The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-04-12
DEBATE
On Me Bin for The reiiefof Lorenzo L..
Morehouse, in The House Of Repre-

MOrehouSe, an he House OF Repre-
Scntatiues, January 81, 1914.
Mr.. Sprague moved to take up the
bill for the relief of Lorenzo l.. More
house.
1t appears that canal boat of the
applicant, loaded with black salts had,
in time of high water, been sunk in
the Wabash and Erie Canal, by striking
on rock or pile of stones, left no
one side of the canal by the workmen.
The bill was taken up. 1t provides
for the erection Of board of farbitrators.
Mr.. Ewing moved to refer it 10 the
Committee on claims, but after some
conversation between him and some
other members withdrew his motion.
Mr.. Archbold moved that the bill.
with the pending amendments, be inde-
finitely postponed.
Mr.. Sprague opposed the motion for
indefinite postponement. lie SAID,
that unless the bill passed, Mr.. More
house would be without remedy--that
his boat had in time of high water,
struck on a rock or on pile of stones,
left by the workmen on the side OF the
Canal The Superintendent hld after
wards placed buoy there, so that 9th
er boats escaped; and when the water
fell, had removed the obstruction. The
committee had considered it doubtful
whether the claim would hold good a.
gainst private company or corpora
ton, or not, and theretoreit was neces-
sary to create board Of arbitration,
rs the claimant could not pursue his
rights under the general law.
Mr.. Archbod said the claim had no
Justice in it. The real question was,
whe Their the State was bound to become
the INSURER of all the property floating
on the Canals. Mr.. Morehouse ought
to have applied to an insurance office.
To hold the State bound as insurer
would open frightful gulf for the pub
lie money. Who paid for the proper.
ty casually lost on our natural rivers?
The gentleman, Mr.. Sprague) had said
that the boat was wrecked on a rock
or pile of stones, left by the work
men. The claim would not be strength
ened in his mind if it turned out to be
the latter. The great Architect had
left rocks in our natural rivers, which
might be considered their natural OBJ
structions. and if the workmen left
stone there they might be considered
the natural distractions of the canal.
He would as soon vote part o! the
taxes to pay for any boat lost on the
beautiful Ohio, as to pay Mr.. More
house for his. Faxes were not right
fully raised for any such purpose.
The people along the line OF this ca
nal had enjoyed the unmerlted ana ILL
requited bounty Of the State to con
struct it, and now it was further pro-
posed to make the State an insurer for
all the property floating on 1t. The
people patiently submitted to one
great robbery, and now it was pro-
posed to subject them to an indefinite
number of little ones. What unboun-
ded encouragement would be given 10
fraud, negligence and REGULATION ifpart
of the taxes must be taken to pay
every man who sunk canal boat by
negligence or design. He contended
that taxes could not rightfuIly be taken
from the people without RETURN
That it was the duty ofGovernment to
establish courts of justice TO attend
to the police, and to ditiuse the blessings
of social order and civil organization
throughout the length and breadth oi
the land. To enable Government to
perform these duties, and to pay the
public servants engaged in the perfor-
nance, taxes were necessary, and might
be righttully levied. But if we vote
part ofthe taxes to Lorenzo l.. More.
house, will that part be employed in
purchasing for the people the benefits
of peace and social organization? A
recurrance to first principles would
show this and all similar claims to be
monstrous. Truly, strange state oI
things existed in our beloved State
For all the benefits Of good Govern.
ment, for the enactmentand execution
of the laws which protect us when
we wake, and guard us when we
sleep, we pay about ONE MILL on
the doIlar-for our miscalled internal
improvements about six. He knew
that nominally the general State tax
was mill and a half on the dollar, and
the canal tax, five, but large transfers
continually took place from the general
revenue to the canal fund. So that the
people paid six times as much for a sci
of roads and canals, which vast pro-
portion of them would never see, as fol
| oil tho hlessinOs and benefitS of theil