Mr. DRIGGS. Mr. Speaker, the bill reported appropriates 200,000 acres of land to aid in the construction of a ship canal to connect Portage Lake with Lake Superior at the base of Keweenaw Point, in the State of 1Michigan, and provide a harbor of refuge at that exposed and dangerous point of navigation. The canal is to be 100 feet wide, 13 feet deep, and 2 miles and 600 feet lon, with a capacious harbor at its juncture with ake Superior. The construction of these works will save nearly 300 miles of the most dangerous navigation on the western lakes, around ewee naw Point, to every vessel making the round trip to the copper mines or to other points on the head waters of Lake Superior; a glance at the map will satisfy any person of this fact. It is an improvement, as a I must admit, 2nd to no other in importance to the commerce of the‘ northwestern lakes, especially to that of lake Superior, and demanded b all interested in it, for the greater security 0 life and property, the increased facility for expedition, and the reduction of cost in transporting the mineral and agricultural products of the vast country upon its borders and beyond which must have an outlet through that greatest of all inland seas to the East and the Atlantic. T he. national importance of this improvement for it is by no means a local or State work in its character or benefits to be derived from it may be judged from the fact that 8 States bordering on the western lakes and other States east of them are largely interested in the extensive commerce of those lakes. The Legislature of the State of NewYork has, by JtResolutions, recommended the passage of the measure by Cengress, and re uested its Sens&Reps, in 31s language of these resolutions “To further, by their best efforts and by all in dicious means, its adoption, because it will tend greatly to promotethe commercialinterests of that State. The Legislature of Wisconsin has pressed this measure upon its Sens&Reps by concurrent resolutions; and it Will be seen from her geographical position that that State is prompted by a deep interest in the work. The State of Minnesota, b the adoption of Jtresolutions by its 2 Inst Legislatures, as petitioned Congress for this measure, and urged upon its Sens&Reps their energetic influence to secure the construction of the proosed canal and harbor by the passage of this bill. The State of Michigan, within which the proposed improvements are located, and to the authorities of which their construction is necessarily confided, takes an interest in them commensnrate with their national importance, although not more directly interested in them than several of her sistei States, East or West. The Legislature of that State, atits last session, by JtResolution has urged the adoption of the measure, and “requested its Sens&Reps to use their best endeavors to secure its passage through this Congress.” The present able Executive of Michigan, H. H. 8rapo, under whose special supervision and direction the canal and harbor are to be constructed, after having made personal examination of the location and work to be done, accompanied by a corps of engineers, and had the necessary surve s and estimates made, and decided upo ithis p an of construction, moved by the importance of the works, not only addressed an appeal to the Sens&Reps from Michigan in behalf of this measure, but afterward came to Washington and called the Michigan delegation together to press upon them, not only the importance of the wor rs, but the justice of the appropriation asked for by the bill under consideration. The city of Chicago, deeply interested as that greatest city in the Northwest is in everything affecting the commerce of the lakes and always foremost in active interest to promote it, took early occasion to manifest her lively appreciation of the importance and necessity of the proposed canal and harbor. Petitions signed y all her most prominent and energetic citizens and firms, embracing her principal ship owners, merchants, audothers interested in the commerce of the lakes, have been referred to your committee, asking the passage of this measure. The Board of Trade of that city has also petitioned for it and urged its passage. What has been said of Chicago is also true of all the other cities on the western lakes. The Boards of Trade and business men and firms of Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buf falo, Toledo, Green Bay, and Pittsburg have all urged the passage of this measure by congress. The petitioners for this measure represent a capital invested and a tonnage of shipping employed in the commerce of Lake Superior and connecting lakes very much larger than any other in the world engaged in inland commerce. And the aid of Congress was never asked to a more meritorious measure, as nothing of the kind was ever more generally or more strongly urged or demanded by the necessities of a very large and rapidly growing commerce. The bill before the House, after havingbeen unanimously reported to the Senate by the ComCommerce, was referred to the ComPubLands in that body, which committee unanimously reported it back to the Senate and recommended its passage, and it was passed by the Senate without opposition. At the last session of Congress an appropriation of 200,000 acres of land was made for this improvement. This was not the amount then asked forit. In the judgment of the Governor of Michigan, then expressed, more than twice that amountwould be required. Subsequent investigations prove that the governor was right. But owing to the ress of business on Congress, and the fact t iat no survey or accurate estimate of the cost of the works had then been made, the member on the committee from that State deemed it rudent to ask only the appropriation then am c. From the engineer's report and estimate of the cost of the works, and the letter of Governor Crapo, laid before the ComPubLands, it is ascertained that the canal and harbor will cost more than twice the sum estimated before any ual survey was made. This additional expe, over all former estimates, is owing to the more extensive character of the works than originally contemplated. It is found necessary, from the peculiar character of the soil through which the canal is to be made, and the great strength of the work constituting the bar bor on Lake Superior, made necessary by its exposure to the action of the lake, to adopt plans settled upon by the Governor entirely different and far more expensive than originally contemplated. These lans require that both banks of the canal sha l be made a continuous dock, by close piling, sheet piling, and counter piling, or by other snllicient walls, from Lake Superior to Portage Lake, and that the harbor on Lake Superior shall be of a capacity, permanency, an construction to be accessible in any stress ofweather to vessels on Lake Superior. The specifications for all this work has been laid before your committee by Governor Cra o. By an act of the Legislature of Mic iigan, approved March 18, 1865, entitled “An act to accept a grant of lapd by congress to aid in a the construction of a ship cane and harbor at the head of Portage lake to connect with Lake Superior, and to provide for the construction of the same, ” the State of Michigan “accepted” the grant “with the restrictions and conditions contained in said act of Congress." Section 2 of said State law confers said grant upon the Portage Lake and Lake Superior Ship Canal Company, as follows: “ For the purpose of carrying out the objectofsaid congressionalact, the lands hereby rantedand conferred upon the Portage Lake an Lake Superior Ship Canal Company, (a company organized under and byvirtue of the laws of this state,)subjcct to all the conditions, restrictions, and obligations thereinmentioned: And rovillcrl.That none of said lands shall be sold or otiierwisedisposedof, except for the purpose of hypo the cation, until said canal and bar or shall becompletedand accepted.as hereinafter specified." Under this State law, the surveys, estimates, &c., have been made and the plans adepted required by the former act of Congress referred to. The works have been commenced, by the company to whom the State conferred the grant, and several 1,000 dollars expended thereon. But the plans adopted by the Governor of Michigan exceed so much the previously estimated cost that the company, acting under the advise and recommendation of the State authorities of Michigan, and sustained by many of the etitions eretofore referred to, ap cal to on ress for the additional aid roviged for b the bill before the House. The comub lic Lands, after thorou hly investiating the subject, have unanimous y come to the conclusion and direct me to report: 1. That the proposbd canal and harbor are of great national importance to our inland commerce, 2nd on y in point of necessity, to the Sault Ste. Marie canal. They will give to the Govbrnment and country one of the most extensive and secure harbors in the world, entirely land locked, and ca able of holding more than all the vessels on he western lakes. The importance of this will be seen from the fact that, for a distance of some 200 miles of rock bound coast, from Bayficld to the extreme end of Keweenaw Point, there is not a harbor for a vessel to take shelter in. The interests of commerce demand this improvement, and if it is not provided for as this bill contemplates, an appropriation of money will soon he demanded to make it, to relieve commerce from the most dangerous navigation on the lakes, around the rocky promontory of Keweenaw Point. 2. Since the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie canal now about ten years the navigation interest has grown up on Lake Superior from one steamboat and 2 little schooners to 200 sail vessels and 27 steam ships. The copperand iron interest, then butlit tle developed, new yields to the national wealth a product of full $10,000,000 annually. To construct the Sault Ste. Marie canal Congress appropriated 750,000 acres of land. Experience has shown that to have been one of the wisest appropriations Congress ever made. The State engineer, in his report on the proposed Portage Lake canal and harbor the measure now before the House uses the following language: “The StMary’s Canal company had 750,000 acres of and given it. building for that canal. many of them as good mineral lands as there are on the whole range. The extent of this work [the Port 0 Lake canal and harbor] is zreater than the Stary’g canal, and its impor l i times, as one link in the chain of public works for the Northwest musteventually be as great." Itwill be remembered that the StMary’s canal cost $1, 150,000. 3. The construction of the proposed canal and harbor will not only give an impetus to the development of the mineral resources of Lake Superior, but the agricultural, commercial, and railroad interests of Minnesota and Wisconsin, centering on Lake Superior, will be reatly promoted. Nor will these States, surf others bordering on the great lakes, be the only States benefited by it. NewYork, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, RlidIsland, and Connecticut are very largely interested in both the mining and transportation business of that section, the citizens of some of those States owning larger interests in the mines and in the vessels employed in the commerce of the lakes than any State bordering on those lakes all of which are to be benefited by it. 4. if or these reasons, the committee unanimously recommend the passage of the bill before the House. The bill, was ordered to be read a3rd time and itawas accordingly read the 3rd time and asse. p