New-York daily tribune., 1845-05-26


Cured in the construction f,he lateral canals was
paid out oi the General Fund. Since that PERIOD
directly and Indirectly, the deficiencies IN the
enues Of The lateral canals have been charged upon
The Enc canal revenues, and there have been
drawn from those revenues, since 1899, as follows:
For the of the General Fund s.! GJ2 I3
For the payment Of interest debts
| traced for the construction of lateral canals,
pursuant he 25th May, ISL. lsG9,26S IS
| Surplus ard funds in the hands
OF the Commissioners Of the Canal Fund,
exclusive Of the MONEYS raised by ta- and
exclusive of the fund set apart TO redeem the
old Erie and Champain canal stock, and
which has accrued slice lsi2.-- l,lIo,ioi al
S4,sl7oss 49
Thus is will be seen that since 1887, a new and
three millions of canal revenues: and ,ha, since
| 1872 81 ll70, l67 fl has accumulated for the re-
demption OF our canal debts. Had these funds
been applied to the actual enlargement OF the canal
10 keep down the dest incurred for that purpose,
the actual increase of debt since 1859 would have
| been 81 CPS. .237 64.
We have gwen you fellow citizens an accurate
statement; OF your canal debt, the means existing
for lis payment and the probable period OF It's ex-
| tlncton; also statement of the different items OF
such deb created for the several works of Internal
| Improvement constructed or in progress OF con-
struction when arrested by the policy OF 1872 We,
| perhaps, ought TO call on you 10 Judge with what
propriety this debt is clarseable upon the Wing
! party. more than ten millions OF II having been
created before the Whig party came into power In
1899. Bat that is not important for your interests
! aS 1t Is 10 determine winch policy Is demanded un-
der the existing state Of things In reference TO our
canal debt and system OF internal improvements
that shall be compatible with the interests OF the
entire State.
The increase of Canal Debt since 1899 has been
occasloned by the construction OF the Genesee ' al
| lev and Black River Canals, and The Enlargement
of the Erie Canal. All these works were author
ised prior TO 1889 The law authorsins the con-
siructon OF the Genesee Valley Canal directed the
Canal Commissioners to put the work under con-
tract and authorised the issue and sale OF stock TO
| the amount of two millions of dollars, TO pay the
cost of construction The law authorisng the con-
structIon OF the Back River Canal, contained the
same directions 10 contracts. and authorised the
issue of stock to he amount of $S00,0C0 to pay for
construction. All that has been done by The Wing
party sIRce 1889, has bcen 10 provide means 10
comply with the provisions OF the laws authorlslng
The construction Of these Canals
| la 1885, Gov Marcy, in his Message to the Lc-
gsIalure expressed strong soIicude tor the speedy
enlargement ot the Erie Canal. During the same
! session the Canal Commissioners, Alessrs Van
Rensselaer,, Bouck, Young, Hoffman and Earl,
made special report TO the Legislature, suggesting
and strongly urging the necessity OF providing ior
such enlargement Of the Erie Canal as should al
ford adequate capacity Tor the Western trace, so
that citizens of other States, lnreailon 20 their own
| improvements, might have guarantee lnat IN"
|
| our canals, cheap and expeditions transmit TO the
| Atlantic In accordance with those views, at the
| same session, law was passed authorizing the
! Canal Commissioners 10 enlarge the Ere Canal and
construct double set OF locks as soon as the Canal
Board should be of opinion that the pvbic Interest
required such improvement. The Canal Board on
the Sd July 1875, by resolution, declared that the
public interest required the enlargement and that
the work should commence rs soon as the Erie and
| Chanplaln Canal debt was provided ior. lhls they
| ,l,,Il, ii don
Iuly, 1886, and they then directed That The Canal
Commissioners proceed 10 Cause the necessary sur
| veys for the enargemcnt-the dimensions OF the
enlarged Canal having been fixed by the Canal
| Board al seven fee, deep and seventy ieetwlde.
| The act OF 1895 authorizing the enlargement was
passed under the Impression that the expenses OF
the work would be paid out ot the surplus tolls, bul
this idea was soon abandoned In 1897, the Senate
addressed series CT inquiries to the ANAL Board:
ascertain whether, IN their oplnlon was i1r ihe
interest of the State TO proceed with the enlarge
| ment more rapidly than was contemplated by the
act ofIS35, and whether the cost OF the work woeld
exceed their former estimates! (lhai being about
| twelve and half millions oi doilars) The Canal
Board in reply say, thatn their opinion 1t Is iHr Inc
interest OF the State proceed with The enlarge
| menr, so that II may be completed sooner than Is
contemplated by the act of May, 1885 They also
say that's far as their estimates had been tested,
they had been ioand remarkably accurate. No Le-
| gisative action was had the subject IN 1851
Gov Marcy, in his Message 10 the Legislature In
1888, speaking of the enlargement. says: he best
interests of the State appeal to you with great
earnestness 10 provide tor the early competition ol
this Important improvement ! am persuaded that
larger sum than the present appropriation Vhe sur
plus lolls) might be advan,aseously expended with
out causing interruption and delays TO the transpor
ta,ou on The canals" Again, he says, IN the same
Message both duty ayd interest indicate not only
the propriety oi making 1t the enlarged canal) ace
qnate 10 The public wants, but ct making II so al the
earliest practicable period Pursuant 10 these re-
commentators OF Governor Marcy, and the Canal
| Board, a law was passed (Sess. Laws OF io3o cii
| 266) authorizing the borrowing OF -Four Millions OF
dollars for that purpose This act also directs the
Commissioners to prepare and put under contract
such portions of the work are mentioned in men
| Report 10 the Assembly OF tn 10th March, 1855
and snch other portions as III their judgment would
| best secure the completion OF the entire enlarge
ment with double locks on the whole line
On The 18th April 1855, Gov Marcy transmitted
10 the Legislature special message, IN which he
! said, g recommend that the Commissioners o! me
Canal Fund be authorized 10 Issue stock, which 1t
| is now certain will become necessary wlthina lev
wears for the enlargement OF the Erle CSnal, aho
the completion OF the Black River and Genssee
| Valley Canals and TO loan II 10 the Banks Sen
ate Document, 1888, No 70, p. 81; A bill accor
| dinghy passed the Senate, composed of majority
of Gov Marcy's political friends, authorizing The
| the issue and loan o Stock 10 the Banks, 10 the
amour, of 81 500, ,000-the moneys, when repaid by
L
to the enlargement OF the Erie Canal; one million
five hundred thousand 10 The completion OF the
BLACK River Canel Two millions 10 tbs completion
Of the Genesee Valley Canal TINS bill was de-
fea,ed in The Assembly. composed tina, year OF a
majority OF Wing members 1t il, fact worthy
10 be noted in references 10 the hill which finally
passed in 1888, authorizing tine loan for The enlarge;
ment taat the political friends of Coy Marcy y9led
IN the Senate for loan of FIVE millions oil dollars,
while the house OF Assembly refused 10 make The
loan exceed fonr millions.
When the Wing party came into power in lSS9,
they found that the Canal Commissioners their po-
litice opponents, under the law OF 1858, haG MADE
| Canal and th,. construction of The Genesee Valley
and Black River Canals. To show you that these
contracts were made in the spirit OF Gov Msrcy's
recommendation 10 complete the enlargement at
the earliest practicable period the same Canal
Commissioners. IN lS$9, recommended that 'he
whole work upon the enlargement should be pni5
under contract. End proposed 10 have hnHnsn II ano