Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, in common with the people of the great West, I, as well as my State, feel a very great interest in this project; indeed I may sa that for more than 20 years the cop c of the great States bordering upon the liakes have looked forward to the time when this great national work shall be completed, and have regarded it. as absolutely necessary for their prosperity and the devalopment of the States bordering upon those waters and I will say here that there is no single question today in which the people of that part of the country which I have the honor in part to represent feel so great an interest as in the question now under consideration. Mr. Speaker, I will not occupy the few moments allotted to me in a discussion of the details of this bill. I believe they are substantially what are desired by our people, with a single exception, and that is trat the bill provides that the depth of the canal shall be 12 feet. I think that the interests of the commerce of the West require that that canal shall at least be of the depth of 14 feet, so that we can load a vessel at Chicago of 1200 tons and without breaking bulk convey the products of the West either to the eastern se acard or to europe. Now, sir the Government as contemplated this work a most ever since its foundation. It has been looked upon as an absolute necessity, at least in a military point of view. I shall make no remarks at.this time as to its importance in that point of view. But no one who is acquainted with the topography of the western States, and the important connection that this work will accomplish, can doubt its great importance in that regard. It is to its commercial importance that I wish particularly to call the attention of the House at this time. Before I do that, however, allow me to say a sinvle word with reference to the power of the government to construct works of this character. There was a time when the power of the Government to make appropriations for works of this character was disputed, but that time has long since passed by. The distinction is that whenever a work is national in importance and has reference tomore than one State, connecting important. navigable waters, as does this work, it may be regarded as entircly competent, and within the power of congress under the Constitution, to make appropriations for the work and such has been the practice of the Government upon this subject. Let me quote the language of President Monroe, touching the authority of Congress upon this point. Mr. Monroe said in reference to a work of a similar character to this: "That conrcss have unlimited power to raise money, and that In its appropriation they have a discretionary.power, restricted only by the duty to appropriate it to purposes of common defense and O general.not local. national, not State, benefit." This construction of the Constitution was adopted by General Jackson, and I believe it has been he settled rule from that time to this with reference to works of this kind. From the earliest period of our Government appropriations have been constantly made for the purpose of aiding in the construction of works of this character down to the very present time. Now, sir, I hold it to be the duty of the government to afford reasonable facilities forcommerce between the States. How is it with ref erence to the western States today? I may say of those States that they are in their infancy as regards development. in the State of Illinois, not one 10th part of her area has yet been developed and cultivated; and the complaint of the great West today is that there are no sufficient facilities afforded to that section ofcountry whereby the immense surplus prod ucts there raised can reach amarket at reason able expense. It is conceded upon all hands, I think, that the Erie canal and the railroads connecttitl therewith adord no adequate facilities for the transportation of the products of the West. The value of the products of the West an nually seekin a market in the East is more than 500 million dollars. There are over 3000 steam and sail vessels upon our western lakes, and all this immense commerce has to be crowded through a single channel to market, and we. of the West are at the mercy of an overgrown corporation and monopoly. Now, sir, the objections that are made to this work, as I understand the Gentfrom NewYork, [Mr. VAN110101]come principally from the State of NewYork. Now, what are those objections I Let us look at them for a moment. It is said that this canal would deprive the State of NewYork of a portion of its tolls and ruin and destroy the business of the Erie canal. Now, I do not admit that fact and even if the completion of this canal should deprive that State of a portion of its tolls, is that any reason why this great national work should not be completed? The answers to this objection are: l. The present canal and railroad connected with it cannot now do the business required by the growing interest of the West. 2. The West has been enormously taxed by these monopolies in NewYork, and has an nually paid tolls to that State the sum of $10,000,000. 3. It saves to the West 150 miles of artificial travel and about 75 cents on each ton of freight. Besides, NewYork is estopped from setting up the plea that the completion of this great work will injure her canals and railroads, be cause, as has already been stated here today, the Legislature of that State has on 2 or 3 occasions, and also very recently, granted to a company the right to construct this very work, thereby yielding up that entire question so far as it may affect her existing railroads and canals. This action of the people of NewYork concedes the fact that the construction of the ship canal would not inure the other canals and railroads of NewYork. I would ask, what. right has the State of NewYork to place her se fin the highway of commerce and monop olize the tolls upon all the products raised in the West? It is further said that the canals and railroads of the State of NewYork will bernined and destroyed if this work is completed. Now, if in the infancy of the development of the West, so far as its productions are concerned, with hardly one 15th of the whole western country developed, these canals and railroads are insutheient to transport the products of today, how much more so would they be when the West shall be more extensively developed. Sir, what are the benefits to the West to be derived from the construction of this canal? What is the great want of the West today? It is the want of facilities for transporting their products to market. In the 1st place, this ship canal will enable us to load our products on vessels at the southern orts of Lake Michigan, in fact all around ake Michigan, and upon Lake Erie, and from there to have them transported without breaking bulk at all, or more than once, to the eastern sea board. It overcomes an artificial travel of 150 miles, thus saving from 70 to 75 cents upon every ton of reduce transported and that amountis save as well to the consumer in the East as the producer in the West. It will develop all the interest of the West, increase the value of all kinds of property, enconra rimmigration, and stimulate industry of every (ind. Another objection to this canal is, that it appropriates a considerable amount of money from the Treasury of the U.S. The sum to be appropriated by this bill is only $0,000,000; a very small sum, indeed, when compared with the great advantages that are to be received from this expenditure and besides, it is provided in the bill that this appropriation shall be reimbursed to the Government by reserving 10%. of the tolls as they shall subsequently accrue. But. sir, without the means for transportation the interest of the West will be paralyzed and its prosperity greatly retarded. The Gentfrom NewYork [Mr. TAY Lou] has asked what advantage it will be to American commerce to constructa canal of this character. It seemsto me that the advan tages are so obvious that that question need not be asked. It enables us, as I have already remarked, to overcome at least 150 miles of artificial travel, at a saving of at least 75 cents on each ton of produce transported. The gentleman says, owever, that since the exiration of the reciprocity treaty between the U.S and the llritish Provinces we will not have the use of the StLawrence river. It is true that we would not, independent of some arran cment with the Canadas, have the use of the Stwrence river below the town of Ogdeusburg. We certainly have the right to the use of the river to Ogdens burg, for it is American waters that far. ow, I assume that it will be for the interest of Canada to provide means and facilities of commerce to the great, West through their canals. We ay tolls on the passage of our vessels through the various canals constructed for the purpose of overcoming the obstacles and obstructions in the StLawrence river. If we desire to ship to Europe the products which we load at Chicago, what objection would Canada have to allowing our vessels to pass through her canals, paying reasonable tolls, as they have done heretofore 7 Indeed, I am informed that Canada will afford every facility in her power for this purpose. She desires us to pass through her canals for reasonable toll. But it is said that if that is done the State of NewYork would lose the benefit of those tolls. It is true she would to that extent. But I assume that in the future development of the productions of the West, there will be sufficient commerce from west to east to tax to the utmost every means of communication that can possibly be established between the West and the eastern sea board for the next 50 years. Today not more than one 10th part of the productions of the West can be taken to market for want of transportation. 1,000s of bushels of corn have been used in the West for fuel during the ast year, because it was worth less than other fuel and it would cost. more than it was worth to transport it to market. What inducement is there for the western farmer to exert himself to raise productions that are of no value to him? The West today is over flowing with surplus productions of every kind which are comparatively valucless for want of means and fact ities for market. Now, sir, this canal will permit us to reach the city of NewYork almost without breakin bulk. We load at Chicago or at Detroit, and we take our vessels without breaking bulk to Ogdensbur at least, connecting at Syracuse With the trio canal and thus reaching NewYork. It seems to me that it is the interest of NewYork to encourage this very work, whereby NewYork and the other eastern se a ports may control the commerce of the West. If you shut as out, and defeat this ship canal, what will be the consequence? Either the West will be greatly retarded in prosperity or we must have the means to get our products to market, and if you do not afford us sullieient facilities for transportation through the State of NewYork by a canal of this sort, or by other proper means, you will compel us to seek transportation through the Enuadas, whereby the nefits of the transportation of our commerce would be entirely lost to the State of NewYork and the citizens of the country and given to the Canadas. If we cannot reach a market through NewYork on reasonable terms, we will provide other means. leaving NewYork out in the cold. The rest can and should take care of her own interests. The best interests of the whole country demand the most unrestricted facilities and cheapest transportation for its productions. When this is furnished no interest is de stroyed or crippled, but the interest of all is promoted. The East and West by that canal will be more firmly united, and both parts of the country equally benefited and nobody injured.