Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-07-02
[ " H0L { NIMBER 5es.

be sought TO be considered in his district, as
The head aud from, among Its supporters
! In aspcech IN The Senate last winter, Mr.. Cham
beraia admitted that he voted for The sy stem, but
attempting TO excuse himself, ns many Senators
aud others then present will recollec, by add ing
that he had been deceived TO its by tho
low estimates of the engineers. l have already
shown by reference to official documen that tho
several works contained IN The bill of 1886. for
which he voted were estima ted sirtefn millions
IN the reports before the legislature at the time he
care that rote The bill of 1886, IL IS conceded,
authorised a loan Of only ten millions dividing
! this sum amongst the several works, amounting
on each TO about two thirds the cost then es,-
mated; yet that law fully committed the State
Tor the whole cost. Although this partial appro-
pria,ion may have led tho people into the mistake
that the whole system had been estimated at
~ ten millions; YET 1t 10 impossible that Mr.
Chamberlain could have been so deceived when
he voted for the bill He knew full we'll that no
part Of The ten million loan be applied to
the Erie and Michigan Canal though the construc-
ton Of that Canal was ordered.
Finding that msapprehe nson had obtained
among some portions of the people of the State,
as to the estimated cos, of the system, probably
from the fact that the bill Of 1886 made only the
partia! appropriation OF ten millions, sought an
opportunity at tho first session after my appoint
ment chief engineer of Canals, TO submit 10 the
board OF Interna! Improvement full estimate Of
all the works authorised by the bill of lS56.--
This estimate CHE first computation of the cost
of the system ever made by me) amounted to
SIS, 100000 exclusive Of the Wabash and Erie
canal, or OVER 10000, 600 including that work.
which is but five per cent. below the actual cost.
1t was embodied In formal report of the boarh
OF internal improvement, and submitted bv them
TO the House Of Representatives on the 9TH jan
uarv 1887, less than year from the adoption
of the system. See Doc. Jour. IL r. ls36-7J
Mr.. Chamberlain had thus been a second time of,
fIcialy apprized OF the great cost OF the system
prior the session Of lS37-S, when he gave 50
many direct votes against every proposition which
looked 10 a concentration of the expenditures,
in any way lessening It's burthens. lilo could
not have been ignorant Of this estimate of $780,
600 900 at the tIme Of writing the memorial TO
the board, IN which he pledges himself to the
support Of the entire system. Nor could he havo
been ignorant of the fact that the prosecution Of
tho ''entlre SYSTEM" upon the plan sustained by
his votes, would cause high taxation. In the
port Of the III Of January, 1897 be fore referred
to, the board presented to the Legislature an ap-
prozimate calculation upon certain assumed data.
chewing that even by appropriating 10 internal
improvement purposes, the whole of the surplus
revenue. then assumed at s 100000, the taxes
would rise as high - etc. to the 500, and
showing further, by another view Of the matter,
that even upon judicious plan Of prosecuting
the works, about half a million year would be
required from taxation, before the close Of the Cd.
Grafton At the session of ls37-s, il was known
to Mr. Chamberlain, Qor the fact not only
stated IN the Governors message but was alluded
to in speech by Mr.. Owen 10 reply to Mr. Prof.
h) that only S2S6,O00 instead Of million and a
half OF surplus revenue, had been applied TO in.
ternal improvement purposes. Under this new
state OF ihings-the data having been changed in
most essential Point-no one with that report
before him had any ground to suppose that the
entire system could go upon the extensive scale
sustained by the votes Of Mr.. c. without involv-
ing the necessity for very high taxation. Tho
public judgment will certainly fix the proper est
mate upon this unworthy effort Of Mr. Chamber
lain, TO save himself from the just respons ibiiity
Of his own legislative career, by directing tho
public Indignation agains, Others, after he had
been thus officially informed by the board al this
early period, OF the great cost Of the system and
the probable burthens il would inv olive, even with
a more prudent policy than was adopted by tho
Legislature.
Mr. Chamberlain's loud declama,i ton against
the system and oil connected with it, in which he
has INDUCED since the final sion Of the op-
erations in 1889, for want of funds, will not be
received by discerning public 8 a release from
the proper responsibility Of his previous
The foundation Tor all our present embarrassment,
SO far as /, results from the extent Of the system
or the manner Of progressing with it, had been
laid previous 10 tho session Of 1889 and 40, the
time when MIR. Chamberlain commenced in the
Senate his clamor against the system md the pub
lie officers Since that period the effort on the
part Of the Legislature and the board has been
only 10 save as much as possible from the gener-
al wreck.
The contracts which invov ed tho state in the
whole expenditures made up to the present time.
were all entered into prior 10 The withdrawal Of
Mr. Chamberlans ardent support Of the system.
The bic session Of 1878, or during the
succeeding GUNNER, when the thirteen lettings
were IN progress, the time when a warning
voice against the extended and scattered operas
tons Oh our public works, might have been rails.
ed TO some purpose. Since that period con-
tracts hive been made and therefore no addition
II liability incurred, with the exception a single
citing on the Madison road
TO BE CONTINUED
We remember being at conference meeting