No. 112.] 833 



The following statistics will exhibit the condition, and rapid 

 progress of the commerce of this lake. 



Vessels Cleared, 

 American, 



No. Tons. Crews. 



Vermont, 2G8 72,064 4,679 1847 



do 477 104,114 4,315 1851 



Champlain, -. 231 46,132 3,483 1847 



do 327 67,092 4,028 1851 



Foreign, 



Vermont, 310 17,734 1,130 1851 



Champlain, 8 360 24 1847 



do 335 21,708 1,458 1851 



The great increase is exhibited in the aggregate of the Ameri- 

 can and foreign vessels and tonnage. 



I have referred to the valuable and rapidly increasing inter- 

 course which now exists between northern New-York, find the 

 States bordering on the inland seas of the west. These States 

 are large purchasers of the iron fabrics of Essex county, while 

 the manufacturers of that county consume an immense amount 

 of their pork, flour, and wheat. This interchange of commodi- 

 ties, is of the highest importance to both sections of the Union, 

 and unfettered by the existing embarrassments, would rapidly 

 expand. The nails and machinery of Essex county, are subject- 

 ed to a canal transportation in New- York alone, of more tlum 

 four hundred miles ; or if carried by the Ogdensburgh railroad, 

 they are exposed to the expense, risk and delay of repeated re- 

 shipments, before they reach the western navigable waters. The 

 same restrictions weigh upon the transit of the products of that 

 region, to Champlain. All these impediments will be essentially 

 obviated by the proposed ship canal. The consunimatiuu of this 

 gigantic scheme is deemed inevitable and approaching. 



The limited sphere of this report, will not allow any extended 

 exposition of this interesting subject. I only refer to it, as it di- 

 [Ag. Tr. '53.] C 3 



