CALUMET SAND-BAR.
Mr. FANCHER called up Senator Wood's bill [S. 132] to appropriate $6,000 to remove a sand-bar in the Calumet River.
The bill was read the third time.
Mr. CARR, of White, hoped the bill would not pass because of its unjustness, being an expense to the State and beneficial only to the few. He was opposed to appropriating money in this reckless manner.
Mr. FANCHER said: I believe this bill to be a just one. A number of years ago the State of Indiana took it in hand to reclaim a large tract of land--about 7,000 acres--covered by water, so they constructed a ditch into that river, and in doing this they cut through a large sand-bar lying close to the edge of the river, and in a short time sand-bar washed out into the river, forming a complete sand-bar across and obstructing the stream so as to cause an overflow of land more than that drained. This land which is overflowed has become almost worthless, and I hope the bill will pass.
The bill failed to pass--yeas, 46; nays, 35--for the want of a constitutional majority.
