Part 17 (1/2)

WAYNE.--Streams, East and West Forks of Whitewater, with excellent water power for machinery. Surface, moderately hilly; heavy forest land; soil, a rich loam; substratum, clay. Minerals; generally, limestone, and excellent for buildings.

_Form of Government._--This differs very little from that of Ohio. The Const.i.tution provides that an enumeration be made every five years of all free white male inhabitants, above the age of twenty-one years; and the representation of both houses of the General a.s.sembly is apportioned by such enumeration, in such ratio that the number of representatives shall never be less than 36, nor exceed 100, and the number of senators not exceeding one half, nor less than one third the number of representatives. Every free white male citizen, twenty-one years of age, who has resided in the State one year, is ent.i.tled to vote; ”except such as shall be enlisted in the army of the U. S., or their allies.”

Elections are held annually, by ballot, on the first Monday in August.

Senators, the governor, and lieutenant governor, hold their offices for three years. The judiciary is vested in a Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts, Probate Courts, and Justices of the peace. The Supreme Court consists of three judges, who are appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, for the term of seven years, and have appellate jurisdiction. The Circuit Courts consist of a presiding judge in each judicial circuit, elected by joint ballot of both houses of the General a.s.sembly, and two a.s.sociate judges in each county, elected by the qualified voters in their respective counties, for a like term. The Probate Courts consist of one judge for each county, who is elected by the voters, for the same term. Justices of the peace are elected in each towns.h.i.+p, for the term of five years, and have jurisdiction in criminal cases throughout the county, but, in all civil cases, throughout the towns.h.i.+p.

_Finances._--The Indiana Gazetteer, of 1833, estimates that the revenue for State purposes amounted to about $35,000 annually, and, for county purposes, to about half that sum. The aggregate receipts for 1835, according to the governor's message, of Dec. 1835, amounted to $107,714; expenditures for the same time, $103,901.

Sales of ca.n.a.l lands for the same period, $175,740. The ca.n.a.l commissioners have borrowed $605,257, for ca.n.a.l purposes, on a part of which they obtained two per cent. premium, and, on another part, as high as seven per cent.; and have also borrowed $450,000 bank capital, for which they received four and a half per cent. premium. Three per cent.

on all sales of U. S. lands within the State, is paid by the general government into the State treasury, to be expended in making roads. The receipts from this source, in 1835, amounted to $24,398. Sales and rents of saline lands, produced an income of $4,636. The proceeds of certain lands, donated by the general government towards the construction of a road from the Ohio river to lake Michigan, amounted to $33,030.

_Internal Improvements._--This State has entered with great spirit upon a system of internal improvements. It consists of ca.n.a.lling, improving river navigation, rail-roads, and common turnpike roads.

_Wabash and Erie Ca.n.a.l._--This work will extend from La Fayette, on the Wabash river, up the valley of that stream, to the Maumee and to the boundary of Ohio; distance, 105 miles. The cost of construction has been estimated at $1,081,970, and lands to the amount of 355,200 acres, have been appropriated by the general government, the proceeds of which will be sufficient to complete the ca.n.a.l to Fort Wayne. The middle division, 32 miles, was completed in July, 1835, and the remainder is in active progress. Its whole distance, through a part of Ohio to Maumee bay, at the west end of lake Erie, will be 187 miles.

The _Whitewater Ca.n.a.l_, 76 miles in length, along the western branch of Whitewater, is intended to pa.s.s through Connorsville, Brookville, Somerset, and other towns, to Lawrenceburgh, on the Ohio river.

Provision is made to improve the navigation of the Wabash river, in conjunction with Illinois, where it const.i.tutes the boundary line, and, by this State alone, further up.

_Rail-Roads._--From Evansville, on the Ohio, to La Fayette on the Wabash, 175 miles; from La Fayette to Michigan city, 90 miles; forming a line from the Ohio river to lake Michigan, 265 miles in length:--From Madison, on the Ohio, to Indianopolis, the seat of government, 85 miles; and several others were projected two years since. But at the session of the legislature of 1835-6, a bill was pa.s.sed to borrow, in such instalments as should be needed, _ten millions_ of dollars; and a system of internal improvements, including ca.n.a.ls, rail-roads, and the improvement of river navigation, was marked out. In a few years, this State will be prominent in this species of enterprise.

_Synopsis of Ca.n.a.ls surveyed by order of the Indiana Legislature during the Year 1835._

La Fayette and Terre Haute division of the Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l.

Length, 90 miles; total cost, $1,067,914.70; per mile, $11,865 79.

Central ca.n.a.l, north of Indianopolis. Total length, from Indianopolis via Andersontown, Pipe creek summit to the Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l at Wabash town, 103 miles 34 chains; total cost, $1,992,224.54; per mile, $17,106 51. Length, via Pipe creek summit to Peru, near the mouth of the Missisinawa, 114 miles 46 chains; total cost, $1,897,797.19; per mile, $14,871.85. Length, via Pipe creek summit (including lateral ca.n.a.l to Muncietown) to Wabash town, 124 miles 51 chains; total cost, $2,103,153.61; per mile, $15,873.83. Length, via Pipe creek summit (including lateral ca.n.a.l to Muncietown) to Peru, 185 miles 63 chains; total cost, $2,008,726.26; per mile, $14,793.12. Total length, from Indianopolis via Muncietown to the Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l at Peru, 131 miles 41 chains; total cost, $2,058,929.41; per mile, $14.549 71.

Central ca.n.a.l, south of Indianopolis. Total length, from Indianopolis to Evansville, 188 miles; total cost, $2,642,285.92; per mile, $14,054.71.

Route down the valley of Main Pigeon. Length, 194 miles; total cost, $2,400,957.70; per mile, $12,376.02.

Terre Haute and Eel river ca.n.a.l, which forms a connexion between the Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l and White river or Central ca.n.a.l. Total length, 40- miles; total cost, $629,631 65; which, including a feeder, is $13,540.46 per mile.

Wabash and Erie ca.n.a.l, eastern division, [east of Fort Wayne], Upper line: Length, 19 miles 30 chains; total cost, $154,113.13; per mile, $7,952.17.--Lower line: Total length, 20 miles 76- chains; total cost, $254,817.52; per mile, $11,159.04.

The following are the works provided for in the Bill, and the sums appropriated for them:

1st. The White Water Ca.n.a.l, including a lateral ca.n.a.l or rail-road, to connect said ca.n.a.l with the Central or White river ca.n.a.l, $1,400,000

2d. Central or White river Ca.n.a.l, 3,500,000

3d. Extension of the Wabash and Erie Ca.n.a.l, 1,300,000

4th. Madison and La Fayette Rail-road, 1,300,000

5th. A M'Adamized turnpike road from New Albany to Vincennes, 1,150,000

6th. Turnpike or rail-road from New Albany to Crawfordsville, 1,300,000