New-York daily tribune., 1843-04-28
THE TRIBUNE.
A D D R r 4 8

IN surrender 10 lIlel CoiiStllucHto 'iiC h"P''
snd honorable trusts confided TO their hands, de-
sre to render an account of Their stewardship aio
n solicit upon their acts, their views ana thef
roo,ves. the deliberate and candid judgement OF
the people. .:.,,oa
The fact, however, that VIC have constitu'ou
throughout the Session now closing a po"erless
,o;norty of either branch OF the Legislature iii.
noses on us the necessity OF speaking ra'''ei u
the acts Of the majority than OF our own IN
that majority the government OF our ola'e Is
vested by their views and acts us Pohcy IS
sbaped: their will is for the time beng It's law.
Although by the theory of our government every
mart of our State is supposed to share IN and
modify its public councils, yet, practically, the
t.ct js known to be very different from this; and
>, this moment the Eighth Senate District, for
instance. has no more voice in those councils or
;nauencc over their deliberations than has New
Jersey or Michigan; It's interests arc not halt so
,eIl cared for as are those of Canada or New
C,1eanc. The members of the majority, what
eycr ,hcr domestic differences of principle or feel
np. are cordially united in denying to the MINOR
tv all substantial power in the State. If, there
tore, we shall speak mainly of the policy and acts
Of that majority, as exhibited both in what they
have done and what they have wiltuly left un
dome. it is because the positive character and re-
su,s OF the Session arc therein displayed. 10 US
has been permitted but the minor duty of lnetiec
tual and hopeless resistance: Intellectual, except
as il NAV tend TO awaken your attention to the
sacrifices of your interests and lnvaslons oil your
rights repeatedly perpetratcd by the majority;
homeless, save as it may arouse you to struggle Tor
the preservation of those interests the restoration
Of those rights.
OF the great questions of public policy ON
which we were brought into direct and irrecon-
cilable collision with the majority, the first place
is properly due to the intcrmnglcd topics OF our
Public Works and the State Finances. With
the general facts connected herewith, as antecc
IDENTIFY existing, we suppose you to be all familiar
At the commencement of the present year New
York owed debts amounting in the aggregate 10
S23,000,O00, or including those contingent liab-
tiles which the State iskely to be required TO pay,
to nearly So, 100000. Deducting s., SOC, ,000
Of funds on hand applicable to the payment ol the
debt and adding the debt created ar tins Session
for the payment of contractors, and the whole
debt of the State, including that OF lnsolvent
Railroad Companies for which the State Is endor-
scr, is about S24,000,0 600, subject to an annual
interest OF 81 5000 The repairs and superin
tendence Of the Canals cost $1,000 per annum,
the remaining expenses of the State are about
S500000, making total expenditure of SS2, 400,
900 per annum. TO meet this we have--l. Ca
nal Tolls, which were III l84l little over S200O,
600, and in 1912 little under $ ,S0GO00, and
NAV fairly be estimated for lS43 at a medium
amount or 81, 100000. 2. Auction and Salt
Duties, at least 100000 from Clerks Fees and
Miscellaneous sources Sl00,0UO; Mill Tax
100000; making Il total OF S2,9OO,00O, or
net surplus of Halt Million of Dollars over the
gross expenditure at the close Of the current year
But this statement but family exhibits the tinan-
cia resources and solycncy OF our State Onr "a
nails now completed and in operation yield net
annual revenue Of S 100000, and are therefore
eQualm money value at SIX per cent to 81 ,t6o-
6GU cash in hand or almost the entire amount OF
our State Debt But these completed works con-
sttutc at best but molety III valuc-lcss than
moety in cost--of the Public Works OF New
York. On the Ere Canal Enlargement, the Cen
esce Valley and Black River Canals, and on the
Erie Railroad, the State has already expended
gross sum of $4,000, ,000 nearly three lourths of
our present State Debt. On these works we are
paying am annual interest Of more than One Mil
terial benefit whatever. They swell enormously
the magnitude Of our Debt; they absorb the net
revenues of our producing Canals; they create
whatever necessity may exist for direct TAXATION;
yet they yield nothing, and can yield nothing, un
III some portion of them is completed. What.
then, is our true policy with regard to them
We will not here urge upon your attention the
fact that all these works were undertaken and
cd h,- nnr vhnp formerly, n
power nor will we urge that the Canals were
undertaken upon the strength of deceptive and
fatally mistaken estimates proceeding from Ca
nal Board of that party while our present Govern
or was the guiding spirit of that Canal Board
Newill not urge that this Canal Commissioner,
now Governor, struggled hard to fix the dimcn-
by eighty, or one third larger and very far more
costly than the size ultimately agreed upon. All
these are facts of public notorety and official re.
cprd as also tha, Gov Marcy and the Regency
Senate OF 1888 united heartily in the . More
Speedy Enlargement, then resolved on. These
facts are we'll known, but ii were Improbable TO
dwell on them, since it is not recrimination for
the past. but practical wisdom and sound policy
Tor the iuiurc, that engages our attention. What
Is 10 be done Shall these Eighteen Millions
worth of public works be utterly given oyer as
worthless and the means of defravNg the annual
interest on their cost, and ultimately extingusl-
ing the principal, be wrung from the people OF
New-lork by onerouS and taxation
ms is question which, TO the taxpayers of our
State must be one of engrossing interest.
ror our own part, II seems that this question,
IN the minds of candid, enlightened and practical
men, can receive but one answer. Grant that
the original commencement of our now hslf.con-
structed Public Works was inconsidcrate and nm.
wise, and sti! the policy OF now bringing a, least
. portion OF them into a state of prodnc,iveness
.smapilesi and prge4t. The question is not now
ghe,her THIRTY Millions shall or shall not be cx
pended 10 construct those works, and whether
they viii or not pay the interest on that large
sum: hut whether Eishteen Millions hax;sI