Mr. INGERSOLL. Not an instant; not an instant. I should be glad to, but my time is too precious. Now, if we build this Niagara ship canal we will have it as an offset against the BllllSll power in the use of the Welland canal and if war shall occur between this country and GreatBritain they will at once proceed to build their gunboats on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and move them with the greatest facilit from one lake to the other, as necessity should require, through the Welland canal, which won d be close against us. Give us this Niagara ship canal, and we could go to work in our ship yards, in case of war, along the entire lake shores from Ogdensburg to. Chicago, and build a fleet of war vessels which we could move with equal facilit through our own canal and thus be prepare to defend ourselves in a manner which would be impossible at present. Thus, in a militar point of view, this canal is indispensableto the Government and I say here that no civilized Government on the face of the earth, with such a chain of lakes within her borders, and with a foreign Power on her frontier, would have existed ten years without connecting those lakes by a ship canal and yet we have existed for 80 years without such a canal, though our fathers showed their appreciation of its importance, not only in commercial, but also in a Military point of view, by urging upon Congress the necessity of the work. Let us at once perform this work, which is so much neede by the commercial, the manufacturing, and the agricultural interests of the country, and which is so necessary for the common defense of the whole country. Let us look for a moment at the nature of the work, and see whether its magnitude is such as should deter us from entering upon it. This bill provides for the expenditure of but $6,000,000, and that, too, in the shape of a loan, and that not in money, but in bonds to be repaid to the Government out of the earnings of the canal. 10%. annually of the net earnings of the canal are to be returned to the Treasury of the U.S. That is all this bill provides; and who is it who will say that that is not an outlay of credit that will pay the greatest rate of interest the Government ever received? In a few years every dollar would be repaid to the Government. We have looked upon the Chinese as a sort of semi heathen people, never as a commercial people. But they have within their borders a continuous canal communication of over 1000 miles in extent. The Government of France, under the reign of Louis XIV, built the Languedoc canal, connecting the Bay of Bise ay with the Mediterranean, rising ton sum mit level of 600 feet above the sea; a work perfectly stupendous in comparison with this. In Holland we have an example of national energy and commercial enterprise looking to the welfare of the people that it would be well to follow. They uilt, more than 40 years ago, a canal from Amsterdam to the Hel der, 51 miles in length, 125 feet wide at the water level, 20 feet deep, with an average width at the bottom of 31 feet, in order that the commerce of Holland and the world might avoid the dangers of the coast navigation. GreatBritain on our own continent has set an example worth of imitation in building the lValland canal another canals in Canada for the benefit of commerce, and for the protection of her dominions in time of war. he Caledonian canal is another great work built by the British Government in Seotland. It rises to the summit level over the rocky highlands of Scotland to an elevation of nearly 100 feet. It is a ship canal with 20 feet depth of water and with an average breadth of 120 feet. This was constructed to avoid the dangers of the Pentland firth and the Western islands. These are some of the works that other nations have performed, where their interest was as nothing compared with our interest in this great project. either in a commercial or a Military point of view. The Gentfrom NewYork [Mia J. M. Hunriinsr] tells us that the tnritl and tolls on the Erie canal have been wonderfully reduced. Why, sir, the Erie canal was completed in 1825. When did the 1st reduction take place? Justv about the time of the completion of the Welland canal, ten years later. That was madet some extent a competing canal, by virtue o treaties between this country and GreatBritain. The NewYork Central railroad was completed in about the year 1840. That was another competing line. Other railroads sprung u over the country, connecting the East with the Vest and in consequence of the competition creat by these various lines of transportation the Erie Canal Company found it necessar for their business that the should reduce 1; air tariffs and their tolls. adnot these competing lines been built there would have been no reduction, or next to none, either in tolls or in fluids to the present day. the Erie canal has been of incalenlable benefit to the country. Had that canal never been constructed we would, in all probability. have had no magnificent West to dny. It opened, as by the power of magic, the way for enterprising emigrants to settle the West, and they were not slow to take advantage of it; and since the completion of that canal in 1825, the West may date the day of her onward march of prosperity and greatness. But the West needs today another canal, and further and greater facilities of transportation, more than s e ever did the Erie canal; for unless these needed facilities of transportation be extended, the West will find herself worse off than though her population were less than half of what it now is and her agricultural products reduced in the same proportion, for we must have cheaperrates of reight for the transportation of our western pronets, or the industry of the West will be paralyzed. There will be no stimulus for agriculture, for the products of the farmer will not pay transportation to market. This state of things cannot last long. The West demands additional facilities of transportation. She will have them. If she cannot get aid from the Government, she will build the necer sary works herself and in order to perpetuate and romote a good feeling between the East and ) the West, and continue in that pros perity which has made the country rejoice, it will be the work of wisdom for the eastern and middle States to resond favorably to this demand of the West, or these States will be as much benefited as will the western States themselves. Now, sir, in the early history of the Government, even John C. Calhoun, when he was SecyWar, was in favor of this system, not of internallimprovements, as some may be disposed to call them, but this system of national works, as necessary to provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the U.S. Hear what he said in 1824, when SecyWar: “Let us bind the Republic together let nse onquer spaceby a perfectsystemof roads and canals." These are precious words; they were uttered by Mr. Calhoun before hehad become tinctured with secessionism or nullification, and I repeat them here toda to his credit. Happy would it have been for imand for the country had he never uttered any sentiments at war with these. Why, sir, had the Government of the U.S., prior to the wan of 1812, built a great nationalproad from here to Detroit, would Iull have made his ignominious surrender? No, sir; because we would have had the means of transporting men, cannon, and other munitions of war for the national defense in sufficient numbers and quantity to have prevented that deplorable event. It was estimated in the last war that a single cannon taken from our found ries in the East to Detroit cost its weight in silver to get it there. Yet this state of things WW1 the 01d fogies of ages past, though yet living, would continue if they be permitted to control the legislation of the conntr. Let us avoid the errors ofy the past. Let us “in peace prepare for war.” If war should come, and it ina be not far distant, you will then say, “ What a pity it is that we did not build the Niagara ship canal when we were at peace.” Then it will be too late; now is the time for action. Now, sir, with regard to the commercial importance of this measure to the country, East and West, no language is adequate to do the subject justice. Wiy, sir, it is estimated that by this great work the cost of transportation on every bushel of grain will be reduced ten cents at least from Chicago to NewYork and Boston. Consequently, it will be ten cents increase to the producer and ten cents reduction to the purehaser. then, we transport 100 million bushels of grain perannum, which, in a few years, will be but half the actual amount transported from the Northwest. There you have $10,000,000 saved to the producer, and $10,000,000 saved to the consumer. As the honorable Gentfrom Connecticut [Mr. Bussneosn] remarked, “ the edectwill be to make a loafof bread in Connecticut twice as large and cost but half as much as at present, " not that the hundred million bushels will all go through this canal; but the construction of this work will have the effect to reduce freight on railroads and other lines of transportation to that extent if not more. By this means we shall enhance the value of western and eastern industry more than 20 million dollars perannum, a sum exceeding more than 3 times the amount proposed to be loaned by this bill, in the shape of Government bonds, for the buildin of this great national work. Sir, T have here statistical tables sh0wing the immense advantages of this work, es e cially to the agricultural interest of the 11 est and to the whole country generally. Why, sir. Illinois, during the last year, notwithstanding she fiiriiislie a quarter ofamillion men for the Army for the preservation of the republic, raised 177 million bushels of corn. That noble State raises one 4th of the entire corn product of the U.S., one 5th of the wheat, and one 7th of the cats and sends to the NewYork market more beef cattle than all the other States together. But I will draw no invidious comparisons between Illinois and the other northwestern States. In proportion to their population and arable lands they do equally as well. I will now give the House some statistics which will be instructive in estimatin the importance of this work, and which Will be of interest to the whole country. I read now from the report of Hon. W. J. McAlpine, late State engineer of the State of NewYork, in his report to the Legislature of that State in tihe year 1855. These are conceded to be reliable ata: Cost of transportation perton permile is: Mills. O"n the Ocean, one voyage. “ “ short voyage. Lakes, long “ “ short Misssisnippi i carn. d. S. t. Erie canal (enlarged) " “ Ordinary ennals. Railroads (ordina Now, the distance by the lake from Butlnlo is 1000 milesand the actual cost of transporting a ton of freight. according to the estimateof Mr. McAlpine , is 2 mills perton permile or For a ton offreight fromChicago to Butfalo. $200 Thodistance from ButlalotoTroy. is345miles. which. at 4 mills porton permile. makes the cost of transporting a ton from Buf fulo to Troy. 1 38 Add canal tolls, at 3 mills per1000 pounds.permile. 2 07 Cost of transportation or ton.on the lludson, at.two and a half mil s permile. 37.5 Making the whole cast.including canal tolls. oftransporting n.ton of wheat or llour from Chicago to NewYork. via Bulliilo and the Eric canal 35 82.5 Cost via the Niagara ship canal and Lake Ontario: The distance from Chiciiizoto Oswcgo, via the proposed shiciinal. would be 1180 mi cs, which. at 2 mills perton permile. would be. 8236the distancefrom Oswcgoto Troy. by c n:i l is 187 inilos, whlch. at 4 mills erton permile. for transportation, would c. 74.5 Add canal toIs. at 3 mills per 1,000 poundspermile, on wheator flour. 2.2 Freight on Hudson river at 2 and a half mills or ten permile. 37.5 A d Niagara ship canal expenses, perton. 2) Making the cost of transporting a ton ofwheat or flour from Chicago to NewYork. via the proposedship canal and Lake Ontario. $4 80.2 In 1860the whole number of acresof improved land in all the Statesand Territories was. 63., Of this Minnesota. Or a fraction lessthan one 6th. The total value of crops for 1804 is estimatedby the Agricultural Bureau of the Dept of the Interior to have boom. $l.56. 90 Of this sum Illinois produced Wisconsin. Missouri Or more than one 4th of the value of the entire crops of the country. But these estimatesof value are the estimatedvalue of the various productsin the Status wh5re produced. In this way the value of articles in the above Statesup carsto a great disadvantage because being so far from market. they are rated muchlessthan the same articlciI in other states. especially those near the sea board. The samejstrus of the estimated value of the live stock. which. on the 1st of January, 1865, was. "$990, 879, 128 Of this Illinois had. MissouriIowa. MWiinsncoensositna. 273561.730 Or ine rethan one4th. A.iusterstandard by which to measurethe productivenessof those states would be acouipnrison of the amount of their respective products.since the valucis solargely admitted by the distancefrom market. "The rent staplesof agriculture are wheat, corn. beef and pork. Comparing these, we find that the total number of bushels of wheat produced in all the States and Territories in 1864(except the cotton States, whose production was almost nominal. probably not more than one 6th of what it was in 1860). Illinois produced. 33371173 Missouri. If sIzsifsii Wisconsin 14 66, 105, 786 Or a fraction lessthan one half. The total number of bushels of corn produced was Illinois produced. issonri. Wisconsin Mnin wneas. o. t.a. Or nearly one half. The whole number of cattle and oxon 1865.was Illinois MissouriJanuary 1, 7.072.591 Wise onsi Iowa. ", Minnesota. i, 2.5. 9T9 13.070.887 Or more than 1/3rd. The total number of hogswas. Illinois had. issoiiri. Wisconsin Iowa. Minnesota. Or more than 1/3rd. The entire population of the U.S. in 1860 was. 3. 322 Wisconsin 4.516.880 Or“about one7th. Thus it will beseenthat these 5 States, possessing only one 7th of all the population and one 6th O all the improved land. neverthelessin 1864 produced morethan one 4th i iivalue of the on tirs crop. more than one 4th in value of all the live stock.morethan 1/3rd in number of all the cattle and hogs and nearly 1/2 of all the wheat and corn grown in the U.S. Here we find 4 and one halfmillions ofagrit uliurisis along the upperMississippi producing in a single year from loenaeditnhgird to oncv ialf of all the production of the stii les of an estimatedvaliiiof $077, 050.21H. "In the several years 1861.1862, and 1863, the U.S. exported 89.941.50b8ushelsof wheat and 6.997.47boarrels of flour. valued at $148, 673, 907D.uring those same6yearswe shipped from the lake ports named 85, 577.51bushels of wheat and 7, 530, 69b3ar rels of flour. Reduce the flour to bushels and we have as the entire exports of wheat from the U.S. for the 3 years.124, 828, 902 bushels. Ship ments from the lake portsnamedfor the 3 years, 1Z3.231.9b8u1shels. The contributions. therefore. made by Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota.tothe exIplloinrotsiso, the U.S. in these 3 leading agricultural staplesalone, are as follows: 18661. 1861 62. 1862 63. Wheat. Corn and meal Pork products. Total “ Excluding gold. silver and bullion. which are hardly analogous to other products, and the entire exports of domestic products of the U.S. amounted in 18061to $217, 606.93:in 1861 62to 1862 6t3o $200, 666, 110. “The averageex orts of the country for the 3 years was $222, 874, 10333 and the average exports which these 5 States contributed in wheat. corn, and pork alone.was868.575.56686 or very nearly one thir." Thus it will be seen what the West has done in her giant strides within the past few years, and he who is possessed of a brilliant, volatile imagination may have some conception ofwhat the capacit, the power, and the glory of this country will be a uarter of a century hence. We are apt to thin too much of the present and not enough of the future. We le "slate too much for this present and not enoug i with reference to the future. The wisest and most far seeing man of 25 years ago did not. even dream of the realities of the present day; and then shall this country a quarter of a cen tury hence say the same of us with reference to our present legislation? Let us try to comprehend the vast resources of the country and the power of its people under favorable circumstances, to build up a republic which shall be the controlling Power of the world in an agricultural, manufacturing, and mechanical point of view. We have the richest lands and the richest mines, the mightiest rivers and the greatest lakes on the face of the earth, and if we but make a properuse of the mighty and inexhaustible means in our hands, we will he one day, and that not far distant, the greatest, wealthiest, most intelligent, and happiest people that ever existed. Now, the State of Illinois alone numbers 2, 250,000 people, and the group of States known as the northwestern States more than 10,000,000 people. 40 years ago they all did not contain more than 1,000,000 souls. lhen Chicago was known as an Indian trading post; now it contains a population of nearly a quarter of a million and is the greatest grain, lumber, and pork market on the globe. Why, sir, since that day a republicaii empire has sprung into existence. which contains within itself more elements of strength and greatness than any empire in the Old World, with perhaps the single excetion of the Russian empire. We have a ready astonished the world, and if we continue to increase in the present ratio of prosperity, wctwill not only astonish but amaze the world. Who can with certainty predict the future greatness and glory of the Republic, when it is ascertained with mathematical accuracy that according to the present ratio of increase of the population of the U.S., in 1870 we m1number 42,000,000 people; in 1880, 50,000,000; in 1800, 77,000,000; and in the year 1900, 100,000,000. Sir, if the country is not cramped by the beggarly parsimony of narrow minded and short sighted men, it is safe to assume that the increase of her agricultural and mechanical products will increase in the same ratio as her population. How totally inadequate, then, Will be the facilities of transportation of the western products, with a population of 50,000,000, when all the lines of transportation are inadequate to carry 03 the surplus produce of 10,000,000 people today. T iink of it for a moment, and reflect upon the astounding fact, that but a few years ago this great Northwest was but one vast wilderness! Washington, the Father of his Country, when Illinbis was inhabited by the wild sava, when the entire Northwest was marked on the map to a great extent as a region unknown, had a deep appreciation of the future grandeur and glory of our country. Speaking of the western country, 80 years and more ago, he used th"is language: For my own part. I wish sincerely that eve door to that country may be thrown wide open anYcommercial intercoursewith it rendered as free and easy as possible. This is in my opinion the bestifnot the on y cementthat can bind these peopleto us for any length of time and we shall bedeficient in foresilht and wisdom if we neglect the meansof effectingit. Our interest is somuch in unison with this measure that nothing short of that misjudged parsimony and contracted way of thinking which intermingles so much in our public councils can counteractit." It is said to be unconstitutional for the government to construct a work of this character. I have no time to enter into an elaborate constitutional argument on this question, but I must say a few words. The Constitution de clares that Congress shall have power, 1st, to establish PostOffices; 2nd, to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the States and with the Indian tribes; t ird, to raise and support armies and provide for the common defense; and 4th, to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper to carry into execution the foregoing powers. If the power of Congress could be questioned under the 1st and 2nd powers above quoted, how could it be questioned under the 3rd, which declares that Congress shall have power to raise and support armies and provide for the common defense? Congress can provide for the common defense without either an army or navy, and consequently may neither raise an army nor build a nav, and yet it may provide for the common defiznse by other means. If it is necessary to provide for the common defense of the country to build a fort, then it is constitutional to build a fort. If it is necessary to provide for the common de fense that we should have cannon and cannon balls, then it would be constitutional for congress to establish a cannon foundery wherein to cast guns; so we might establish a dozen or a hundered founderies, and so we might work the iron ore bed to get the material wherewith to cast the cannon. It is a question, in the 1st place. of necessity, and in the 2nd place a question of means. The extent of the necessity is not measured in the Constitution, and the character of the means is not specified. Under this power in the constitution we have establishe arsenals, dock yards, navy yards, military academies, naval academics, and done man other things to provide for the common de ense of the country. Under this poweafle educate men in military schools and pay for their education out of the public treasury. Congress is to judge of what is necessary to provide for the common defense, and Congress is also to select the means whereby the country is to be defended. If a ship is necessary we build it; if a fort is necessary we build it; if an arsenal is necessary we build it; and if Congress determined that a ship canal is necessary to the common defense, it on ht to be built, and unless Congress provided or the building of that canal it would e derelict in its dot to the country. Iyhe SecyWar, in 1824, made use of the following language in his report: "Many of the roads and canals which have been suggested are, no doubt. of the 1st importance to the commerce.the agriculture and the manufactures and the political prosperityof the country, but arenot for that reason less useful or necessary for military purposes. It is. in fact. oneof the great advantages eiour country. cmoyliizso many others, that whether we regard its internal improvement in relation to milltary. civil, or political purposes, very nearly the samesystem, in all its parts is required. The road or canal can scarcely be designnted whichisnot highly usofnlforniilitary operations. and whit hisnot equally required for the industry or political prosperity of the country." It gives no weight to the argument against the constitutionalit of this bill to declare that the chieffeature of the work is in its commercial value to the country. No matter how ben eficial it may be in a commercial point of view if it is also in a military point of view a necessary means of defense to the country, then it is constitutional for Congress to make the appropriation for the construction of such wor. I will simply add in this connection, that the Constitution, in section 8 of article 1, in addition to the powers already referred to, provides that Congress shall have power to provide for the general welfare of the U.S. tates. This is a very broad and comprehensive power, and might, if needed, be quoted as a justification of the constitutional power of Congress to pass this bill, for if there be anyone enterprise which is calculated to promote the general welfare of the U.S., it is an enterprise which involves an increase of the facilities of transportation from the great West to the great East. But we are not driven to this stress to defend this bill under the Constitution. We have a complete vindication, so far as the constitutional power of Congress is concerned, in that clause of the Constitution which declares that Congress shall have power to provide for the common defense. I should have little regard for the talent or the honesty of a man who should contend that a shipeanal around the falls of Niagara, connecting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, is not necessary for the common defense of the country. That great man Albert Gallatin, as long ago as“1808, in his celebrated report said: The O ening of an inland navigation from tide watertot O rest lakes would immediately give to the great ha y of lands bordering on those lakes as great value as though they Were situated ntudistanopgf 100 miles by land from the sea. coas. He appreciated the importance of this work, and urged with great earnestness and ability a plan upon Congress for its construction. The most enlightened and comprehensive statesmen of our country have from the ear liest period of our Government been in favor of extending aid by the General Government in the construction of this great work, and they never were at a loss to defend the constitutionality of their views in the comprehensive language of the Constitution itself. congress is the only power under the constitution authorized to Judge and determine as to the necessity of the measure in providing for the defense of the country, and it is also the only power which has the constitutional right to determine what means shall be made use of to secure that protection except in time of war. Here the hammer fell.]