Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-02-02

so", auu frequently referred 10 MS manu-
script. Mr.. Emmons moved that the gen.
tleman from Ipswich should be requested
to read his arguments to the House.
The Speaker said he considered the
motion of the gentleman from Hinsdale
irregular.
Mr.. Observation-Disclosures it, Sir.
Mr.. Cogswell proceeded and asked if
Mr.. Speaker thought the people in the
country would bring their produce, their
turkeys, and their butter to the railway.
and tumble them into the carts to bring to
Boston ? People talk, said he, of bring
ing flour to Boston bat, Sir, they have no
Hour TO bring-tIley have but little flour
hardly enough to make pancakes of.
Railways, Mr.. Speaker, may do well
enough in old countries, but will never,
be the thing for so young country as
this. When you can make the rivers run
back, il will be time enough to make a
railway.
! Mr.. Hudson, of Westminster, said he
was well convinced of the utility of rail-
ways as modes of INSTRUMENTATION !;
but ne thought the present bill was of too
general nature, and he had some fears
that the confident expectations of profit
which some gentlemen appeared 10 en-
terrain, would not be realized. At
any rate, in order to asce rtan what
famount Of business the construction of a
railway might create, and what amount
OF income 1t might produce, he thought
ut first necessary to fix on the route it
should occupy. 1t was very evident from
the report of the Commissioners, that,
with them the Southern was a lavourite
route. The commissioners also evident
ly rely on the business in the principal
places through which it is to run as the
great source Of emolument and advan-
/ tage. 1t appeared manifest to him, that
the business of the county of Berkshire
was transacted almost entirely with Alba
ny and New York, and he had very Sc
rlous doubts whether railroad from Bos-
ton through Springfield to the Hudson,
would turn the current Of that business
towards Boston. He adverted to the
Pennington Canal, running from New
Haven to Northampton-to the act OF
our own legislature, creating a corpora
ton to continue that canal to the North
line OF the State-and to the act of the
legislature of Vermont establishing an
other company to continue the same canal
to Barnet, high on the Conn. and no
apprehended that railroad from here to
Springfield, instead of turning the trade
o., the CeRnecticut Valley TO Boston,
would only hold out temptation to those
who were interested in these canals to
60 on and complete their works-and
was it to be expected that traders, who
had sent their produce down this line of
canals, having passed all the locks and
overcome all distractions at a great ex-
pense, would, when they arrived at
Springfield or Northampton, unload their
boats, place their produce upon carts and
send it to Boston? Would they not
rather keep on to New-Haven by the
Harrington Canal, or to Hartford by the
river, to both of which places they are
nearer than to Boston He might say,
within few hours sail of New York,
for such was indeed the fact, and to
which market they would arrive in less
time and at less expense than at Boston
by railroad. Then as to the county of
Worcester, that large and productive re-
gion-the Blackstone Canal had been
carried into the heart of its principal
town; and it could hardly be expected
that the trade of that thriving place could
be converted from its present channel
by railroad to Boston. Besides, was
there not at that moment before the le-
gislature, petition from influential indi-
viduals in that county,for an act authoriz-
ing company to continue that canal to
Fitchburg, near the northerly line of the
State p? and was ii probable that, if the
canal should be opened to Fitchburg,
that it would stop there ! would it not
more likely be still heightened out and
stretch far into Hampshire, and af-
ford ready medium for the communica-
ton of an extensive region in the heart
of N. England with Providence =! Now,
railway on more norther1y route than
that which the commissioners seemed to
have fixed on, to Greenfield or Brattebo-
ro', would be likely to intercept this trade
on its way to Providence, and would proba-
bly, put stop to the project of con-
tinuation of the Blackstone Canal. 1t
would afford an opening for an immense
trade which was now seeking more
southerly outlet, and direct it TO the capi-
tai of this Commonwealth. But he had
serious apprehensions that the southern
route, or that through Springfield, would
be the means of carrying more business
out of the Commonwealth than it would
bring in. Mr.. Hudson made some re-
marks to correct what he thought to be
errors (unintentional ones no doubt) in
the calculations of the commissioners
Respecting sumit levels--he compared the
elevations of the two routes, as laid down
in the report, and the result to which he
arrived was altogether in favour Of the