The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1844-06-08

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prices of 49, cord for the former and
Anthracite Goal at the low price at which
| the latter must continue to be delivered
through the competition of the Schuylkil
navigation and the Reading railroad? Can
1t suddenly over come the long establish
ed preference for English Coal, a prefer
ence strongly evinced by the fact that the
average consumption for the five yeals
proceeding 1913, was of English coal
l46 422 tons, and of domestic bituminous
coal only 10000 tons, per annum? ne
gailve ansT er must clearly be given to all
these queries And yet, supposing the
impossible case that The English and the
Virginia Coal will be entirely excluded
from the market, and that evely ton COP
sumed will be supplied from Cumberland
what is the result with reference TO the
revenues of the Canal2 The tolls on 200,-
600 tons, over an average line ol20U miles
at the present rate of half cent per ton
per mile and that rate will bear no in
crease, but must rather be reduced, amount
to 100000, while the preferred liens
granted for the completion of the canal by
the provisions of the bill, and which must
be satisfied before the State can begin to
participate in the receipts of the work,
amount to 100000 per annum. IT, we
proceed upon what will be admitted to be
liberal, though still an extravagant sup
position, namely, that one hall, instead
of the whole Of the consumption stated,
will be supplied from the Cumberland
mines, the receipts in that case will be
100000, leaving unpaid of the mere
prlorilies 100000. And it must be re-
membered that this deficit, and the similar
deficit of each succeeding year. remain
with their accommodating interests charge
upon the revenues Of the Canal, and are
entitled TO the benefit of the preferred
lien. Such is the practical effect Of the
original bill reported by the Committee on
Internal Improvements; and the various
substitutes offered upon its rejection are
little less Objectionable, as similar CA
culation applied to them will readily
show.
2. The offer of the Railroad Company,
in reply to an application from the House
OF Delegates, 10 transport the coal from
Cumberland to the Canal at Dam No. &.
for 90 cents per ton, being precisely tie
same, according to the estimate of tn canal
company themselves, that it would cost
by the canal, takes away all pretext for
urging forward the completion of the
work So far as concerns the coal from
the Froslburg region, it is certain that the
canal, if completed, would not be used and
that the millions expended i'll its consruc-
ton would be literally thrown away. The
transhlpment to the canal would be made,
not at Cumberland, but at Dam No. 6,
That the railroad company entertain no
doubt of their ability to fulfil the engage
ment alluded to, with profit to their stock
holders, is clearly proved by the contract
!hey have entered into with the Maryland
and New York Iron and coal company to
transport $1,000 tons of coal, lron&c.,
from the mines to Baltimore at the same
rate OF J cents per ton per mile,-Wilh
the use Of the Railroad as a feeder, the
entire revenues acCruing upon the canal
from Dam No. 6, to Georgetown, will
pass into the State Treasury without de-
ducIion. The tolls upon 100000 tons,
should the tonnage ever amount to SO
much, would in this way yield the State
S272,O00 per annum. The tolls on the
same quantity Of 100000 tons, if the canal
were completed in the manner proposed,
would be just sufficient to satisfy the pre-
ferred liens, and would not leave u surplus
of dollar the State.
8. The friends of the Canal insist very
earnestly upon the fact that the work is
now unproductive, and say ''lhat all they
ask OF the State is to waive her liens for
the purpose of making it productive"
They declare that ''according to the plan
proposed by them, the canal is TO be finish
ed without adding a dollar TO the State
debt or liability" This is altogether "a
iallacous and deceptive statement Of the
case. The canal, ii is true, is at this time
unproductive. but it will cease TO be so
the moment the railway connexions, now
in progress from the mines to Cumberland.
are finished. When that is done. the OPP,
portunily will be afforded of fairly testing
The question of the demand for the coal
That demand will not be checked in the
slightest degree by the non-completlon oil
lhe canal, since according even to the es-
innate of the canal Company themselves
the cost OF transporting the coal to George
town by the Railroad and canal, is frac-
ton less than ny the canal alone, if it we're
completed to Cumberland. In this view
of the subject the completion Of the canal
becomes necessary only when the railroad
is unable to deliver at Dam No. 6 all the
coal for which demand may exist 1t
may safely be asserted that this will never
be the case; and until it is SO, it is certain
that the use Of the Railroad as a feeder 10
the canal, is the only way Of making the
latter work productive. The allegation
tina. the waiver of the States liens for the
purpose Of completing the canal does no
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