Mr. COWAN. Mr. Speaker, this question was so fully discussed in the House during the last Congress that I do not eirpect that anything that I can saywill shed any new light upon it; and yet, as it is a question of so much interest to the people of my own State, in common with those of other western agricultural States, I have been forced to consider it with care, and I wish to submit a very few suggestions upon it to the House. The proposed work is shown to be racticable. The report of Captain William I. Williams, of the U.S. En incer corps, House Document 214, 2gl4th congress, 1st session, made by an officer of high professional attainments, demonstrates the practicability of the enterprise. The cost is small. The report of the engi neer fixes it at from 3 and ahalf to 5 millions, according to the route chosen. The increase in the price of labor and material since the report was mades make it necessary to increase this estimate somewhat, and accordingly the sum is now fixed at $0,000,000. Can the loan of the credit of the Government be constitutionally and properly given to this work as awork O military necessity? We have been called upon at this session to appropriate very large sums of money for the erection and repair of fortifications along our Atlantic sea board, and to some extent upon the lakes. I do not question the propriety of such appropriations, and I think that it can be demonstrated that the principle which would justify them would justify the passage of this bill. 10 illus trate this: we very properly appropriate a sum of money to repair and garnson a fort at Oswego, for instance. Now this is wholly for the defense of that city and harbor, and is wholly unnecessary except in case of hostilities with GreatBritain no other enemy could ever reach that point and the appropriation is made. But in the event of hostilities with GreatBritain or her American 110endencies this ship canal would be a thousanfold more availablpefor the defense of the country than Fort Ontario. We have nearly or quite 3000 miles of lake coast. The whole line of this coast is studded with flourishing cities, the marts of business and the avenues of commerce. We have upon the lakes some 4000 vessels. An enem in command of the lakes could do us more injury than would result from the reduction of anyone place in the country. The whole trade and commerce carried on in the 4000 vessels of the lakes would be at the mercy of an enemy who could place a superior force upon their waters. The damage that would result to the business interests of all parts of the country in such an event can scarcely be calculated. By treaty with England we are prohibited from maintaining upon the lakes more than a single vessel of war, to be armed with a single gun; and we have no war vessels upon Iiiike Ontario or the StLawrence. It is true that the British Government is also limited to a single war vessel, but it has facilities within its own territory for the concentration of fleets and material of war upon the lakes. The Canadian canals are so constructed astobe available for this purpose. The British government is prepared, in the event of war, to assert an entire supremacy upon the lakes, for she can send the necessary naval force from the StLawrence to do so; while we have not a naval station on the lakes where a single vessel could be promptl fitted out, nor a fortification that could withstands modern iron clad vessel. What vast public and private interests are thus left defenseless. Surely the constitutional right to erect a fortification anywhere is notplainerthan is theright toconstructupon our side a canal through which vessels of war can be transported from the upperto the lower lakes or from the Mississippi to Lake Ontario. But the oint to which I respectfully and ear nestly asst the attention of the House is this: the work is essential to us of the West to enableus to bear the burdens which have been laid upon us in the shape of taxation. direct and indirect. We are an agricultural people. In the State of Illinois we have but one commercial city, properly socalled. The great leading interest of the State is the agricultural interest. We produce an immense surplus of food, which must find its way to the eastern markets. It is the only commodity which we have to exchan e for the manufactures of NewEngland; for the coal, iron, and oil of Pennsylvania. The facilities of transportation are wholly inadequate. We have a magnificent water communication between Chicago and Bulialo, sufficient for the transportation of any amount of the products of the West, but at Buffalo our tron les begin. There is a barrier. which we cannotpass. The amount of freight offering for shipment from Buffalo eastwar is so great during the season of navigation that the QWners o bouts can and do demand and receive almost any amount of freight they choose to ask., I ask attention to one fact which I will state and which will show the interest which our people have in this shipeanal. There are 5 routes by water and by rail from Chicago to the sea board, and yet the demand for transportation last fall was so eat, such vast quanti IltS of agricultural proacts were waiting to go forward, more than all the lines could transport, that the price of transportation from Chicago to the sea board was fixed by the dearest route of all, and flour or pork or beef could be as cheaply transported by Fort Wayne and Pitts burg and over the mountains of Pennsylvania, as by the great water route. The price of our agricultural staples is almost wholly consumed in gettin to a market. I know that men answer this appeal by saying, establish manufactures among yourselves and consume your agricultural products at home. This is easy to say, and I trust may one day be accomplished, but it is not presently practicable. Our soil, the cheapest and most productive in the world invites to agriculture. We have not the capital at command to establish manufactures on so large a scale. We appeal, therefore, to the men of NewEngland to aid as in transportin to them the foo which they require, an which we are anxious to exchan e for the products of their manufactories, and t us confer a real and lasting benefit upon both sections. It is a fact that the employment of a farmer at the West is less remunerative than almost any other. There is now more real reason for complaint. I ask gentlemen to consider that, however carefully and skillfully and honestly you may arrange the various systems of direct and indirect taxation, tariffs, and internalrevenue laws, the burden of the tax must to a great extent fall upon the consumer. We are consumers of the manufactures of the country. Our interests are not directly protected in your tariff laws, but we could bear all public bur dens easily and cheerfully if it were not for the difficulty of reaching the markets of the world with the bulky products of our farms. If this canal is constructed, by opening a new route by water to the eastern markets and to the markets of the world, it will not only reduce the price of freight by affording new acilities for transportation, but will create acompetition by which freights on established lines will be reduced to reasonable limits. When a vessel of 1000 or 1200 tons can be loaded in Chicago and can reach the ocean without breaking bulk, the day of the pros perity of our great agricultural interest will have dawned. I believe that very rarely have we the opportunity offered us to accomplish so great a good at so small an expense as by the passage of this bill.