Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-22
DEBATE ON ALEXANDRIA CANAL BILL
HORSE or REPREsENTArIyEs-JAN. s.

The Bill for the relief of the City OF Aiexan-
dria coming up on its third reading, was read
third time; and the question was "Shal this
Bill passP'
Remarks of Mr.. Hardin, Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Hardin, Of Kentucky, observed that he
had not seen any report accompanying this Dill,
which stated the probable cost OF the Aqueuuc'
for which in fact, the bill was intended to pro-
vide He understood that Congress had, at the
last session, appropriated 900 dollars towards
the construction of Canal and Aqueduct lead
ing from out ofthe Chesapeake and ONO canal
at Georgetown, to the City OF Alexandra. he
had also been Informed that the Corporation OF
Alexandria had given $4,000 dollars and lis ci-
items sO 600 in addition towards the same OBJ
iect; making, in all, 100000. All this money had
been already expended: and he had Deen toio
nv very intelligent gentleman from that Guy,
that Alexandria had put forth her utmost ana
was incapable of doing any thing more; ne
city owed a debt in Holland OF 2oO,OOO doiiars'
for the payment of which tax had been levied
upon ali real estate ofthe citizens, oil 70 cents on
Ss0O n most enormous burden indeed. MIR. II.
mentioned these facts with view to show that
the finishing the Canal and Aqueduct would
fall upon Congress, and on congress aione.-
CONGRESS had given Sl00,00 and the question
now arose whether they would give any more!-'
They were asked for another lOO,0OO II tns
sum should now be given, would II pc suHclehl
for the completion of the workf he nao IN
ouired of the gentleman from Alexandra, 10
whom he had already alluded, now VIDE tne ~,
yer was at the point where the Aqueduct was to
he constructed? He had stated il to be l3OO eet.
He had then asked, how far they would have TO
go below the bed of the river before they reach
ed the rock that was to be the foundation OF the
piers. and he had replied IL feet. How high the
piers were to be raised above thisi he answer
ed az feet. Here, then, there was TO an aque-
duct 500 feet long, resting on piers 90 teet In
, height with stone arches of 40 to % feet span.
The piers must sustain the enormous weight OF
these arches, and of all the superintendent wa
fer in the auueduct; they would OF course nave
10 be constructed Of great strength ana soliol-
tv being, as he understood, 3 feet by 10 ieet IN
Dimensions The aqueduct, filled with water,
was to sustain loaded vessels passing over IL al
the rate of about two miles an hour. HOW
much would such structure cosfi How muc"
did gentlemen imagine would complete ~ Sluo,-
OOOl. That had been given already ana speht.
SIO0 900 more? No. He would venture to al
6rm hat million of dollars would not finish it.
He had read the estimates for bridge, and that
was To cost upwards of two millions. Did any
gentleman believe that this aqueduct would not
cost as much, ifnot more? How was II possioe
that 1000 yards of bridge should cost TWO nil,
lions and upwards, and this aqueduct 50 ll'les
There must be some great lnacuracy some
where. -,,.;.,
CONGRESS was brought to this alternative
either to make this Alexandria Canal, aqueduct
and all or TO stop short now, ana refuse 10 give
another cent. He was for stopping. he dld not
believe in the policy OF expending miiilons 10
construct canal along the banks oil the proad
and beautiful Potomac, which presented ahSh,
way of Gods own forming to all who wanted
one They were called upon to layout the urea.
sure of the United States to make Lamar
where God had already made one OF Inc the IL
nest navgabe rivers under the sun. Ihey were
told, indeed that they must do TINS, or Inc Guy oi
Alexandria would have to go down. That might
possibly be- to some extent, true. Heshouid deep
iy regret such result No man could do olher-
wise But as a legislator on that moor, the
question he must ask was, what interest the REQ
ME of the United States had in the quesuon
whether Georgetown or AexanaI a snouu u,i &c,
the commission on the sale oil nour coming
down the Potomac river. That question was
one of very little concern to the People OF
the Union, of whatever consequence II might
he 70 the merchants of Alexandra. Inc inter-
est the People of the Union felt was IN inns, 'nat
the -four they raised should get to good mar
ket. and provided that was secured, II was not
a cents interest TO them Whethei was pun
chased by A. or B.
They were told that the city Of Alexandria
was already in state of decline. He knew the
fact, and he regretted it. But what was the
cause of it? The want OF this aqueductf NO;
the cause was to be found in the increase and
GROWING nrosperity of the city of Baltimore
That was the true cause, and no canal would
cure il. 1t wasthe natual and necessary course
ofthinos. Large commercial cities always must
swallow IN the little rivals in their vicinity. Gen
tlemen might as we'll expect their tobacco to
grow beneath the shadow ola great overspread-
inc oak tree, as expect such place as Alexan-
dria to flourish with commercial capital so ma
ny times larger than its own in its immediate
neiqbborhood All the legislation in the world
could not force such a state of things. Under
such circumstances, Mr.. Fl. declared his deter
mnation not to vote another cent for this canal.
He did not believe that the aqueduct could be
finished for less than million oil dollars. de
had no confidence in estimates. All who had
had any experience could not but Know 'nat
the end and object ofmost of the estimates ex'
hibited before that House was to bring on the
commencement of the work proposed; and
once in, they were then told they must go
through or sacrifice all they had given.
Many of those he addressed were farmers:
and probably not few Of them had been con-
cerned at some period ofther lives in Mill build
inc. And he appealed to them to say whether
thew had ever seen proposal for a mill in which
Loc~ khok