The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-06-12

expense Of two hundred and fly tl,ousaud
dollars, to save four miles, or one eleventh pat
of the whole distance ffcn this town TO Boston.
How much greater expenditure, then, world a
canal justify, which should make almost a ten
fold saving in the expense of tlaasportaiol.
"Were we to make the surposiion OF iwo
States" says the same writer, 6 the enc bav-
ing its cities, towns, and villages on navigable
rivers and canals that have All easy commune
cation with each other; the other possessing
the common conveyance of land carriage and
supposng at the same time, both States to be ,
equal as to soil, climate, and industry-com-
modities and manufactures in the former Stale
might be exported 30 per cent cheaper than i'll
the latter, or in other words, it Would lie a
third richer and more afiuent than the
second" But this view of the sGbject,
unless extended, is much too confned:
it is based on the superstition of no increase
of population, industry, or business, and on
the ground that new commodity is to be
brought into the market by the increased fa-
clity of transportation. When these are taxi
en- INTO view, it is but fair estimate TO reckon
the country SO favoured so per cent. richer,
and more affluent than the others. Another
important consideration now presents i;ss9G, :
which is, the increased ratio OF the income OF
property. The enhanced value OF 80 per cent?
on property is an immediate one, for the OBJ
vious reason that the income Of it is in
creased one half. Suppose then, the annual
income OF State, without navigation, to he
8 per cent. that of The one possessing it will be
9per cent. per annum. 1t will appear by cal-
culation that, while money at per cent. will
be increased aboat 8 fold in "a years, at per
cent. it is but little more than quadrupled.
The American editor of Recs' Cyclopedia,
says, " If Europe with all its population its
cheapnesS Of labour, it's agriculture and manu-
features, already formed land its vast commerce,
power aud resources establi,led, has deemed
the aid of canals so important; how Infinitely
superiour does every argument for engaging in
them apply to the United States, whose popula-
ton is yet SO limited, whose lands are so par
TALLY cultivated, and whose minerals so little
explored or brought into use, as TO require that
every political aid should be given to improve
the cultivation of its lands and manufactures
already rapidly increasing, and to promote a
commerce which has extended itself with
degree CT enterprise and visour almost unpar-
alelled in the history OF maubind.''
Another intelligent writer Of our own coun-
try, after enuineratng many advantages Of
I Nohta hoEi Sat.crf sttfs, ssOHc Oh the TlCnesL
Salt mines in England, was discovered in dig
ging canals and doubtless that country owes
TO the truly noble entorp.'ze of the Duke Of
Bndgewater, in establishing inland navigation,
considerable proportion of that prosperity
which her commerce and manufactures, have
| enjoyed during the last 80 years.
| We are now, in point Of commerce, the
second mercantile people, notwithstanding the
| rivalry OF the most potent nations earth ;
but in canals and internal Improvements. we
| can have no rivals. Let not the expense in
timidate US. To, WLu uiH be The cost /? the
intelligent merchant woVld add, What ,ciu it
/ produce II is the receipt in proportion to the
expenditures, and not the expenditure itself,
on which men, who estimate things correctly,
| will dwell. Ii, in expanding one hundred
dollars, nothing is to be gained, then it had
better not be expended but, if by expending
| one hundred dollars, four hundred can be
| gained, surely it would be folly most excessive
| to be deferred by the expense. Yet the bare
ly counting tile cost, without regard to the
advantage Of internal Improvement, is no less
absurd; for, surely, the addition OF some mill
lions of acres to cultivation, and the en-
hancement of the selling value of land, in con-
sequence of such Improvements, ought to be-
| calculated in the account" E..
| More recently, valuable coal and lead
| mines have aIsn haa,, in f,tnnollinv