New-York daily tribune., 1842-09-09
The Albany Evening Journal

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IN sENATE.....Ausnst5 50, 1912
Mr.. FsRxlH called up for consideration the fol-
lowing Resolution:
resolution upon which the present session held be so far
modified that The following resolution may be received and
Resolued, Ct the Assembly concur) That nush Of the
70 the Committee Canals with instructions to report
bill fer prosecuting Unfinished Public Works so as
them from diapdaton and TO render The same Al
once productive to the people this States and that n
yding means for the OF ssid ne h. hia
no more money shall be borrowed any thau
sum, the interest OF which can be paid with tne GGTe rev
a $
ss also by the same bill provide for constituting Sinking
OF the National Domain in the possesoa Of the United
States together with sufficient portion of the surplus rev.
Piled 10 the constant dmnution and final extinguishment
OF the prscpa well the punctual discharge OF the in
terest OF the debt OF this State
The question being on the adoption of the same,
Mr.. FURMAN addressed the Senate, in substance
as follows:
Mr. President: Before proceeding to discuss
the subjects embraced in this resolution, 1 beg
leave to correct un erroneous impression, which,
as appears from the published debate of former
day, rests upon the mind of the Senator from the
second, (Mr. Hunter.} In adverting to a remark
of mine, made in the Senate, some four years ago,
when the question Of assuming the New-York and
Erie Railroad as State work, was before this
body, ne has seen fit TO charge me with dealing
largely with the imagination-that had said that
che day was not far distant when there would be a
Railroad across the Rocky Mountains! Now, sir
do not assert there was no basis for this charge:
I do talk about the Rocky Mountains, and will
now state what then said. asserted my belief
that the time would arrive, and the Senator Mr..
Hunter) might live to see it, when Railroad
would stretch its unbroken length from the HHd-
son to the Mississippi, and from that point 1t
might ultimately be extended to the Pacific Ocean
that persons were then living who might see q
new channel of trade thus opened with China and
the East Indies.
That, Mr.. President, was four years ago. What
has taken place since that time? Last summer
when this Senate was convened as Court for the
Correction of Errors, in Buffalo, and the Senator
{ MIR. Hunter) and myself journeyed to that place
together, at Niagara Falls, saw in a public bar
room of the Cataract House, a map prepared in
the Office of the Surveyor General of Ohio, exhibit
ing the FIVE Northwestern States of this Union
On that map was laid down continuous line Of
Railroads without break, extending from the
city of New-York to the city of St. Louis, on the
Mississippi, already either made, or chartered to
be made. And the Senator has passed over por-
ton of that great line of Railway, if he has ever
travelled foot upon the NewYork and Erie Rail-
iroad-a work of immense value to the people OF
this State, end which will and must be construct
ed, unless the inhabitants of this State, and espe
cially those of the city Of New-York, arc not en-
tirely blind to their best interests.
What discoveries as to the feasibility Of Rail
3 way from the Mississippi to the Pacific have been
brought to light within those fouryears! The We
ry last traveller, sir who passed through the west
ern part of the Union across the Rocky Mountains
5 to the Pacific tells us that the day is not far dis
tant when railroad may be constructed to the
Pacific ocean across that chain of mountains. i
viii not ask Senator'S to rely alone on my state
rnent, but will read short extract. 1t is from
"Parksr's Exploring Tour beyond the Rocky
Mountains Ithaca, New-York, 1910:
The passage through these Inountans @ (Roesy Noun
ssopd not have that We were passing them
had not been that advanced the atmosphere gradu
ally became cooler aud at length we saw the peTpetua
upon right hand and upon left elevated many
thousand feet above usin some places ten thousand"
valley was not discovered unl some years since
but did not nd it, though in search OF some avors
bic passage varies in width from three 10 fifteen miles
aT6oug6 there are SOME elevations and derreIons th
valley YET comparatively speakag IL is level There soous
fl xssns to Ass Pacific ocean and probably tie tim
Be pery distat uhen trips sp be made acros
the Goatinss they haze been made to che Niagara Fs' Il
Now, Sir, the Senate will see by this statemen
that am not the only person who has believed il
the progression of Internal Improvements through
the Far West. or of line of railroads traversins
shis mighty continent, That such should be the
fact only shows what all ages have known to b
true that the progress of such public works results
from the necessities of the country, and that an,
party who carries the same on to their completion
are only ministeriag to the absolute requirement..
of an increasing population, and adding to the hap
piness and prosperity of the nation.
y But there is one other remark which wish te
notice before proceed farther. The Senator from
the Third Mr.. Paige) stated the other day in the
course of debate that it was not his party hathad
stopped the public works that the Wings .hso
stopped them long before the Democratic part,
had came into power. The same remark had beer
put forth by leading member of the other House
in his speech the Governors Message, recentl,
published In an Extra Argus for circulation annons
the epeoplc. Now, sir, we are dealing with facts
such, too, as are known to all the people of tbs
State. Every Senator knows--all this State know.
that the Public Works acere prosecuted up to rhe
very moment that the Wings went out of power
Ihey Know too that the very object of the tax bill
OF the last session, at the same time that it mpos
cd that burden upon our people, was TO put an end
to the farther prosecution of these works. Wa.
II aotso? Did not that bill on its very face, stop
the further prosecution Of the Erie canal enlarge
nasata Certainly, and the proprie,y of thus arrest
ing them, vas urged upon US by our opponent. in
sae debate ON that bil There is one striking FAC,
winch proves this beyond peradventure, and it is
"ils AuoWn 70 almost every who has ,raverssd
shat canal ,hissc The Sc, OF double locks a,
LocSPort were IN the course of construction when
the Wings left this Government in the hapds Of
their opponents The contractor had hi. material,
to an immense amoans upon the groand, and rsa.
chinery, which had cost thousands Of dollars ready
for the completion of his contract.