New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-15


such constan, accumulation 10 have secured
the cxtinguishmcnt of The Public Debt Us sooll at
least, as is now promised under the present alb.
surd and oppressive system Of finance. In the
review which has been made of the past it has
appeared and is now admitted that only 81, 075,-
900 Of the whole public debt was borrowed by
the Wing Administration, and that of this sum-
four millions were expended on the public works
devolvcd on that administration BY theft Prede-
cessors, and more than three millions in perform
ing contracts actually made by those predeces-
sors. in the darkest hour the State has ever
seen, the Wings performed every contract with
out taxation. Their successors, with the aid Of
4 tax OF :S6j0HOO, have broken contracts, nn
which they have already subjected the State TO
SoV0,00 OF damages, and tnc future aggregate
Of this rGinous expenditure caaaot yet be con-
ccivcd.
Fellow Citizens, VIC would if we could state
the policy Of the present Administration in regard
to Finance and the Public WGks. But in truth
no policy exists. The majority unanimously
agree that the contracts must be broken and
damages must be paid, which ii is apparent will
equal the whole cost of bringing the Enlarged
Enc Canal into use, Isl ,300,000) Bat one por.
ton strcnuous y insist on resurning the Works
Immediately, the abandonment Of which has cost
50 much, while the other insists on rendering the
abandonment complete and perpetual by amend
ing the Constitution Tor that purpose Again a
portion demand further direct tax Of 100000
per annum TO pay damages, while their ass9ci-
ates Insist, as we know 10 be the TACT, that the
canal revenues are ahundant-and all agree not
only in resisting the apportionmcnt of the pro-
cceds of the Public Lands, but reject nearly $780,
900 from that source secured by the late Wing
Administration, and actually deposited in bank
to the credit of the State.
You will inquire what is to be expected in re-
gard to the Ere Railroad and the unfinished Ca.
nails. But we confess with all our facilities for
information, concerning the views of the Admin
istration, we can give no assurance. A report
has been submitted in. the Senate, designed to
prove that the lateral Canals already construct
ed, are unnecessary and ought to be filled up
that the Enlargement or the Erie Canal was al
together visionary, while the unfinished Genesce
Valley and Black RiSeEs CANALS are monuments
ofLegslative fatuitzsg sMuption. These con-
ments which as conciusively demonstrate that
the Eric and Champain Canals themselves were
lmproXdently constructed and have contributed
To cover the State with debt and bankruptcy
L&ktEesult OF the report is, that instead Of pay
|$kfHthe Public Debt as it shall become due from
Nfs2kesources derived from the PublicWorks alone,
the time of payment must be anticipated, the re-
venues must be kept as uhproductlve as neglect
and damages will render them, and taxation must
be continued and increased indefinitely and not
only no new work of Internal Improvementmust
be commenced, but not dollar must be spent in
completing those now suspended during period
Of twenty-five and half years. 1t would be
unjust to deny that portion of the majority re-
pudiate this absurd policy. 1t is small portion
of it, to be sure; but in their apparent Willingness
10 relieve the State from the absurd and rulnous
provisions of the act of 1912, they have more
ff.ctually exposed the indeiensible course of the
majority, than we of the minority could by any
possibility have done. The report from the Com
nttce on Canals in the House OF Assembly, a
majority of which are of the dominant party,
affords ample proof that some OF these Architects
of Ruin are occasionally visited with returning
sense of Justice and reason. That report, aswelI
as the bill which accompanied it, proposed to Sc
cure to the public works, which had been IN
state of delay and diiapdatlon for upwards of two
years, some degree of preservation and to save the
public treasury an annual drain of many thou
sands Of dollars, which 1t was suffering by rea-
son of the neglected and unfinished state in
which many of the structures on the Canals had
been left by the act of 1912. Although from
this report, and the statements of the Engineers
with which it is accompanied, 1t clearly appears
that an expenditure of 81, 100000 would com-
plete one line of enlarged locks, and furnish an
abundant supply of water from Albany to But
falo whereby the tonnage OF boats would be IN
creased from 70 to los tons, the cost Of trans
portation reduced % per cent. and the capacity
Of the Canal enlarged threefold; and although 1t
was demonstrated with equal certainty that such
an expenditure could be made from the surplus
revenues of the Canals without interfering with
any public pledges resorting TO taxation, yet
not one dollar has been appropriated for the pur-
Dose. The amount expended Oh the Schoharc
Creek Auueduct and section Of Canal attached,
is about 100000 The statement O! the En-
r:necrs shows that further expenditure OF SS3o,-
900 will bring this work into use, with cOnse-
quent annual saving in repairs of $4,000, and an
annual saving in the cost of transportation Of
$500. The amount expended on the Jordan
Level is about S500,000. A further expenditure
Of $4,000 will bring the new line into use, with
an annual saving in repairs OF $2,2O0, and III
cost of transportation of S4 1862. Three has been
an expenditure upon the Genesce Valley and
Black River Canals, of s. 1886, 2O5. To preserve
structures costing thus much from decay and In
Jury from flood, an expenditure OF Sl5,0OO is
estimated as sufficient. Along the whole line of
the Canals, bridges 2queducts, culverts and other
structures have renamed in an unfinished and
decaying condition since the doom pronounced
upon them in 1912 Large amounts of valuable
materials lie scattered upon the banks and in the
vicinity of the Canals, scarcely known or cared
for as public property, subject by the irreyocable
DEGREES of the act of 1912 to be lost to the State,
by exposure and pillagc. That there should have
been found in the majority some who, despite of
party shackles, would no longer so bow down to
and worship its policy as to resist these claims
upon their duty and patriotism, is not strange
Accordingly the bill reported in the Assembly
although imperfect and insufficient IN It's PROV
sions and falling far short of the just necessities
of the Public Works, contained the germ ofrelief
from the ruinous policy which had been visited
upon us. We rejoiced at its introduction and
rave it our voices and votes. We did so, because