Jamestown Alert

Lake and Harbor Convention.

The convention held on the 20th inst. at St. Paul, for the urging upon Congress the improvement of canals and water-ways of the Great Northern Lakes' route, and of the harbor at the head of Lake Superior, was a strong one. The following places being represented by 179 delegates: Buffalo, Bismarck, Duluth, Stillwater, LaCrosse, Mankato, Baraboo, Ashland (Wis.) Hudson, Henderson, Madison, Red Wing, White Bear, Grand Forks, Mapleton, Fargo, Oswego (N.Y.), Moorhead, Crookston, Cleveland, Chicago, Cook County (Minn.), Wadena, Superior (Wis.), St. Paul, Minneapolis.

They very unanimously adopted the following resolutions:

Whereas the rapid settlement and fertile character of the vast region of country north and west of the head of Lake Superior and its inexhaustible mineral and timber resources call for such improvement of our northern water-way as will give the largest sized vessels free and uninterrupted navigation through the great lakes and thus secure to the producer the cheapest and most direct route and to the consumer the products of the region at the smallest cost; and

Whereas the greatest obstruction to the waterway is in the St. Mary's river, between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, the present condition of which permits vessels of but twelve feet draft to pass, and although the government has made large expenditures in the construction of a ship canal for vessels drawing sixteen feet of water, it cannot be available for the purposes designed until such further improvements are made in the river below as will give the required depth of water and thus save the present loss of thirty per cent. in the carrying capacity of larger lake vessels and the annually recurring loss of so much of the public wealth; therefore,

Resolved, That we respectfully urge upon Congress the immediate acceptance by the United States of St. Mary's canal in accordance with the offer of the State of Michigan of April 3, 1869, its establishment as a free canal and the speedy completion of the new lock and its approaches.

Resolved, That we ask of Congress an appropriation for the further survey of the channels between Lake Superior and Lake Huron and so much for the improvement of the present channel and the St. Clair flats and Detroit river as in the opinion of the war department can be judiciously expended the coming season.

Resolved, That we further petition Congress for an appropriation to complete the survey of the harbor at the head of Lake Superior and its early improvement so as to meet the present increasing demands of commerce.

Resolved, That it is of the utmost importance that the necessary harbors on the northern water-way be suitably improved.

Resolved, That a committee of nine be appointed by the president of this convention to draft and present to Congress a memorial embodying the requests of this commercial convention and our reasons therefor.

Resolved, That this convention extends a cordial invitation to the boards of trade in the sections of the country especially interested in the commerce of the great lakes to appoint a delegate to go to Washington and urge the passage of such measures and appropriations as will hasten the completion of the work; and that the president of this convention be requested to write to such organizations as he deems important, urging that such delegates be appointed.