augment the quantity brought to the seaboard; but it is certain that, if the due enlargement of the New York and Illinois canals were to cost even $20,000,000, and should increase the yearly quantity but 10,000,000 of bushels, the import duties\ on the foreign commodities which that increase would purchase would very shortly reimburse -the whole amount. In conclusion, it remains only to notice an objection, which possibly may -be urged by individuals of timid temperament, that the great national work of uniting the Hudson through the canals and lakes with the Mississippi, by an, unbroken water communi cation, affording ample means, not only of public defence but of rapidly increasing the national commerce, and its consequent contributions to the common treasury, is a measure to be con sidered only during a period of peace, and should not be under taken or encouraged at the present time, nor until the pending effort to dismember the Union shall be finally terminated. This objection has no real force. On the contrary, if the nation has temporarily lost a portion of its resources, it needs all the more to foster and replenish the residue. _ If one-half of the body politic be paralyzed, it is surely wise, to strengthen the other. Nor is the real ability of the Government to discharge all its duties impaired to any serious extent. Despite the sneers of open enemies or treacherous friends on either side of the Atlantic, our country, in substantial credit, in agricultural wealth, in man ufacturing power, and, above all, in every element of moral force, never stood higher. Nor would any national adversity, however severe, justify the abandonment or disregard of a distinct constitutional obligation, or the neglect of measures plainly calculated to increase our fiscal power, and encourage the industry and commerce of our loyal people. The hour of adversity is the time to try both men and nations. It is the opportunity kindly accorded to them by Pro- ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 55. vidence, to show to the surrounding world their steady courage, their calm consciousness of strength, their indomitable, self-sus taining power. Such has been the example of every nation truly great. The British- government bravely contending, all but single handed, for nearly twenty years against the colossal power of- the first Napoleon, did not, for a moment, neglect to foster the commerce which enabled it to maintain that very struggle. The sturdy old Hollanders, after inundating all their land to resist their haughty enemy, fitted out a fleet to sweep the channel. It was amid the long and wasting wars of Louis the Fourteenth, that his great canal of Languedoc was constructed, under the consummate statesmanship of Colbert, to connect the Atlantic with the Me diterranean. Its triumphant completion, immortalized by the historian and, the poet, was solemnly celebrated amid the bene dictions of the Church and the acclamations of assembled France. The American Lakes, with the enlarged canals of New York and Illinois as their chief accessaries^ if laid down on the map of Europe, would reach from the Atlantic to the Volga, and open an unbroken navigation through a majestic line of principalities' monarchies and empires, for ages disunited, and widely differing in language, laws and race.' By a beneficent Providence, this splendid series of connecting waters has been committed to the American Union, for its highest purposes, both in war and peace. It is for the honored head of the Government now to show that, fully recognizing this solemn trust, he is ready, with the co-ope ration of Congress, to go vigorously forward, and complete a work so important to the American people, for all coming ages. Respectfully submitted, in behalf of the State, of New York, by SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. Washington, June 9, 1862. No. 20. Further report of Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan. Washington, June 14, 1862. gjr The President of the United States yesterday sent a special message iri duplicate to the Senate and House of Repre sentatives commending to their consideration the memorial pre sented to him in behalf of the State. .56 REPORT ON THE A copy of the message is transmitted herewith. The House directed the printing of five thousand extra copies, and made the bill the special order for Tuesday, the 24th instant. In the Senate, the memorial and message, on the motion of Mr. King, were ordered to be printed and to lie on the table, it being thought, advisable to await the final action of the House, before^ taking action in the Senate. The delay is not injurious, as the measure is daily gaining strength. Resolutions of the common council of the city of New York, ¦ expressing their opinion of the national importance of a navigable communication from the Hudson to the Mississippi, ad equate to the national defense, have recently been transmitted to Congress. The only opposition as yet openly manifested comes from a portion of the Pennsylvania delegation, but it is hoped that, in view of the direct interest of their State in defending that part of its territory adjacent to Lake Erie, they may think better of the matter. With much respect, your obedient servant, i SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. His Excellency, Edwin D. Morgan, Governor, fyc, fyc, fyc. „ No. 21. Message of the President of the United States, accompany ing the Memorial in behalf of the State. Executive Mans/on, ) Washington, June 13th, 1862. j Fellow citizens 'of the Senate and House of Representatives: I herewith transmit a Memorial addressed and presented to me, in behalf of the State of New York, in favor of enlarging the locks of the Erie and Oswego canals. While I have not given nor have leisure to give the subject a careful examination, its great importance is obvious and unquestionable. The large amount of valuable statistical information which is collected arid presented in the Memorial, wilL greatly facilitate the mature con sideration of the subject, which I respectfully ask for it at your hands. ABRAHAM LINCQLN. ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. ' 57 No. 22. Letter of thanks from Governor Morgan. Executive Department, Albany, June 19, 1862. Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, Washington, D. C. ' • Sir — I am directed by the Governor, who returned from New York last night, to acknowledge your letter of the 14th instant, and to express to you his thanks and gratification. I am, with much respect, Your obedient servant, L. L. Doty, Private Secretary. No. 32. Further Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan. Washington, June 14, 1862. Sir — The letter, from your private Secretary, signifying your satisfaction with the memorial presented to the President, has duly reached me, for which I beg to thank you. It. certainly will not lessen any effort on my part, to secure the success of the great national measure so impoftant to our State and our country. As stated in former communications, the result may much depend on the good sense of the friends of the Illinois canal in fixing a definite and moderate amount of expenditure, and thereby commending the measure to the support of. discreet members from other portions of the Union. It was not until Tuesday last, that the details were finally adjusted in the shape of an amend ment, then presented to the House and ordered to be printed. This has caused a few days' more delay, that Congress may examine the amendment when printed, and fully understand its merits. It consists 1st. In limiting the total expenditure by the United States on the Illinois canal and river, to ten millions of dollars, the State of Illinois to furnish the residue, say three and a half millions. 2d. In limiting the expenditure of the ten millions of dollars, at all times, to. an amount, the yearly interest on which, at six per cent., shall not exceed the tolls of the canal for the then next preceding year. All the tolls to be received by the United States, until the principal and interest of its advances shall be fully Reimbursed. 58 REPORT ON THE The bill thus amended, and retaining the three millions five hun. » dred thousand dollars for the Erie and the Oswego locks, is specially set down for Monday next. Several of the New York members will probably participate in the debate, and especially Mr. Olin, fr/3m the military committee, Mr. Ely and Mr. Pomeroy. It promisesto be of unusual interest, unless shortened by the late ness of the period in the session. It is gratifying to state that Governor Andrew, of Massachu setts, takes ,a deep interest in the measure, regarding it as adding increased strength to a link of vital importance in our chain* of national Union. He has kindly offered to communicate to several of the New England members the views which he has expressed in the letter a copy of which is herewith furnished. If I might venture to make the suggestion, a correspondence between yourself and several, if not all of the Governors of the other loyal States, setting forth not only the military and com mercial merits of the measure, but its paramount importance in strengthening the ties of national unity between the States on the Atlantic seaboard and those on our great interior waters, would certainly be productive of much good, both now and here after. " It is not without a certain feeling of national humiliation that I am obliged to state, that from the day of the passage of the law of our Legislature, adapting the canals to the national de fence, an almost uninterrupted stream of malicious and scurrilous publications has been permitted to issue from a portion of the press, in the great and prosperous city of Philadelphia, grossly assailing the motives of the authorities and the citizens of the State of New York, in asking from the General Govern ment the proposed measure of national protection for the national northern frontier ; — most unworthily imputing it to sordid pri vate speculation, and, in their own peculiar phraseology, stigma tising it as " a mere canal job." I have only to say that, in all the struggles of the last five and twenty years, to carry for ward within our State the enlarged canal policy, now crowned with such rich results, it has never in any instance been found necessary to notice any of the numberless assaults on its friends, by ignorant or venal newspaper writers. Unless your Excellency should see .something in the character of the present publications, as involving a deliberate assault upon our State authorities, to render necessary some notice of them, I shall do ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 59 nothing whatever to correct any of their ^misstatements, but shall rely on the intelligence and^vigor of our members of Congress effectually to dispose of them at the proper time. I took the liberty, by telegram to-day ,'to invoke your official influ ence, if it should be, needed, to facilitate the sending me at once* two hundred and fifty copies of the map of the Canadian canals, recently made by our State Engineer. They are important in in dicating the particulars of the project just commenced in Cana da for constructing " The Ottawa ship canal," a work requiring but twenty-nine and a half miles of artificial canal with four hundred and one miles of lake and river navigation, connecting Montreal directly with Lake Huron and the Strait of Mackinaw, by a line running nearly west from Montreal, through the Ottawa river, Lake Nipissingue and other minor lakes, the French river and the Georgian Bay, and saving at leasfrthree hundred and fifty miles in the present distance, by navigable water, from Chicago to Montreal. The canal is to be twelve feet deep, with locks fifty feet wide and two hundred and fifty feet long, and capable of pas sing vessels of one thousand tons burthen. In capacity and im portance both military and commercial, it will far exceed that of any Canadian work now constructed. Its proposed dimensions and power need only to be stated, to arouse at once the earnest attention of the public authorities, both State and National. I propose to furnish the necessary particulars in a supplemental paper, to be appended to the memorial now before Congress. With much respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGQLES. To His Excellency, Edwin D. Morgan, Governor, fyc, fyc, fyc. No. 24. Letter from His Excellency John A. Andrew, Governor of Massachusetts, referred to in the preceding communi cation. „ Boston, June 23, 1862. Samuel B. Ruggles, Esq. : My Dear Sir — I find it utterly out of my power to secure any half hour in which to write you an intelligent word in reference to the very important and weighty matter of your Memorial con cerning the adaptation of the canals of New York and Illinois to 60 REPORT ON THE the defence of the lakes. Nor indeed shall I find opportunity until I reach home, which I hope to do to-morrow night. But I need not assure you that you have my sincere good wishes and ¦ entire sympathy. I wish my humble power could give you any Valuable co-operation. Even if the argument on the facts were far less convincing than it is, I would promote this^ measure, as an earnest of our unconquerable will to live and thrive as a con tinental, independent, and beneficent power ; on the one hand, planting the seeds of a richer and greater life, both moral and material, even in the midst of war ; and, on the other hand, as an earnest of the cordial confidence and faithful trust entertained by the heart and brain of JTew England in our brethren of the imperial West. To refuse aught,, which, uniting by artificial conveniences of commercial or military'communication, the West and East, serv ing, also, to bind our hearts, and mould our interests in more intimate union, would be narrow, even to selfishness, and selfish ness is always narrow and always blind. , Whatever makes man happy, prosperous, hopeful and free, is a blessing to us all. Spend whatever you wisely may for the development of the West, the industry, patience and skill of the New England people will know, how to reap their share of the benefits of the expenditure. I am, with great respect and regard, Your faithful and obedient servant, JOHN A. ANDREW. No. 25. „ Supplemental Memorial in respect to the Canadian Ganals. The niap furnished herewith, with the accompanying notes, will more fully illustrate the statements of the memorial now be fore Congress in respect to the adaptation of the canals of the State of New York to the defence of the lakes. It plainly exhibits the necessity, both military and commercial, of American channals capable of competing with the British. I. On the American side it shows the chain of navigation, as1 proposed to be improved, from the Hudson, through the lakes, to the Mississippi, consisting of the following portions : Milea. 1. The Hudson river, from New York to Albany 148 2. The Erie canal, from Albany to Buffalo 352 ENLARGEMENT 01* THE CANALS. 61 , Miles. 3. Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, with their connecting straits and rivers, estimated at 912 Total New York to Chicago '. 1,412 4. The Illinois and Michigan canal as enlarged., 50 5. The Illinois river as improved . 266 316 Total New York to Mississippi river- ,. '. 1,128 II. On the British side, it shows : 1. The series of short canals around the rapids of the St. Law rence, viz : The Lachine canal 8| ,. The Beauharnois canal 11 The Cornwall canal 11» The Williamsburgh canal . 12 43. 2. The Welland canal, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie 35 Total canal ¦. 18 3. Natural navigation on St. Lawrerice and Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan : 1,182 Total Montreal to Chicago 1,260 It also shows two interior Canadian routes, and their compara tive security from military attack. 1. The Rideau canal from t he "Ottawa to Kingston, 83 miles. \ 2. The contemplated line of a new and very important work, called the " Ottawa ship canal," the surveys of which have been- recently completed. The official report of those surveys by Thomas C. Clarke, Esq., "Chief Engineer Ottawa Survey," made in 1860, to the President > of (he Board of Public Works of Canada, states the dimensions of the locks to be 250vfeet long, 50 feet wide, and 12 feet deep, with a canal channel 100 feet. wide on the bottom, and capable of passing vessels of 1,000 tons burthen. The total length from Montreal to Lake Huron will be but '430| miles, of which 401 1 miles consist of natural navigation by lakes and rivers, and only 29 1 miles of artificial canal. The line 62 REPORT ON THE . is comparatively very direct, running nearly west from Montreal ; the outlet of the canal into Lake Huron, at the mouth of French river, being within twenty miles of the same degree of latitude. This outlet, too, is near the Strait of Mackinaw, the entrance of Lake Michigan, which now furnishes- nearly three-quarters of the cereal trade of'the lakes. Of the 101,000,000 of bushels carried on the Lakes last year, 14,000,000 came from the ports on 'Lake Michigan. The supply of waterfor the ship canal is abundant. The basin of the Ottawa river, sometimes denominated on the maps as " Grand" river, is 80,000 square miles, nearly three-fold of that of the Hudson. The summit level is 51 miles long, and will be created by raising the waters of Lake Nippissirigue, and those of three other minor lakes, to the same elevation. As stated by the engineer, the waters are " sufficient for any scale of navigation, and for all time to come." The saving in distance between Montreal and Chicago, by this direct route over the present circuitous line through the lower lakes and the St. Lawrence, is 342£ miles. It has sixty -four locks, with a total lift of 665| feet. The Erie canal has seventy- one locks, With a total lift of about 590 feet. The work, in qual ity, equal at least to that of the St. Lawrence canals, is estimated to cost $12,051,080, exclusive of the L i chine canal, which is al ready completed. It can probably be finished as early as the pro posed enlargement of the Illinois and Michigan canal. It is dis tributed in the following divisions, natural and artificial : Miles of riv- Miles of er and lake. canal. Lachine 8.50 Lake St. Louis 13.31 St. Anne's '.. 1.19 Lake of Two Mountains i„.._ 24.10 Carillon to Grenville 1.13 5. Green Shoal „ .10 Ottawa river , 55.91 Chaudiere and des Chenes 3.15 2,61 Des Chenes Lake 26.69 Chats l 1.10 .60 Chats' Lake 19.28 Snows' to Black Falls '. 18.32 ' 1.05 River and Lake Coulonge 24.93 Chapeau and L'Islet 4.85 .14 Deep river ..„ 33.58 Joachims' to Mattawan '. 51.14 2.26 ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. \ 63 I Miles of river Mileaof and lake. canal. River Mattawan 16.22 1.08 French river 41.52 .82 Total / 401.44 29.32 This extensive line of interior waters, with short land portages, formed, for many years, the principal route for the vessels and voyageurs of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North- West Company.The distance from Chicago to Montreal, by the present route through the lakes, is '. 1,26*0 miles. By the Ottawa route it will be but 911 " From Chicago to New York, by the Erie canal, it is 1,412 " From these facts it is evident that the Ottawa ship canal, when completed, must become, in a commercial'point of view, the most formidable rival, in Canada, of the Erie canal ; while its military y importance, in enabling the British Government to dispatch their squadrons of gun boats by an interior route directly from Mon treal to the Strait of Mackinaw, can hardly be over-estimated. That ample passage, emphatically the open gate of the commerce of the West, is three miles wide, practically preventing its pro tection by works on land, and unerringly pointing to the enlarge ment of the New York and Illinois canals to, a size adequate to the passage of mail-clad vessels of war, in sufficient numbers, as the only certain means of defence. Respectfully submitted, on behalf of the State of New York, by SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. Washington, June 28, 1862. No. 26. From Governor Morgan's Private Secretary to Mr. Ruggles. Executive Department, Albany, July 2, 1862.. Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles, Washington, D. C. Dear Sir — The package of the Memorial to the President has been received, and a copy of it, accompanied by a letter from the Governor, has been communicated to the Governors of the several States. A" copy has also been deposited in the State Library, and copies delivered to the several State officers. The remaining ones I will distribute with care, under direction of the Governor. I am very respectfully, your ob't serv't, L. L. DOTY, Private Secretary. 64 REPORT ON THE 1 No. 27. Further Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan. Washington, July 1, 1862.. Sir — The fifty copies of the map of the^canals connected with the lakes, transmitted to me by your direction, reached me in due season. They have been very useful, in exhibiting the char acter, both military and commercial, and the comparative import ance of the carials and water communications of Canada. The maps have been generally circulated among the members of the House of Representatives, with an explanatory paper as a supple ment to the State memorial, briefly stating the length of the various rival channels, natural and artificial, connecting the agricultural regions around the lakes with the seaboard. In that paper, a copy of which is sent herewith,' the peculiar importance of the proposdd " Ottawa ship canal " is set forth somewhat in detail. It is very necessary that the particulars of a work which may so seriously affect the commerce of the lakes, and the conse quent prosperity and power of the State of New York, should be fully and generally understood, that by timely and intelligent legislation its mischievous effects may be lessened, if not wholly averted. This can only be done by the due enlargement of the locks of our canals connected with the lakes. The great struggle to pass the bill, pending in Congress for the purpose, came on yesterday in the House of Representative^. Its merits were fully and ably exhibited in the debate, which occupied several hours, and in which Messrs. Blair, of Missouri ; Arnold, of Illinois ; Ely, Pomeroy and Olin, of New York, earn estly exerted their best efforts. They placed the measure on high and patriotic grounds, both in respect to the national defence and the national commerce. Mr. Van Horn, of New York, was also allowed by the House to print his speech in sup port of the bill, Which the lateness of the hour prevented him from delivering. The debate will be officially reported in the "Congressional Globe," a copy of which I will transmit to you.- The objection which had been previously entertained by some of ' the members in respect to that portion of the bill which provided for the enlargement of the Illinois canal and improvement of the Illinois river, wholly at the expense of the United States, had been practically removed by amendments : 1st. By reducing the expen diture by the Government to $10,000,000, with a proviso that the State of Illinois should pay any excess of cost. 2d. By pledging the ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 65 canal and its revenues, present and future, as security for reim bursing the United States ; and 3d. By limiting the advance ot the $10,000,000, from time to time, to a sum for which the- tolls of the preceding year should suffice to pay the interest. Under this provision, the amount to be advanced at present to the State of Illinois by the Government, . in its bonds', would not ex ceed three millions of dollars. In- view of these amendments several- of the members from New' England, and particularly Judge Thomas, of Massachusetts, with drew their previous objections to , the bill, and consented to give it their support. But the amendments had no effect in re moving the objections, of the members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Kentucky, and the districts adjacent to the Ohio river. "The opening speech in opposition Was by Mr. Val- landigham, followed by Mr. Thaddeus Stevens, of Pennsylvania, who, after offering an amendment to the bill, by way of derision, appropriating "one hundred millions of dollars to slack-water the Susquehanna river from its mouth to its source in New York, and therifor constructing a ship canal to Lake Erie, at or near Buffalo," and after asserting that "the Susquehanna has water in it, but the Illinois only sometimes," and expressing his fears that, "if you open a communication to it from the lake to furnish water for the river, you will drain the lake and find nothing but dryland," with drew the amendment and moved to postpone the consideration of the bill to the first Monday in January next. In that motion he was unanimously sustained by all the Pennsylvania members present, and by nearly all the members from the border States, and the districts adjacent to the. Ohio. I greatly regret to be obliged to report that Mr. F. A. Conkling, one of the Representatives from the city of New York, supported this movement of Mr. Stevens, With that exception, all the Representatives present from the State of New York, twenty-five in number, voted in the negative, and succeeded in defeating the motion, by the vote of fifty-eight negatives to fifty -seven affirmatives. The vote on the final pas sage of the bill will probably be taken in the House to-day or to morrow ; the result I will communicate to you without delay. With high respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. His Exeellenc}' Edwin D. Morgan, ' Governor, fyc, fyc, Sfc. [Assem. No. H4.J 5 66 REPORT ON THE No. 28. Further Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan. Washington, July 2, 1862. Sir — The House of Representatives have laid on the table the bill for enlarging the Illinois canal, &c, and the New York locks, by the close vote of 65 to 63. The ayes and noes duly reported in the " Globe" show that of the New York delegation tAventy-five voted against tabling the bill ; that seven were absent, and that one, Mr. F. A. Conkling, voted in the affirmative. The great mea sure so urgently needed for the highest interests of the State and the Union is thus virtually postponed until the next session of Congress, in December next, when it may be presented under bet ter auspices, and after more opportunity for careful examination by Congress and the country. On my return to New York I will personally communicate to you, more in detail, the character of the opposition to the measure and its prospects at a future session of Congress. With high respect, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To his Excellency Edwin D. Morgan, Governor, fyc, fyc, #c. No. 29. Report by Mr." Ruggles to Governor Morgan. New York, November 28, 1862. Sir — Under your instructions, I have visited Washington du ring the present week for the purpose of.submitting to the Presi dent, of the United States certain statements showing the great ly increased importance of enlarging the capacity of the New York and the Illinois canals, and thereby cheapening the trans portation of Western products to the Atlantic. I much regret to report that I found the friendly and kindly feeling on this subject, manifested by the President during the last session of Congress, had become materially modified by what he considers the grievous imposition practiced on the' food pro ducing States of the interior, in the greatly increased charges on their agricultural products levied during the present season by the New York carriers by canal and by railway. He adverted with marked displeasure, to the fact which had been stated to ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 67 him, that'the New York canal charges were raised immediately ' after receiving intelligence that the Confederate' forces had seized a portion of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, adding, quite em phatically, that until he could be, satisfactorily assured that ade quate measures would be adopted to terminate this abuse, he should feel but little inclined to exert his influence or authority to secure, the enlargement of the New York canal locks. , In answer, I begged to assure the President that the raising of the rates of canal freights, as to the truth of which I was not in formed, was^n no respect the act of the State or of its canal autho rities ; that the rates of toll received by the State had not b$en raised at all ; that the State had never drawn from its canals' a sin gle dollar, not required to reimburse the principal and interest of the moneys expended in their construction ; that the tolls had been constantly kept at the lowest limit consistent with that object, even falling at times so much below it as to render direct taxation nc cessary, to an amount now exceeding five millions of dollars, to supply the deficiency ; that the alleged increase in the charges of canal transportation was exclusively the act of forwarders or boat owners, over whom the State had no control; that th§ increase of price was the natural and inevitable result of the rapid aug mentation of western agricultural products, suddenly creating a demand for' canal transportation beyond the capacity of the canals or of the existing boats ; that Jhe most effectual and in fact the only remedy would be, to increase the capacity of the canal locks with all practicable dispatch, and thereby permit the use of larger boats, carrying larger-cargoes ; and finally, that the canals being entiTely open to the citizens of all the States alike, the people of the West were at perfect liberty, either now or hereafter, by them selves or their agents, to engage in their navigation, and thereby either diminish or share the undue profits now complained of. In respect to, any alleged increase of charges by the railway companies of New York, it was further urged that the Erie canal, with its locks duly enlarged and an adequate supply of boats of increased capacity, would practically become the regulator of the prices of transportation, and prevent any necessity of resorting to any legislative measures, which might be suggested in any quarter, for compulsorily reducing the chargesvfor* freight on thev~ railways. These statements were subsequently presented more in 'detail 68 , REPORT ON THE to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, with statistical facts, for the consideration of the President, exhibiting the rapid advance of the agriculture, products and wealth of the food-producing States adjacent to the northwestern lakes and the upper Mississip pi. [These exhibits are embraced and somewhat amplified in Doc. No. 33, post] The . Secretary fully admitted the pressing na tional necessity, in the present crisis of our public affairs, of ex erting every effort, by cheapening transportation or otherwise, to prevent any alienation of* these large and powerful communi- • ties from the States on the Atlantic ; and expressed his earnest desire that decided measures should be taken without delay, by the State authorities and the railway companies of New York, to show distinctly to the West that no undue or needless burthen on its products should or would be permitted. Since the date of my last report, July 2, 1862, the canal bill which had been laid on the table of the House of Representa tives, as therein stated, was taken from the table and specially postponed toN the 18th of December next,- and it will probably be definitely acted on before the next meeting of our State Legislature, or any public official communication from the Governor. I beg leave, however, respectfully to suggest that, in the inter.val, the Canal Board might, by a timely and well considered expression, duly transmitted to Congress, materially aid the passage of the bill, and^ at any rate remove any inju rious impression, that the State authorities will participate in any way in burthening unduly the agriculture of the west. Such an expression, from such a source, with evidence _ that the revenues of the canals are carefully adjusted to the due reimbursement of their ,cost, and. that the canals are virtually regarded and treated by our State authorities as national works, intended for the highest national .purposes, would do much to neutralize the recent insidious attempt in the Confederate Con gress to seduce the Northwest from its loyalty, by offering, as a boon, the free navigation of the Mississippi. Iri considering the subject, the Canal Board would doubtless bear in mind that the tolls on the enlarged canals of Canada have recently been greatly reduced, if not wholly removed, and that the commercial 'consequence is already, plainly visible, in the steady increase in that portion of the agricultural products of the west, borne east ward through the lakes, but diverted from Lake Erie down the St. Lawrence. ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 69 How far, under the peculiar circumstances above referred to, President Lingoln^H feel inclined to include the enlargement of our canal locks, in his forthcoming riiessage, is not yet known. But it is quite certain that the interests of the State demand* that the pending measures, now so greatly increased in import ance, should be actively and fully defended in the session of Con-- gress just at hand ; and for the reason, among others, that a final" decision by the Government may leave our State fully at liberty to adopt any further measures, which its own resources may permit, for protecting its commercial interests, and maintaining its proper and loyal attitude in the Union. With much respect, , Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To His Excellency, Edwin D. Morgan, Governor, $•<:., $"c, 4fc, No. 30. Extract from the Annual, Message of President Lincoln, sent to Congress on the first Monday of December, 1862. " I submit a statement of the progress made in the enterprise of constructing the Pacific' railroad ; and this suggests the ear liest completion of the road, arid also the favorable action of Congress upon the projects now pending before them for enlarging the capacities of the great canals of New York and Illinois, as being of vital and rapidly increasing importance to the whole nation, and especially to the vast interior region hereinafter to be noticed at some greater length. I purpose having prepared and laid before you at an early 3ay some interesting and valuable statistical information upon this subject. The military and com mercial importance of enlarging the Illinois and Michigan canal, and improving the Illinois river, is presented in the report of Colonel Webster to the Secretary of War, and now transmitted to Congress. I respectfully ask attention to it." No. 31. Resolution of thanks by the Chamber of Commerce of New York to President Lincoln, for the preceding recommen dations in his Message. ' At a regular meeting) of the Chamber of Commerce of New York on the first Thursd% of December, 1862, it was unani mously, 70 REPORT ON THE Resolved, That in view of the pressing necessity in the present crisis of our public affairs of strengthening e¥ery bond of union between our Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the great food-pro ducing States of the interior, and of the especial importance to the city and State of New York of securing, without delay, ade quate channels of trade and the most efficient means of intercourse •between the distant but vital portions of the Republic, the. grateful acknowledgments ,of this Chamber of Commerce are justly due and are hereby respectfully tendered to the President of the United States, for the recommendation in his recent an nual message, in which he invokes the favorable action of Congress in behalf of the earliest completion " of the Pacific railroad, and also in regard to the measures now pending before them for enlarging the capacities of the great canals in New York and Illinois, as being of vital and rapidly increasing im portance to the whole nation." Resolved, That a copy of this resolution, duly authenticated, be transmitted to the President. No. 32. Further Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor Morgan, New York, December 21, 1862. Sir — My last report, dated the 28th of November, stated some what at length the particulars of the interview with the Presi dent of the United States on the subject of favorably noticing in his then forthcoming message, the measures pending in Congress for enlarging the capacities of the New York and Illinois canals for military and commercial purposes. It also stated the reasons urged on that occasion for exempting our canal authorities from any portion of the censure which the President then ex pressed in respect to the exorbitant charges jmpdsed on the products of the West by the carriers of New York. It also- re ferred to certain .statistical exhibits submitted to Secretary Seward, for the consideration of the President, in respect to the vast and rapid development of Western agriculture, which had so crowded all our existing channels of commerce as to render the enlargement of our canal locks the only effectual remedy for the evils in question. Our State authorities have doubtless participated in the grati-' fication which has been so generally^xpressed, at the favorable notice of this subject by the President in his message, and ENLARGEMENT OF- THE CANALS. 71 have hardly failed to observe the emphatic language in which he adverts to the great interior region, including the group of eight food-producing States, north of the Ohio and on the upper Mis sissippi, to which the improvement of the canals of New York and Illinois has now become so vitally important. " This great interior region," says the message, " is naturally one "of the most important in the world. Ascertain from statis tics the small proportion of the region which has yet been brought into cultivation, and also the large and rapidly increasing amount of its products, and we shall be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the prospect presented." Immediately after the reading of the message in the House of Representatives, Mr. Roscoe Conkling moved a resolution, which was adopted, directing its Committee on Naval Affairs to ascer tain and report the cheapest, most expeditious and reliable mode of placing vessels of war upon Lake Ontario and the other great lakes, and also the time and cost of completing the work. I have been permitted by that committee to attend once before them, and, in behalf of the State, briefly to urge the considera tions which rendered the enlargement of the locks of the New York canals necessary and desirable for the purpose of the public defence. In the main they were the same which were presented in June last in the memorial to the President, of which you have been pleased to express your approbation. It was thought to be wholly unavailing to dwell at length before that committee, on the great commercial advantages to result from the enlargement of the canals in question, or to discuss, on that occasion, any question as to the power of the National Government to contribute to the construction of canals intended merely for commerce, however national in char acter. But it was distinctly and earnestly insisted, that a, navi gable channel/if fairly desirable as a' mode of national defence, should not be rejected as unconstitutional or inadmissible, merely because it might also be useful as an avenue of national com merce ; and further, that the very growth of the commerce its enlargement might facilitate, enhanced to the same extent, thp pre-existing constitutional duty to" defend it like any other pro perty of the country, from foreign aggression. • The committee have not yet reported to the House on the subject of the resolu tion thus referred to them.** On the 18th of December, the bill which had been specially 72 REPORT ON THE postponed to that day, was again postponed to the 6th bf January next. I have recently learned that, on the 6th of January, a still further postponement will probably be asked, for the purpose of recommitting the bill, now ready for its final passage, to introduce an important amendment in respect to the Illinois canal and river improvement, by increasing the appropriation for that object from the $10,000,000, now proposed by the bill, to $13,346,824 needed to cover the whole estimated cost of the work. I deem it important to call the attention of yourself and our canal authorities to the probability of such a movement, that you and they may consider how far it may be wise or desir able, in behalf of the State of NeW York, to avail of the same opportunity to propose any, and if any, what addition to the sum of $^,500,000 proposed in the pending bill for enlarging the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals. That sum, after due consideration in April last, was regarded by Mr. Benton, the Canal Auditor, and other experienced State officers, as practically suffi cient. But whether it will continue to suffice, in the very possible event of a considerable inflation of prices by a national paper currency, and how long such inflation may probably con tinue, are financial questions peculiarly proper for the con sideration of the Commissioners of the Canal Fund and the Canal Auditor. I would venture, however, most respectfully to suggest, to those patriotic and far-sighted public officers, that in view of the higher and more enduring interests of the State, involved in the success of the pending measure, its friends in Congress tuay well expect that no increase will needlessly be ask ed, which would seriously hazard the passage of the bill. It should be duly considered that while the bill requires the Illinois canal and river improvement, and all their appendages and revenues, to be conveyed to the United States as security for the eventual repayment of the $13,346,824 and interest, the $3^500, 000 ' appropriated for the New York canal locks is to be repaid only by the grant to the Government, of the perpetual right of passage for its vessels of war, troops and munitions, through the Erie and the Oswego canals, free from tolls. In truth, it has required no little effort to reconcile some of the members' of Congress; to this feature in the bill, and - it has only been done by showing the very large amount (exceeding $43,000,000) which has been expended by New York, in bringing the Erie and the Oswego canals to their present con- ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 73 dition; that of that sum a large amount, exceeding five millions of dollars, has been levied, by direct taxes, on the people of the State ; that those canals were needed and are now used to a far greater extent for carrying the crops of the West than those of the State itself, being in fact in the proportion exceeding thirteen to one ; that the great commercial object sought by the proposed enlargement of the locks was the reduction, with all practicable dispatch, of the cost of transit for western products ; that the whole canal history of the State has shown that the tolls of those canals have been uniformily, exclusively and scrupulously applied to the reimbursement of the moneys expended in their construction and riiaintenance ; and that even if the advance of $3,500,000 by the General • Government for national purposes should operate to increase the commerce and consequent revenues of those canals, it would only hasten, to the same extent, the final Reimbursement of their cost, and the consequent reduction of the expense of transit for the vast agricultural products of the West to the lowest attainable limit. It has also been especially shown to Congress that, under the peculiar provisions of our State Constitution, adopted nearly twenty years ago, when the paramount importance of the com merce of the West was not universally admitted, the loan which would be required for paying the cost of the enlargement in ques tion could not be effected by the State .without a long and serious delay, in' securing the necessary amendment of the Constitution by two successive Legislatures, and subsequently by the people. Although these explanations have done much to remove the objections to the proposed appropriation, I feel bound to express serious apprehensions, that in view of the ample revenues derived by the State from its canals during the past season, and espe cially of the large proportion received from western products, coupled with the heavy tribute, counted by rapidly increasing millions, levied by our canal boat owners and forwarders, it may be regarded, by at least a portion of Congress, as somewhat ungracious for the State: to ask for any addition not absolutely necessary, to the $3,500,000 now proposed to be paid by the , General Government. If however, our State authorities think otherwise, it will be necessary to decide without delay on the amount, that it may be stated, to the committee on military affairs by the 6th of .Jan uary next. Some amount at any rate -must be definitely fixed, as 74 REPORT ON THE there is no probability whatever that Congress will agree gen erally to enlarge the locks, without distinctly limiting the sum to be advanced for the purpose. The suggestion has been occasionally made, that Congress should decide separately on the merits of the New York and of the Illinois appropriations ; but whether such a separation would promote the success of either is very doubtful. They are gen erally and very properly regarded as component, integral parts of one continuous line or system of national navigation from the Hudson river to the Mississippi. In truth, a portion* of the mem bers, more particularly interested in the great and rapidly increasing agricultural products, and the urgent commercial necessities of the northwestern portions of the Union, embraced in the extensive and fertile States of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minne sota, with the vast interior prospect opening beyond their west-" ern limits, would prefer even to ad-^to the pending bill a moderate provision for cheapening the transit of their crops to the ports on Lake Michigan, by way of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. It is gratifying to perceive that as the subject is becoming bet ter understood, and especially by the intelligent members from New England, the prospects of the bill are improving. Their vote in July last was Bearly two to one. against' the bill, but they have now come almost unanimously to comprehend and to feel the full importance of the proposed measure, not only in cheap ening the food and consequently the manufactures of the east ern States, but in its higher. political effects in strengthening the ties of the national Union in the present eventful crisis. Their general feeling is to" ally the East closely with the West, and -that whatever is to be done should be done at once. I cannot close this my last official communication during your executive term now just expiring, without thanking you personal ly and sincerely for the prompt, efficient and cordial manner in which you have sustained the efforts which have become necessa ry for the due discharge of the important duty you have entrust ed to my care. I shall return to Washington by the 6th of Jan uary, there to await any communications or instructions from your official successor or the canal authorities. With high respect and regard, 4 Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To His Excellency Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of New York, fyc, fyc, 4rc ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 75 No. 33. Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of New York to Congress. ,The portion of this memorial now furnished embrace, among other matters, the statistics submitted to Secretary Seward, for the consideifation of the President of the United States, and above referred to in the report to Governor Morgan of the 28th November, 1862, document No. 2*7, ante. The memorial was pre sented to the Senate of the United States on the 7th of Janu ary, 1863, and was printed by their order, as Senate document, 37th Congress, 3d session,- No. 12. After setting forth the legislative proceedings of the State and of the United States, on the subject embraced in the pend ing-bill (fully presented in the documents hereto preceding), the memorial proceeds as follows : " These two great naval channels in New York and Illinois, so much alike in topographical character — the one connecting the •Atlantic through the Hudson river with the eastern extremities of Lakes Ontario and Erie, and the other connecting the Missis sippi and its wide-spread territories throughout the great central interior with the southwestern extremity of Lake Michigan, are naturally regarded as integral portions of one harmonious plan, of which each of the parts, being eminently national in character, became none less so by being united. The naval importance of thus conjoining the lines of navigation through the interior of the Union, and thereby rendering .all the naval force of the Union available at all needed points, was fully recognized in a communication to the Committee on Military Affairs by the Se cretary of the Navy, on the 30th' of June, 1862, in which he states that " the naval vessels then constructed, or under con struction, on the western rivers, (including those purchased,) are nearly forty in number," and further, that " the dimensions of the proposed locks, with a depth of .seyen feet, will be sufficient to allow all of those vessels to pass into the lakes;" to which he adds, that " the Navy Department regards it of great import ance that the gun boats should be able to pass between the Mis sissippi and the lakes." s The propriety of the legislative action now invoked at the hands of Congress, your memorialists would respectfully place upon the following grounds : 1. The constitutional duty to provide for the "common defence" 76 REPORT ON THE was a primary and cardinal object in creating the National Govern ment. Its Constitution prescribes no other obligation in terms more clear, unequivocal or unrestricted. The duty necessarily embraces every locality within the national limits, where the property or persons of the citizens of the United States may be assailed, and it necessarily includes every available mode of pro viding fpr their defence. 2. It is clearly shown by recent discoveries and otherwise, that mail-clad vessels, capable of passing through navigable canals of sufficient size, are fully adequate to the defence required. It is, therefore, as constitutional and legitimate to construct or enlarge such canals for the passage of vessels, as to open roads on land. for the passage of troops or artijlery. No just reason can be assigned why the separate States er their citizens, either indi vidually or in association, should bear the burthen of construct ing either roads or canals needed for the national defence. 3. A navigable channel, if admitted to be desirable or useful for naval purposes, cannot fairly or properly be rejected as uncon stitutional or inadmissible, merely because it may also be useful as an avenue of commerce ; but, on the contrary, the very magni tude, and especially the national character of the commerce it may facilitate, enhances to the same extent the' pre-existing constitutional duty to defend that commerce, in common with all the property of the country, from foreign aggression. 4. Congress does not exhaust its duty, merely by defending the seaboard by fortifications and navies, but is bound to extend equal protection to all orir inland national waters, and pre-emi nently to the great chain of ; lakes, which it shares as a frontier with a foreign power. The exterior contact of the nation is as complete on the lakes as on the ocean. The neglect or abandonment of the duty in respect to the lakes, in the face of immense expenditures for protecting the coast of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, will greatly aggrieve the large and loyal population whose' commerce is now afloat on those . inland seas, and seriously infringe their rights as members of the National Union. 5. Under existing diplomatic arrangements our whole lake frontier* now lies wholly undefended, with its populous and flourishing cities and communities, stretching for more than a thousand miles from Ogdensburgh to Chicago, and its crowded fleets of commercial vessels, now exceeding thirteen hundred in ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 77, t number, all exposed, at any moment, to capture and devastation. How soon the -danger oT actual assault isto become more palpable and imminent, may depend on political contingencies beyond our control, and upon a vacillating European opinion, the result of which we are now quite unable to discern. It is surely enough for a wise and prudent government to kuow, that such an assault is physically possible, and, with any present means of defence, wholly irresistible . The fact stares the nation in the face, that mail-clad vessels from the royal or imperial navy yards of Europe may at any time, whem "navigation is open, within thirty days lay Ogdensburgh, and Oswego, and Rochester, and Buffalo, and Cleveland, and Toledo, and Detroit, and Milwaukee, arid Chicago in ashes. We surely need not depict, in full, the deplorable consequences of such a calamity; the utter paralysis and prostration of our national credit and national reputation, which would instantly follow the seizure of an artery so vital in the body politic; the withering effects of the blow upon the national treasury, in cutting off the rich stream of agricultural exports now furnishing in so large proportion the means of purchasing duty-paying imports; the fearful consequences, social and political, of intercepting the daily bread not only of all Southern New York, but of all New England ; the unparalleled humiliation of losing, at a single blow, our whole chain pf lakes, with the total disappearance of our national flag from all their wide-spread waters ; and last, not least, the inef- . faceable shame of longer submitting in silence, and with folded arins, to the insolent and reiterated menaces of all these evils, with which our struggling nation has been, threatened by its enemies in Europe. Surely, if it were necessary to expend hun dreds of millions instead of the scanty seventeen millions now required to avert such a catastrophe, the representatives of an intelligent and patriotic people should not hesitate a moment to do so. 6. The peculiar feature of the proposed enlargement, distin guishing it from every other military or naval expenditure, with in our experience, is its greatly enriching effect on the commerce of the country) immeasurably exceeding the amount to be ex pended. Nor is that commerce, except to a very slight extent, local in character, but, on the contrary, is eminently national, dealing not alone with single States, but whole groups of States. The Erie canal has now become the principal outlet to the Afc 78 REPORT ON THE Lantic of the eight great food-producing States, embracing Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri. The wheat and Indian corn (including flour) export ed by those States through the Erie canal actually exceeds the amount of similar products ,sent by New York, by more than thirteen to one, the corn alone being more than thirty to one. Any enlargement of its commercial capacity would consequently benefit those interior States (so far as the transportation of cereals is concerned) in the same proportion. In a mere local or narrow sense, New York might possibly lose in money, by an improvement which should diminish the sum now needlessly ex pended within her limits' in carrying to market the products of her sister- States, but in a higher and better view, as a loyal member of the National Union, and sharer in the national wel fare, she would largely gain. The same holds true of the Illinois canal. Its enlargement as proposed (at an estimated cost of $13,346,824), with locks seventy- five feet wide and three hundred and fifty feet long, and the Illi nois river improved by dams bf moderate height, (only seven in number,) will open. a capacious and constantly available channel of three hundred and twenty miles for steamers of the largest class from the Mississippi and all its confluents into Lake Michi gan, greatly cheapening and facilitating the commerce of all the States now congregated in its wide-spread valley. In effect, the adequate enlargement of these two canals in New York and Illi nois, with the lakes as a common bond of union, will create and call into being a new and an improved Mississippi, running east- wardly through our northern chain of waters to the Atlantic. 7. "The capacity of the present locks of the Erie canal, 18 feet by 110, does not^ermit the passage of boats carrying more than seven thousand bushels of wheat. The enlarged locks, 26 by 220, will pass boats carrying from eighteen to twenty thousand bushels, and will also materially facilitate their economical and expeditious movement by steam-power. The enlarged ship-locks on the Illinois canal will pass vessels carrying at least forty thousand bushels. Grain delivered in such masses can be readily transferred by elevators, into vessels fully suited to the navigation of the lakes, at half a cent per bushel. .8. The rapid increase of the agriculture of these interior States has so crowded the Erie canal with boats of the "present size, ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 79 that they frequently accumulate in masses several miles in length, seriously lengthening their trips, and thereby much enhancing the cost of transportation. Experienced boat owners state their opinion, that the proposed enlargement will shorten the trips at least one-third. Intelligent shippers at Chicago and elsewhere further state that the increased expedition to be secured on the Erie canal, will practically operate to secure greater regularity and economy in the transportation by vessels on the lakes, so . that the total saving between Chicago an€ New York will be riot less than fifteen cents per bushel, irrespective of the reduction in the New York State tolls, which may reasonably be expected from the large increase in the quantity to be carried. Of the cereals actually carried on the lakes, more than seventy per cent, are furnished from Lake Michigan, while thirty per cent, of the total cereal product of this interior group is fur nished by the three most western States lying beyond the Missis sippi. The enlargement of the Illinois canal will effect a further saving of five cents, a bushel, between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi, but it will not materially reduce the total cost of transportation to the Atlantic, without also enlarging the locks of the Erie canal, as every accession of products from the Missis sippi must operate to swell the crowd of boats of the present ,size, and thereby aggrayate existing ev,ils. . 9. A saving in transportation of fifteen cents, or even of ten cents per bushel, would immediately and powerfully stimulate production in these interior States, and especially on the Missis sippi, where the producers are now compelled, at times, and es pecially iri the earlier spring or later autumn, to pay as high as thirty and even forty cents per bushel. It so nearly exhausts all the value of their Indian corn, that they frequently prefer to consume it on the spot for fuel. 10. The proposed saving in the cost -of transportation, by redu" cing the price, of food throughout the nation, becomes a matter of general national interest It will be shared between the pro ducers in the West and the consumers, and especially the manu facturers in the East, stimulating and rewarding the industry of both. It would suffice of itself to pay the freight across the„ ocean (which does not exceed an average of fifteen cents a bushel), and very possibly to turn the scale in favor of American agriculture competing in transatlantic markets with the guain- growing regions on the Baltic and the Danube. In short, it will 80 REPORT ON THE powerfully accelerate the great continental career of our new world, and secure its supremacy as the permanent and pre destined feeder of the old. In thus invigorating and developing our vast dormant agricultural power, it will not only strengthen our existing political fabric, but it will render an indissoluble union be'tween our food-producing interior and the Atlantic sea board, a positive. and vital necessity for Europe. 11. This saving, by immediately increasing our foreign ex ports, will speedily aftd, materially benefit and relieve the na tional treasury. * The whole excess.will be exchanged, directly or indirectly, for duty-paying imports, which will yield to the treas ury, under a moderate tariff, at least twenty-five per cent, in coin for every additional bushel exported. It would need only an increased export of eighty millions of bushels, worth in Furope a dollar a bushel, yielding in duties on return imports twenty millions of dollars, to fully reimburse the seventeen millions now required for the enlargement of the canals in ques tion. The exports of flour, wheat and Indian corn, from the port of New York alone during the present year, up to December 11th, have been forty-eight millions of bushels. A bonus of fifteen Cents practically saved in transportation would very soon carry rip the quantity to the additional eighty millions of bushels re quired, while the .great -national channels thereby freed from debt would remain in constantly increasing vigor, to exert their beneficent influence through the coming ages of our national ex istence. 12. Similar results would be experienced, though for a time on a more moderate scale, in the increased export of " provi sions," including in that denomination most of the animal pro ducts, such as beef, pork, bacon, lard, &c, &c, which Europe has recently been learning to consume, and is now consuming in rapidly increasing quantities. Practically, these " provisions" consist of Indian corn, manufactured by feeding into that partic ular form, to be more portable to market. • The vast' capacity for producing Indian corn by our North American continent, must largely influence our future history and well deserves the thoughtful attention of our public men. 13. Commerce in food affords a stable and permanent basis of prosperity for our oities, whether in the interior or on the sea board. Chicago and New York, by dealing largely in food, have been greatly aided in bearing the heavy pecuniary brunt of the ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 81 / pending war. The timely and providential substitution of bread- stuffs and provisions for export, in lieu of cotton and other southern products, has fully sustained New York through its most trying crisis. Its foreign commerce in exports and im ports for the year, of war ending July, 1862, actually exceeds by some millions of dollars the amount for the year of peace ending July, 1860. The amount in 1862, was $340,019,930 In 1860, it was 336,985,356 Increase ...*._* ., $4,034,574 14. The yearly amount of wheat and Indian corn already sent through the lakes from these interior States, even with the pre sent oppressive rates of transportation, is about one hundred and ten millions of bushels, being somewhat less than one-fourth of the total product, the remainder being Jed to- animals or other wise disposed of, leaving a part unharvested in . the field. The yearly saving of fifteen cents per bushel, on the portion now exported, would amount to $16,500,000. With such a stimulus, we can hardly overestimate the future export, after the lapse of a very few years, still less the future product. The President of theJDnited States, in his recent annual mes sage, in calling the attention of the country to the vital import ance of this great" interior region, with its vast adjacent territory yet to be settled, and in view of the grandeur of the future plainly foreshadowed in the statistics of the past, declares him self " overwhelmed with the magnitude of the prospect presented." The facts, indeed, are striking, perhaps startling, but the Ameri can people, whose interests are vitally concerned in their proper examination, have the right to ask, and they do ask, that they may be fully investigated by the American Congress, and that, too, for the very purpose of adequately guiding the legislation, now required for the national safety and welfare. They are few arid simple, and readily accessible. t The fundamental fact, to which all the others are subordinate', is the extent ofithe surface covered by these eight food-producing States. It embraces the enormous area of 262,549,000 of acres, nearly all of it much exceeding in fertility the average of Europe, and probably of every European empire or kingdom, with the single exception, perhaps, of Belgium. Its" surface, is more than [Assem. No. 174.J 6 82 REPORT ON THE \ double that of France, and at least seven-fold greater than that of England. Of this enormous field for future American effort, up to the year 1850 only 26,680,340 acres, little exceeding a tithe, had been brought" into cultivation. In the single decade from 1850 to 1860, a brief transition period from infancy to early' youth, no less than 25,146,341 additional acres were taken from forest and prairie, and turned into farms. That mere addition alone would nearly cover all the arable and pasture land of Eng land, the^ result of many centuries of agriculture, but estimated by English statistical writers at only 28,000,000 of acres. If like causes. produce like effects, it surely will be philosophi cal and safe to assume that the 'actual results of the decade thus exhibited will furnish a reliable rule of progress, by which, in the absence of any known disturbing causes, our rulers may esti mate, at least approximately, the future advance of the immense interior region committed by Providence to their care. The actual conversion into farms of the 25,146,341 acres of forest and prairie in the brief period of ten years, was effected by a popula tion numbering at the close but 8,957,700 inhabitants, who had gradually, but steadily, grown from 5,403,665 in 1850. Here, then, is a cardinal and governing fact — not a poetic dream or idle fancy, loosely floating in any conjectural, imaginary Future, but a solid, immovable fact, firmly imbedded in the immutable arithmetic of the Past. It is emphatically one for the whole American people profoundly to consider, and especially in the present hour of national trial, requiring all their courage and all their intelligence. In estimating the futuce they may close'their eyes, if they can, on that inexorable, geometrical ratio, under which the morally certain increase of our interior population, riot to be arrested by any earthly power, will afford an increased basis equally certain for agricultural results Correspondingly increased, but they never can exclude the simple arithmetical truth, that with only the actual rate of past progress, many of us may live to see the final and crowning result of the few remain ing processes of only ten years each, by which the magnificent remnant of this broad domain, embracing the 210,742,718 acres slumbering in their virgin state in 1860, will be wholly yielded up to the vivifying embrace of man, and the highest arts of civili zation and peace. The enormous increase of agricultural products, and also of pecuniary wealth, furnishing a like measure of generative power ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 83 for each of these decades, stands vividly recorded in the recent census. The yearly product of wheat and Indian corn, in these eight interior States, which amounted to 266,389,000 bushels in 1850, (more than five-fold the quantity needed to, feed their human inhabitants,) increased in 1860 to 485,181,000 bushels, actually exceeding in amount the whole cereal product of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a population of twenty-nine millions, and falling but little, if any, short of that of France, with a population of thirty-six millions. The com parison is important, not only in showing the inherent superiority of our soil and its unequaled facilities for easy culture, but the serious political hazard incurred by foreign nations in attracting too. many of their people to commerce and manufactures, and thereby diverting- an undue proportion from agricultural industry, the most permanent and unfailing basis of a nation's, strength. The fact certainly sheds a flood of light on our Own fast coming future, as the dominant feeding nation of the World. Come what may or will of political change, this grand interior division of ¦ our republic, with a present population of nine millions, produc ing nearly five hundred millions of bushels, will- be able, by the year 1870 or 1875 at farthest, unless prevented by some vast and unimaginable calamity, yearly to furnish to the Union and to surrounding nations at least one thousand millions of bushels. The statistics of the census also exhibit, not less impressively, the immense pecuniary results of this agricultural development, affording a similar guide for the future. With the question now before the country, of the expediency of devoting seventeen mil lions of dollars to the speedy development of. this great interior, the pecuniary consequences will not be deemed unimportant. The assessed value of all the " cultivated lands " of the eight States, at the commencement of the decade in 1850, was $751,- 711,000, while that of the whole "real and personal estate," including the lands, was $1,116,000,000. At the close of the decade, the assessed value of the "cultivated lands" had risen to $2,106,836,000, while the total value of the "real and personal estate" ascended, to "the immense amount of $3,926,000,000, exhibiting a clear addition of pecuniary wealth, in this, brief period, of two thousand eight hundred and ten millions of dollars, Can our Government need any further incentive to a vigorous and intelligent administration of its civil affairs, in promptly developing its vast, but comparatively dormant resources ? 84 REPORT ON THE Your memorialists will seek no further, on the present occasion^ to penetrate the future of this great interior region, so truly de nominated by the President of the United States, in his recent Message, "the most important in the world;" still less, to fix the epoch when, augmented by the wide-spread- and precious metalliferous regions stretching off across the Continent from the Missouri to the Pacific, and bound in loyal union with the Atlantic division of the Republic, it may challenge comparison with the proudest empire in human history ; but they are well assured that they utter not the voice alone of the Chamber of Commerce of New York, but of the whole American people, in noW respectfully but earnestly asserting that our material inter- ests now existing, so plainly requiring and deserving national aid and protection, caffnot safely or wisely be ignored or neglected, but, if vigorously and prudently developed by intelli gent and Well directed legislation, will prove fully adequate to our utmost emergencies, whether in peace or War, and to any conflict, present or future, at home or abroad, which may be required by the national interests or the national honor. SAMUEL B. RUGGLES, E. NYE, DENNING DUER, CHARLES F. TRASK, WALTER S. GRIFFITH, Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of New York on Lake Defences. New York, December 26, 1862. No. 34. Report of Mr. Buggies to Governor Seymour. Washington, February 9th, 1863. Sir — The various official communications made by me to your official predecessor since the 9th of May last, tinder the concur rent resolution of the Legislature of the 22d of April, under which he requested me, in behalf of the State, to attend at Wash ington to invite the attention of the General Government to the subject of adapting the canals of the State of New York to the defence of the lake, have doubtless informed you of the progress made, up to the date of your accession to office, of the bill intro duced into Congress for appropriating $3,500,000 for the purpose in question. - 4 ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 85 i I have now to state that the bill then pending, after alteration of some of its details, and particularly by increasing to about $13,500,000, the amount to be appropriated for the Illinois canal and river, came up this morning for its final passage, when Mr. Diven offered a substitute, which was adopted by the House, providing that no part of the sums thus appropriated should be advanced until the States of New York and Illinois should have respectively, completed the works in question. The question then recurring on the final passage of the bill thus substituted, it was defeated by a vote of 71 ayes to 61 nays. I regret to state that six of the New York delegation, to wit : Messrs. F. A. Conkling, Kerrigan, Odell, Wheeler, Chamber lain and Fenton, voted against the bill. The opposition was mainly found in the delegations from Penn sylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. AH the members from New England, with three exceptions, voted for the bill. I aril not able this evening to furnish more minute details as to the 'vote, and as to the character of the or.- position which has been arrayed against a measure declared by the Legislature of our State to be of such " great importance to the national iriterests." After my return to New York, to-morrow, I will fully report such facts in my possession as may be interesting to the Execu tive or the Legislature. Meanwhile it may be important to state that the members from the Northwestern States may very probably deem it advisable to bring forward during the present Congress separate bills, providing separately for the canals^ needed for na tional objects within their limits. Whether, in such an event, it would be deemed- proper or desirable for the State of New York to interfere at all iu the matter, or to permit the subject to be again presented in its behalf to the consideration of the present Congress, is a question on which further instructions from the Executive authority of the State may properly be expected. With high respect, * Your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To his Excellency Horatio Seymour, Governor of New York, fyc, tyc.pSfc. 86' REPORT ON THE No. 35. Governor Seymour to Mr. Ruggles. Albany, February \Zth, 1863. My Dear Sir — 1 have received your letter of the 9th instant- You can best judge of the- propriety and necessity of staying longer at Washington. Truly yours, &c, HORATIO SEYMOUR. Hon. S. B. Ruggles. No. 36. Application of the Revenues of the New York Canals. The attention of Congress is respectfully solicited to the fol lowing facts in respect to the revenues of the New York canals, and their necessary -application. They are taken from the offi cial report of the State Canal Auditor, made to the Legislature in 1862. Assembly document No. 3. 1. The total amount expended from the 4th of July, 1817, to the 30th September, .1861, in con structing and enlarging the State canals was.. $59,560,548 The amount paid to the latter date for interest on the moneys borrowed by the State for the pur pose 30,391,543 $89,952,091 2. The gross tolls received from the canals during that period were $76,298,440 Deduct cost of repairs, -superinten- : dance, and, collection '_. 21,916,961 Netamount _ 54,381,489 Leaving balance advanced by the State $35,570,602' This amount of $35,579,602 has been raised by the State as follows, viz : 1. By sales of State lands $320,518 2. By indirect^ taxes, viz : > On sales at auction 3,592,039 On salt.r ., 2,055,458 On steamboat passengers 73,509 ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 87 . ' By direct taxes on the property of all the people of the State, whether adjacent, to or remote from the , canals.... 5,537,258 11,588,572 The residue has been raised on 'loans, on which there remained due at the close of the fiscal year, September 30, 1862 $23,991,030 This sum will be reimbursed in about twelve years, by the steady application of the surplus tolls of the canals. Of the direct taxes thus paid .by the people to. the amount of $5,537,258, and which will be increased to at least six millions by further payments in 1862 and 1863, the sum of $3,841,149 was tevied in the four yearsfrom 1858 to 1861, inclusive, having been rendered necessary by premature reductions at that time in the rates of toll on the canals, and which were expressly made for the purpose of fostering the agriculture and commerce of the western States. - The net tolls of the canals are wholly applied to the reim bursement of the moneys actually advanced by the State as above. shown. "N Its whole policy as shown by its canal history for the last * forty years, has been to reduce the ratesof toll as speedily as possible, consistently with the reimbursement of the cost of the canals. The State Constitution specifically appropriates the tolls, of the canals to the payment of the debt incurred in their construction; and also expressly prohibits. any sale, mortgage, lease, or other disposition of the canals After the large amounts .already paid in taxes by the people of the State, it would be. wholly, unreasonable and unjust to burthen them with further taxes, for. the purpose of enlarging the locks for the national defence of the ."lakes, or for cheapening the transit of Western products. They will cheerfully bear their portion of the national burthen. The Constitution strictly . confines the expenditures on the canals to the completion of the works, including the locks,, on the limited scale proposed more than twenty years a^o, and which by a law of the State are declared to be "completed." There is no 88 REPORT ON THE practical mode of promptly securing the enlargement of the locks now so urgently required by the highest national considerations, as well of politiqal union, as of military security and commercial advantage, but the proposed appropriation by the National Gov ernment. An amendment of the State Constitution to permit the enlargement, at the expense of the State, could not be obtained without serious difficulty and long delay. Submitted, in behalf of the State of New York, by . SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. Washington, February 4, 1863. No. 37. Statement of comparative exports of Breadstuffs and Pro visions from New Orleans and New York, showing the proportions sent through the Mississippi and through" the Lakes respectively. 1. The annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury for the year ending August 31st, 1860, before the rebellion closing the Mississippi, shows the amounts of breadstuffs and provisions exported to foreign countries, from New Orleans and New York, to be respectively as follows : From From New Orleans. New York. Wheat, bushels, / 2,189 1,880,908 Wheat flour, barrels. 80,541 1,1*7,200 Indian corn, bushels 224,382 1,580,014 Indian meal, barrels 158 86,073 Pork, barrels.... 4,250 109,379 Hams and bacon, pounds 890,230 16,161,749 Butter, pounds 95,857 4,725,146 Cheese, pounds' 88,691 14,410,717 Lard, pounds 11,055,480 18,562,131 Tallow, pounds 1,909,155 8,634,418 Skins and furs (dollars)..; $350 $1,394,912 2. From the annual statements reported to the Chamber of Commerce bf Cincinnati, it appears that in the year ending August 31st, 1860, the exports of breadstuffs and provisions from Cincinnati ,were destined as follows, showing a proportion exceeding three-fold going northward : ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 89 Southward. Northward. To New Other ports Ports up By canals Orleans. down the river, and rail- the river. ways. Pork and bacon, bbls., hhds., tierces and boxes, 92,496 10,858 20,960 92,719 Wheat, bushels.... '. 1.155 10,186 66,005 255,149 Flour, barrels 36,146 67,773 132,682 252,707 Corn, sacks 9,044 '14,596 17,786 7,441 Lard, barrels 12,486 1,600 6,006 39,969 Lard, kegs 30,037 2,743 3,611 19,310 3. The receipts at Chicago, from 1860 to 1862, of wheat and corn, including flour reduced to bushels, as shown by the reports of its Board of Trade, were as follows : „ I860. 1861. 1862. Wheat, bushels 16,054,319 22,013,830 21,902,765 Corn, bushels 13,743,172 24,186,382 29,761,026 29,757,481 47,100,112 51,663,781 4. The receipts at, and exports from New York, of wheat and corn, (including flour reduced to bushels,) for the year 1862, up to December 18 th, were as follows : Receipts of wheat and flour, bushels 52,902,270 Receipts of corn, bushels 17,578,960 — 70,481,230 Exported from New York in the same period : Wheat and flour, bushels 37,947,572 Corn, bushels , , 11,902,509 49,860,021 Respectfully submitted In behalf of the State of New York, by SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. Washington, February 5th, 1863. No. 38. Additional Evidence in respect to the present capacity of the New York Canals, and the cost of enlarging their locks. ' In addition to the evidence now beffere Congress, as to the capacity of the New York canals, their present crowded condition, and the actual cost of enlarging their locks for naval and com mercial purposes, the following documents are respectfully sub mitted to the consideration of Congress : 90 REPORT ON THE Letter from E. Bennett, Esq., late Resident Engineer of the Erie Canal Enlargement. Washington, D. C, January 9, 1863. Dear Sir — I have the' honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, making the following inquiries : 1st. How long have' you been an engineer on the enlargement of the Erie canal, and upon what portion have you served ? 2d. When was the enlargement completed to the full depth of seven feet required by law, or what sum, if any, would now be required to complete the canal to its full depth ? 3d. Whatrwould be the cost of enlarging the locks on the Erie and Oswego canals to a size twenty-six feet wide and two hundred and "tjventy feet long? ( 4th. Will a mail-clad gunboat, or any other vessel, in passing a canal lock, add anything to the strain on the lock walls ? In answer to your first inquiry I beg leave to state that I was appointed a resident engineer by the Canal Board on the tenth day of February, 1856, and, as such engineer, was placed in charge of that portion of the canal lying between the east line of the county of Wayne and the village of Macedon. On the first day of June, 1857, my jurisdiction was extended so as to include that part of the canal lying between Macedon and the city of Roches ter. On the first day of June, 1861,' my location was changed, and the canal between Brockportand the city of Buffalo was assigned to my charge." The Legislature" of the State, in the1 spring of 1862, enacted a law, that the canals should be declared completed on the first day of September of that year. In answer to your second inquiry, I have to state that, although the law declared the canals completed, yet practically a small amount of work yet remained. to be done, in " bottoming out," in a few localities, to give seven feet _depth of water. After my change of residency, I found, by a careful examination between Brockport and Lockport, that by some error the contractors had not excavated to the depth required, in some instances from six to twelve inches. All the contracts of the unfinished sections had been closed, eithes by the Canal Board canceling the same,, or by the acceptance of the work by the officers in charge. Under this state of affairs, the Canal Board temporarily limited the draft of boats, navigating the canal, to five feet nine inches, and the contracting Board proceeded without delay to re-let the work for completien. Owing to a scarcity of labor, the " bottoming ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 91 Out " was not fully completed last winter,. but it can be easily done, before the opening of navigation next springs at a cost not exceeding thirty thousand dollars. At small expense, the entire canal can be opened for navigation next spring, with seven feet depth of water. , In answer to your third inquiry I state that, I did, at different times, make careful estimates for enlarging the locks on that por tion of the Erie canal assigned to my charge, including the combined locks at Lockport. From these ^estimates I have no hesitation in saying that, with labor and materials at ordinary prices, the Erie canal locks can be enlarged to the required dimensions of twenty-six feet by two hundred and twenty feet, for a sum not exceeding $2,816,000, as estimated by Hon. Wm. B. Taylor, State Engineer and Surveyor. I have been informed by capitalists that they would gladly enter into contract for less than this sum, and deposit with the Auditor of the Canal Department any required security for the faithful performance of the work. I have not been professionally employed on the Oswego canal, and therefore can only speak from general information as to its structures, but I have no reason to doubt that its nineteen locks. could be ^enlarged to the required dimensions for the sum of $625,500, as estimated in April last by the State Engineer. If the locks should be enlarged to. the *ize contemplated, two boats of the present size might pass through the locks at a single lockage. It is probable, however, that some increase of water will be necessary on portions of the^canal, which could be readily furnished by additional feeders at a moderate expense. It is almost needless to add that a vessel of any description passing through a canal lock adds nothing to the strain on the walls, as it necessarily displaces only its own weight in water. Respectfully yours, ENSIGN BENNETT, Late Resident Engineer Erie canal Enlargement. . Hon, Samuel B, Ruggles. 92 REPORT ON THE Letter from Mr. S. G. .Chase,- of Albany, {now engaged in canal transportation,) the statements of which were fully confirmed before Committees of Congress, by the Hon. E. S. Prosser, of Buffalo. Albany, December 10th, 1862. Hon. S. B. Ruggles, Dear Sir — In answer to your inquiries (through Mr. Prosser) as to the time required for canal boats to make the passage from Buffalo to Troy at various periods; I report as follows : During the season of 1859 and summer of 1860, and up to the time the large crop of the latter year began to come forward in full volume, the average time of the boats, towing by relays of horses, day and night, was nine to ten days. During the- fall of 1860, and about all the season of 1861 and < 1862, the number of boats and quantity of property moving east ward were so large, and the detention, in waiting to pass the locks, so great, that the average time of making the passage from Buffalo to Troy was increased full forty per cent. Indeed, for the latter part of this 'season, 1862, the detention has been much greater, causing fifty, and even sixty per cent, of increase. Many of the boats leaving Buffalo from the 1st to the 15th of November, were, fifteen to eighteen days in reaching Troy, without any breaks in the canal, and with plenty of- water, whereas boats leaving Buffalo as late as' the 26th of November, ' when there had been but four leaving for the previous ten days, came through to Troy in eight to nine days, there being then no. delay at the locks. , I am, therefore, fully of the opinion that, unless we can have large locks., it is not practicable to increase the tonnage through the canal, nor Will the rate of freight be likely to diminish, for the cost of transportation is very nearly in proportion to the time consumed in making the trip. But if we can have the locks large enough to admit the passage of boats as large as can navi gate the canal to advantage, we can pass through a very largely increased quantity, and the rate of transportation will be greatly reduced, very nearly in proportion as the cargo is increased, and the time required to make the passage diminished. In the pre sent state of affairs, increasing the number of boats will only increase the delay' at the locks, and may thereby lessen somewhat even the present tonnage and increase the cost of transportation. Respectfully, S. G. CHASE. ENLARGEMENT OP THE CANALS. 93 No. 39. Call for Convention at Chicago. Regarding the enlargement of the canals between the valley of the Mississippi and the Atlantic as of great national, commercial and military importance, and as tending to promote the develop ment, prosperity and unity of our whole country, we invite a meeting of all those interested in the subject, at Chicago, on the first Tuesday in June next. We especially ask the co-operation and aid of the boards of trade, chambers, of commerce, agricul tural societies and business associations of the country. Washington, March 2, 1863. Edward Bates, (Attorney General United States,) Mo. MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE. A. G. Riddle, Ohio, H. L. Dawes, Mass., Justin S. Morrill, Vt., S. Hooper, Massachusetts, Schuyler Colfax, Ind., Augustus Prank, N. Y., R. E. Trowbridge, Mich., Jos. Segar, Virginia, F. C. Beaman, Michigan, A. Scott Sloan, Wis., Alfred Ely, New York, Gilman Marston, N. H., Sam'l F. Worcester, Ohio, Benj. F. Thomas, Mass., Thomas D. Eliott, Mass., A. A. Sargent, Cal., Geo. W. Julian, Ind., Wm. Morris Davis, Penn., J. N. Goodwin, Maine, James S. Rollins, Mo., Thos. L. Price, Missouri, Horace Maynard, Tenn., p. W. Kellogg, Mich., JohnH. Rice, Maine, A. W. Clark, New York, Isaac N. Arnold, Illinois, E. B. Washburne, Illinois, A. B. Olin, New York, E. G. Spaulding, N. Y., , Portus Baxter, Vermont, Geo. P. Fisher, Delaware, Cyrus Aldrich, Minnesota, Samuel L. Casey, Ky., W- D. Mclndoe, Wis.,- -W. P. Sheffield, R. I., J. M. Ashley, Ohio, F. F. Low, California, John W. Wallace, Penn., T. G. Phelps, California, William J. Allen, 111., F. B. Fouke, Illinois, Wm. R. Morrison, Illinois, Wm. Kellogg, Illinois, Stephen Baker, New York, G. W. Dunlap, Kentucky, * J. C. Robinson, Illinois, Chas. Delano, Mass., A. J. Clements, Tenn., S. W. Sherman, N.Y., Theo! M. Pomeroy, N. Y.f 94 REPORT ON THE R. E. Fenton, New York, Burt Van Horn, N. Y, M. F. Conway, Kansas, ^Dwight Loomis, Conn., C. H. Van Wyck, N. Y., Jno. F. Potter, Wisconsin, Owen Lovejoy, Illinois; Jesse 0. Norton, Illinois, John Hutchins, Ohio, Edward Haight, N. Y., Geo. C. Woodruff, Conn., B. F. Granger, Mich., Jno. C. Alley, Mass., Samuel C. Fessenden, Me., Jas. H. Campbell, Penn., A. S. Diven, New York, R. B. VanValkenburg, N. Y., Wm. Windom, Minn., R. Franchot, New York, Elijah Ward, New York, Wm. Vandever, Iowa, Jas. B. McKean, N. Y-, W. E. Lansing, N. Y., E. P. Walton, Vermont, Wm. H. Wallace, Wash. T., A. L. Knapp, Illinois, Amasa Walker, Mass., ' Edward H. Smith, N. Y., A. S. White, Indiana, S. Edgerton, Ohio, H. P. Bennett, Colorado Territory. SENATORS. J. R. Doolitile, Wis., Y. 0. Howe, Wisconsin, H. M. Rice, Minnesota, M. S. Wilkinson, Minn., J. B. Henderson^ Mo., R. Wilson, Missouri, Z. Chandler, Michigan, J. M. Howard, Michigan, Jas. Harlan, Iowa, Chas. Sumner, Mass., Henry Wilson, Mass., Ira Harris, New York, S. G. Arnold, R: I., L. Trumbull, Illinois, W. A. Richardson, HI., J. H. Lane, Kansas, S. C. Pomeroy, Kansas, Jas. Dixon, Conn. * No. 40. Joint Resolution of the 'Legislature of Illinois, in relation to enlarged facilities of transportation between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Coast and Europe. Adopted unanimously by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Illinois, the lith day of February, 1863. Whereas, It is of the first importance to the great producing States of the Northwest, interested in the transportation of their various productions to the seaboard and to Europe, by the way of the great lakes and the rivers and canals connecting those lakes with the Atlantic ocean, to secure to themselves the most enlarged and liberal avenues of communication possible, without reference to the fact whether such avenues are furnished by their ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 95 own or another Government, provided they secure to said States and their people the greatest value for their productions at home, by transporting them to the markets of the world, at the least cost and expense ; And whereas, From the recent action of the Congress of the United States, under a combination of circumstances as urgent as it is probable can ever again be brought to bear upon the ques tion, that body declined to aid in opening such enlarged facilities as the necessities of the great food-producing West so imperiously demand ; And whereas, The capacity of these northwestern producing States in the single staple, never failing and cheaply grown crop of Indian corn or maize, can scarcelybe estimated, and would soon amount to hundreds of millions of bushels per annum, were enlarged and consequently cheap means of transportation pro vided, securing at once an income for the outlay, and a profit to the producer and consumer at home and abroad, and developing at the same time mines of wealth in our broad prairies, equal to the greatest happiness and desires of .those who inhabit them; And whereas, The rivers and canals of Canada can readily be improved and adapted to the most liberal means of transportation from the western States to the Atlantic ocean, and with mutual advantage to the constructor of such avenues, and all having Occasion to avail themselves of them; furnishing, at the. same time, the means of avoiding in a good degree the heavy tolls and charges that now so enrich ,the State of New York, at the expense of the western farmer : Be it therefore Resolved by the Senate of the State of Illinois, the House of Representatives concurring herein. That a State commit tee of, five citizens of the State be appointed by the Governor, with full power and authority on bphalf of this State, to petition or to proceed personally to the Provincial Government and Par liament of Canada, and to the Government of Great Britain, if deemed by them advisable, for the purpose, in any proper man ner, of respectfully presenting to those Governments the statistics of production and trade of the- western States, seeking enlarged and cheaper outlets to the East and to Europe, for their products by the way of the lakes and of the rivers, and new or enlarged canals of Canada ; and to respectfully solicit from said Govern ments all proper consideration and action upon a subject of such great and rapidly growing importance to them, as well as to the. 96 REPORT ON THE western States, interested in such enlarged facilities of inter course with the Atlantic ports and with Europe. Resolved, That our neighboring States, similarly interested, be, and are hereby respectfully invited to appoint like State com mittees to act and co-operate with the committee hereby appointed for the attainment of the objects herein set forth ; and that the Governor be and is hereby requested to send copies of this joint resolution and invitation to each of the States so interested, and to our Senators and Representatives in Congress, and to furnish an authenticated and official copy of the same to the committee hereby appointed, and that the preceding preamble and resolu tions be printed for the greater convenience of so doing. No, 41, Resolutions of the Legislature of Ohio, read in the House of Representa tives of the United States February 6, 1863. " Whereas, large expenditures of money will be required for the payment of the current expenses of the General Government, and the prosecution of the war in putting down rebellion ; and whereas, bills have lately been introduced in the Congress of the United States, contemplating the expenditure of a fabulous sum of MONEVfor the construction of a ship canal in the State of Illi nois, and for the enlargement of the canals in the State of New York ; and whereas, the true policy of the Government, in times like the present, should be to confine its expenditures strictly to its absolute necessities, and to suspend all proposed improvements and other enterprises that are not immediately necessary in the prosecution of the war ; therefore, " Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Ohio, That we do hereby earnestly and solemnly protest against the proposed ship canal in the State of Illinois, and the enlargement bf the canals in the State of New York, or any other expenditure of money not absolutely necessary for the mainten ance of the General Government and a vigorous prosecution of the war against rebellion. " Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be, and are hereby insfructed, and our Representatives requested, to use all their power and influence against the passage of any law looking to projects of internal improvements which are not immediately necessary for a vigorous prosecution of the war to a successful conclusion. ENLARGEMENT aOF THE r CANALS. 97 " Resolved, That the Governor is hereby requested to transmit a copy of this preamble and resolutions to each of our'Senator's and Representatives in Congress, with a request that a copy of the same be laid before their respective Houses." No- 42. Further Report by Mr. Ruggles to Governor "Seymour. AlbAny, April 2d, 1863. Sir — In my report to your Excellency from Washington of the 9th of February last, I stated the defeat of the measure to en large the Illinois canal and the locks of the Erie and the Oswego canals. I also stated that it was then in contemplation by some' of the members from the Northwestern States to introduce, with out delay, into Congress, separate bills for the enlargement and improvement of the canals and rivers within their respective States, connecting Lake Michigan with the Mississippi river. Having asked 'your instructions as to the necessity of my remaining in Washingtpn to propose a separate measure in be half of the State of New York, and the matter having been left to my disdretion by your letter of the 13th of February, and see:' ing no sufficient prospect of adequate action at that late period of the session, I did not remain. , ' 7 The circumstances attending the defeat of the measure have excited a wide-spread feeling of regret, if not of indignation, throughout the country ; and it may be confidently expected that , the populous and powerful communities, already so deeply inter ested in the cheap navigation of the canals and rivers connecting the lakes with the Hudson in the East and the Mississippi in the West, will persevere, with constantly increasing energy, in press ing upon the General Government the national duty arid necessity of providing for the due enlargement • and improvement, for na tional purposes, of those canals and rivers. On the 2d of March last, ninety-eight Senators and Representa tives, members of that Congress, issued a call (which was also signed by the Hon. Edward'Bates, Attorney General of the United States) for a Convention at Chicago on the first' Tuesday in Jtirie next, of "all those interested in the enlargement of the canals between the valley of the Mississippi and the Atlantic," as being of " great national, commercial and military importance, and as tending to promote the development, prosperity and unity of our whole country." The terms of the call, a copy of Which is here-* with furnished, evidently include the canals and the1 inhabitants [Assem. No. 174. J 7 9§ REPORT <)N THE of Canada as well as those of the United States. That such was the purpose, of at least a portion of the signers, is sufficiently manifest from the joint resolutions passed by the Legislature of Illinois: pn the fourteenth of February last, avowedly in view of the then recent refusal by Congress " to aid in opening en larged facijities-for the great food-producing West," and appoint ing Commissioners to treat with the provincial authorities in Ca nada, and, if necessary, with the Home Government at London, for the ppening of adequate channels through Canadian territory, wholly avoiding tfie canals and railways of New York. In the report made to your official predecessor, on the 14th of June last (accompanied by the supplemental memorial presented, in behalf of the State of New York to Congress,) his attention, was specially invited to the serious injury to the commerce and prosperity of the State and of the nation at large, which would result from the construction of the Canadian channels in question, and particularly " the Ottawa Ship canal." It is stated that the Legislature of Wisconsin has united with that of Illinois in this measure of appealing to the Canadian au^ thorities, either by the passage of similar resolutions, or by the appointment of /Commissioners, or both. A copy of the resolu tions of the Legislature of Illinois is herewith furnished. As it is altogether probable, that these Commissioners will attend and participate in the proposed Convention, in behalf of their respec tive States, it will remain for the public authorities of New York to consider and decide hpw far, and in what manner, if at all, its interests shall also be represented on that occasion. If I might be allowed to express any opinion in the matter, I would most re spectfully suggest that the most unequivocal, emphatic and satis factory mode of manifesting the wishes and representing the interests of New York on that occasion, Would be the actual com mencement, by the State, before the meeting of the Convention, pf the work of enlarging the locks of its canals to a size ade quate to the necessities of that great interior commerce, on which our highest interests so vitally depend. It is true that under the provisions of our State Constitution for securing the punctual payment and rapid diminution of the debt incurred in constructing our canals, the pecuniary means of the State, which could be annually applied to the proposed enlarge ment pf the locks, must be comparatively small, and that with only those unajded means, from five to seven years will„ probably be ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 99 required for enlarging all of .them; but, nevertheless, the actual, visible commencement of the work "distinctly mark ing the inauguration of a liberal and enlarged policy, would do mUch to allay the excitement of our Northwestern brethren, and induce them to look at home for the means of relief, rather than seek for aid frorii a foreign Power. It would also exert a very salutary influence in disarming objections, and preventing misap prehensions in the next Congress, in respect to the cost of the work, in showing, by actual experiment in putting under contract a portion of the locks, what would be the cost of the whole. In view of any further application to Congress it "becomes important that our State authorities should distinctly under stand the causes of the defeat of the canal enlargement bill in the last Congress, that they may judge how far that defeat is to .be taken as a deliberate and final decision on the part of the government of the United States against the measure in question. In stating those causes, I have no- wish or purpose in, any way unkindly or disrespectfully, to animadvert on the con duct or motives of any of our National Representatives. I shall confine myself strictly to the evidence furnished by their officially published reports, speeches and votes. From these it unmistake- ably appears — 1. That the opposition to the measure was mainly geographi cal. Of the New England members, only three voted against it.-' From the northwestern States, only three. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee; Southern Ohio and- Southern Indiana were nearly unanimous in opposition. It is due,. however, to justice to add, that Mr. Wallace, of Pennsylvania ; Messrs. Segar and Whalley, of Virginia, and Mr. Casey, of Kentucky, in a spirit of true nationality, discarding local preju dice, voted for the bill, and that Mr. Segar ably defended it in a published speech, not orally delivered for want of time. Notwith standing the geographical opposition thus arrayed, the bill would have passed the House, if it had received the support of the six of the members of the New York delegation, who voted against it, as stated in my report of the 9th of February. 2. It was earnestly urged in debate, by members from Southern Ohio and Southern Indiana, that the measure in question was an unjust and unnatural attempt to divert into the lakes an existing commerce now enjoyed by the cities and communi ties south of New York. On this point, the following extracts 100 REPORT ON THE from the officially published speeches of Mr. Vallandigham, of; Ohio, arid Mr. Voorhees, of Indiana, are quite explicit. "Sir," said 'Mr. Vallandigham, "this bill strikes a deadlier blow at the interests of eight States and five of the principal ci ties of this Union, than any measure ever before proposed to Gongress. ' It is a proposition to take away the entire trade, and a large part of the travel of the Mississippi and that vast country beyond it, from the States of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, and to direct that trade, and that portion of travel in the direction of one single State, and for the benefit of one city alone, both already bloated with prosperity. It proposes to strike down the material interests of St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Phi ladelphia, for the benefit of New York." A member — "And Louisville." , Mr. Vallandigham-— " Yes, and. Louisville, too; and I may add Wheeling, also." At a subsequent stage of the debate, Mr. Voorhees said : •• " So far as I have any right to speak for any portion of the great West, we, for the present at least, in our present con- - dition of finance, are satisfied with the channels bf communica tion which the Almighty has created for us. We shall be satis fied to be in possession of the channel of the Mississippi river ; it is better than any of your canals. You cannot compete with What the Almighty has done, in that valley. And you cannot turn back the course of trade ; you can no more turn bagk the current of the trade of that broad and fertile agricultural region against its natural tendencies to the Gulf of Mexico, than ybu can.. turn the waters of its great river backward towards their source." In order to anticipate and weaken the force of these objections, a statistical exhibit (a copy of which is herewith furnished,) was prepared by, the undersigned from official returns and other au thentic sources, for the use of members in debate, to show the comparatively trifling amount of exports of breadstuffs and, pro visions to foreign countries from New Orleans, compared with that from New York, even in 1860, before the outbreak of the present war, while all the States had the unobstructed use of the Mississippi ; and that as a channel for carrying bread- stuffs and provisions, its commerce was almost exclusively local, and confined to what. is: commonly palled a " way business." ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 101 The exhibit also showed that the amount exported. northwardly from Cincinnati towards the lakes, in the same year, 1860, actu ally much exceeded the amount exported from the same point southwardly down the Ohio in the direction of New Orleans. Fully admitting the incalculable importance of the Mississippi as a bond of national union for the great communities in its val ley, and also its commercial value as a (channel of interchange between those communities, it was nevertheless contended that, in the world-wide problem' of feeding Europe by food-producing America, the river flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, remote from the places both of production and consumption, and through a climate unfavorable to the production of food, was not an ele ment of cardinal. importance. The all-important statistical fact, that during the last year of peace New Orleans exported to all foreign countries but 629,176 bushels of cereals of every description, and even of ham and bacOn but 890,230' pounds, while New York, in the same year, exported 9,324,022 bushels of cereals, and of ham and bacon 16,161,749 pounds>(and in 1862, cereals alone to the immense amount of 49,860,021 bushels), was adduced to show, that the highest" object of the pending measure was not 'to promote or favor any merely local commerce or local improvement, but to so enlarge the great national chain of canals, and to improve their connecting rivers and waters, as to cheapen to the utmost /the transit to the seaboard of the truly national mass of food to be sent across the Ocean. 3. The cost of the works proposed in the bill, and for which $16,846,824 was therein .proposed to be appropriated in the bonds of the United States — and especially the amount to the State of New York for enlarging the locks of its canals, and therein fixed at $3,500,000 — had been very largely exaggerated in the report made to the House by the Committee on Naval Affairs on the 8th of January last. To do them no injustice, the following extracts from their report (Congressional document, H. R., 37th Congress, 3d session, No. 4), are herewith furnished. They can hardly fail to receive due attention from our State authorities : * .. " To present clearly their view of probable costs, the Commit tee submit the following recapitulation : . "Estimated cost of enlarging the' locks of the Erie and Oswego canals $8,000,000 "Estimated cpst of enlarging the channel and locks 102 REPORT ON THE Of the CAamj/Bmcanal..,.,..,..^ 10,000,000 "Estimated cost of enlarging the Illinois and Michi gan canal, and of forming a ship and steamboat navigation from Lockport to the Missouri (Missis sippi) river 20,000,000 $38,000,000 " To which may be added, for bridges and other structures, alterations in the channels of the ex isting canals at the short curvatures, land dama ges, &c 7,000,000 $45,000,000 " If to this sum be added the cost of excavating the Erie and Oswego canals to a depth adequate to pass a gunboat drawing 6£ feet, we shall have an aggregate of not less than $50,000,000.'' No proposition for enlarging either the channel or the locks of the Champlain canal was before the House;' The report also denies the capacity of the Erie canal (and par ticularly for want of water) to pass gUnboats of 6^ feet draught, stated by Captain Ericsson to be sufficient for the defence of the -lakes. After stating that the draught of boats during the season of navigation of 1861 was limited by the Canal Board to 5^ feet, the report asserts that : " During the dry season, the drain upon the supply of water on the central portion of the canal for the use of the enlarged locks would be such as to. ren der it impracticable to maintain even this depth of water." It furthermore asserts that the existing locks have been already go far weakened by certain alterations,' "as, in all probability y to be unable to withstand the impinging of the great weight of a gunboat, such as has been described." It will at once be seen, that if these allegations even approach the truth, the fact should be precisely ascertained without delay by the State authorities, unless indeed they already are posses sed of accurate information showing them to be wholly groundless- From ^iri official connexion, during several years, with the canals of New York, the undersigned feels not only authorized, but bound to aver in answer, that the alleged amounts of $8,000,000 for "enlarging the locks of the* Erie and Oswego canals," of $1,000,000 " for bridges and other structures, alteration of chan nels, land damages, &c," and of $5,000,000 for " excavating the ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 10 3 Erie arid Oswego canals to a depth adequate to pass a gunboat drawing 6£ feeA," are not only wholly unsupported by any ade quate eviderice but are utterly extravagant, preposterous and " fa-. bulous," and will be so regarded after due examination by any competent and impartial engineer in the service of this State or pf the United States. It is not improbable that in the present inflation of prices of labor and materials some addition may b© necessary to4;he $3,500,000, estimated by Canal Auditor Benton in April last, as sufficient for the purpose, but that amount cer-i tainly need not be increased beyond five millions at the utmost, unless some needlessly expensive mode of constructing the locks should be adopted. With the judicious economy practiced by the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company in enlarging its locks, several years since, to the present dimensions of 24 feet wide and 220 feet long, the cost would very little, if at all, exceed the $3,500,000 proposed in Congress. The locks of the Delaware and Raritan canal which were thus . enlarged, are fourteen in number, with an average lift of eight feet each, and now permit the constant and easy passage of steam propellers of 500 tons burthen. They were all enlarged in a single season, during the suspension of navigation from December to April. One of the principal proprietors of that canal, Mr. Stevens, of Hobbken, has recently stated to the undersigned that during the present war, the United States gunboat " Naugatuck," with her shot, shell, armament and stores on board, drawing 6£ feet of water, passed through the canal, (which is 43 miles long), and its fourteen locks, in eleven hours. In respect to the allegations of the report in question as to the want of sufficient depth and of an adequate supply of water in the Erie canal, and as to the danger from the impinging of the great weight of a gunboat, the undersigned thought it sufficient to pro cure from Mr. E. Bennett, an engineer of intelligence, experience and integrity, and a Resident Engineer, for several years, on the Erie canal Enlargement, and then at Washington, a letter for the information of Congress, clearly showing the alleged want of depth to have been only temporary, and that a full supply of water, if any increase should be required, could readily be obtained — and simply stating that a gunboat could displace only its own weight in water. A oopy of the letter is furnished here with. In point of fact, the "least depth" of wateu, in the. season of 104 REPORT ON THE 1862, (as officially certified by the Hon. W. B. Taylor, State Engineer and Surveyor, from the monthly returns), in the Central or •' Middle Divsion" of the Erie canal, which has comparatively the smallest supply of water, was six feet and eleven inches. He further states, that an abundant additional supply can be ob tained, if required, by additional feeders, at a cost of $300,000, and further that " those large supplies will provide for the high est possible trade of the Erie canal, with the enlarged locks, and cover all contingencies." The undersigned finds it necessary thus to deny and rebut the assertions of the Report in question, because of their power for mischief, in emanating officially from a standing Committee of Congress. The interests of the State of New York imperatively demand that assertions, so injurious to the character of its great channel of trade, should not stand on record uncontradict ed ; and especially in view of any future proposition to the General Government. The State authorities would do well to request from the President of the United States, or any officer urider his authority competent to the duty, such a thorough scrutiny of these assertions as will effectually prevent their repetition. Their mischievous effects were fully perceived in the vote on the final passage of the bill on the 9th of February. After the debate had actually commenced, Mr. Holman, of Indiana, who had ac tively opposed the measure, stated that resolutions had been recently passed by the Legislature of Ohio, and which, at his request, were then read to the House, protesting against the ex penditure, by the General Government, of the "fabulous sum of money " required to construct the works proposed in the bill in question. He also stated that similar resolutions had been pass ed by the' Legislature of Indiana. The production of the- resolu tions, a copy of which is herewith furnished, operated at once to compel or induce several members of the House, who, up to that time, had supported the bill, to vote against it. The undersigned does not deem it necessary on this occasion to classify geographically or otherwise, the individual members respectively voting in the affirmative or the negative. They will sufficiently appear in the official publications of the proceedings of Congress. But in justice to some of the members from the S tate of New York, whose names do not appear on the record, it is proper and necessary to add, that they were cordially, and some of them actively in favor of the bill, but having been pre- ENLARGEMENT OF THE CANALS. 105 vented by illness and other unavoidable causes from attendance in the House, had " paired off" with members avowedly opposed to its passage. Such was the case with Mr- Corning, Mr. Vib- bard, Mr. Delaplaine, Mr. Steele, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. McKean, and Mr. Duell, all of whom, if present, would have voted for the bill, and one of whom, Mr; Pomeroy, had previously supported it in a speech of eminent ability. The principal burthen of the debate, in behalf of the State, on the final passage of the bill, 'devolved on Mr. Olin, acting chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, who sustained himself and the great interests committed to his charge, with remarkable energy and spirit, in the face of violent personal oppo sition, which became at times quite abusive. Mr. Dawes, of Mas sachusetts, briefly but ably addressed the House on the national importance of the measure in strengthening the bonds of political union between the East and the West. The peculiar claims and necessities of the Northwestern Stafes were vindicated in the debate with dignity, fidelity and force by Messrs. Arnold, Wash burn and Kellogg, of Illinois. i A full and authentic republication, not only of this debate, but of al) the previous proceedings, reports, debates and votes in the last Congress, on this great and beneficent measure for providing adequate channels for the defence, the commerce, and the Con tinued unity of our common country, while 'it would do justice alike to friends and enemies, would furnish a chapter of no little in terest and importance in the history of the struggle of the last fifty years to improve the internal navigation of the State of New York and of- the American Union. With high regard, Respectfully, your obedient servant, SAMUEL B. RUGGLES. To His Excellency, Horatio Seymour, Governor, Sfc, fyc, fyc. Albany, April 3, 1863. [Assem. No. 174.] I /