New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-05-06
The Public Works and Improvement Policy
of orr STATE

. ne fuDIic w Crkr ana improvement
of orr state.
In the Assembly on Monday, Mr. WoRDEs Of
Ontario, from the minority Of the Committee OF
Ways and Means, made an important and lucid
Report on the Public Works of our Stale, in favor
Of resuming and completing the construction OF The
unfinished portions Of the Canals hitherto com
menceo We find The following summary Of this
Report in the Evening journal:
II appears that there has already been expended
On the Enc Cana! enlargement. sI2soJo2l 70
On TIE Black River OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES l.SiCO0 70
On the Genesee Valley Canal.--.------- 3IsiCVJ 70
On the Oneida River itnp,ovemea.... 69.276 l3
To,al. 200, IL g
The entire cos. Of all the Canals Of this
State including the aTnourtexpeHdei on
these unfinished WORKS is .---..-----. 3O,12j551 ~
Cost Of the completed works 5l5203 05
The net the Canals during the navigation
season of s3j were - @ 995 o.: being about equal 10
: per cent on The entire cost ofthe Pablo Works.
The Canal De5t on the 2O;h September last was nom.
inally ~ 61UU =
The amount In the hands of the Commits
sioners Of the Canal Fund on that day ap-
picable 10 the payment Of the Canal
Debt inclu9ing the September tols, waa oe'5l7 10
Actual amount of Canal Debt OF the 30,h
September last. SIC 592 JOB o.
The report shows that the revenues of the Erie
and Champlain Canals have already paid for their
construction, and the interest on their cost. and
Welded farther revenue which has been applied 70
the deficiencies Of the lateral canals. TO interest on
deb; contracted for the enlargement and toward the
ompletion Of the enlargement OF aboutnine millions
of dollars.
On,he LIST July next the Canal debt OF the State
as appears from The report, will be slG,3g5,5lJ, and
the annual interest upon il, S9O7, 7Ol 81. Adding
10 this sum onc.hird OF the interest on the DEBT 10
be annually appropriated az sinking fund Tor lis
fina payment will make an annual appropriation OF
1vIsT ray-a %
apart and annually applied 10 the payment of The
interest OF the existing debt, and supplying sink
ing fund for its final redemption Will provide be
yond any contingency for such payment On the as
sumption that the revenues Of the Canal will for the
future be equal 10 those Of the preceding year, the
financial ability OF the State 10 prosecute The puoilc
works would be as follows
Nctreyenues Of the Canals .......---.--.S2,l25 s95
Deduct annual Interest, the present Canal
Dobt and equal to one third OF such 80,
iuteres, being. l2lU.%c7
Balance sql5,7sO
The report shows that, after providing ample
means for the payment OF the present canal debt
surplus revenue the above amount remains aPpli-
cable TO the construction OF the unfinished WORKS;
and that deduc,ing from this sum 100000 annu-
ally appropriated from the canal revenues TO the sup
port of the State Government the State may be re-
garded as having at its disposal an annual surplus
canal revenue of 500 600. which may be applied 10
the prosecution of the public works, or TO the pay,
nent of interest ON such sums as may be borrowed
for that purpose, and providing an annually sinking
fund for the redemption OF such debt.
The report expresses the opinion that no appro-
priation OF the Canal Revenues should be made 10
any purpose until ample means are provided Tor Inc
pavment of the present debt aud the interest upon IT,
that this may be done through the operation OF
sinking fund from The Canal Revenues, leaving an
annual surplus of at least 500 000 10 be applied as
oil in The O The
public works Ii suggests that when the works
shall be resumed q system of finance shall be adop-
ted which will preclude the idea OF taxation or IN
curing State debt, beyond what the revenues VIII
be certain pay and expresses opinion that ms
may be done upon revenues equal 10 thoSc Oh tiie
preceding year
The Report takes n view of the present works Of
internal improvements completed and IN progress In
the Western States. The completed canals leading
10 Lake Erie are s35 miles in extent, and when the
Wabash and Erie Canal shall be finished, will
amount 10 more than 1900 miles terminating in that
hike The Illinois Canal when completed, terml-
mating in Lake Michigan, will create, III connection
with the Erie Canal aud the lakes and Hudson XIV,
err nm internal navigation leading 10 New ORR oil
more than 5000 miles and connecting the Western
lakes with The Ohio aud Mississippi Rivers. II APP
penrs from the Report that the trade oil the wv es'ern
Sntes has within the last ten years increased SIX
hundred per cent and on the assumption that 1t will
continue to increase with the Increasing settlement
of the West shows that the Erie Canal VIII IN a
very few wears be incapable OF admitting lis transit
10 tide waters
. The Rcport also takes view OF the works OF IN
ternal improvements now constructing by the British
Government through the 81. Lawrence, and shows
from British public documents that these works
were undertaken and are prosecuted for the avowed
obec, of dvcrtng this immense trade from the CITY
of New y ork and in The confident expectation that
the ST. Lawrence when thus improved, and stand.
lug in competition with the present Erie Canal VIII
afford 10 the trade of the w est the cheapest route
10 tdc.water
As the policy indicated in the Report rests alto
se,her upon the amount tina, will probably be real
lied from the Canal Revenues, 10 show that they
will not decrease for the future avery general view
is taken of the increasing population and business
of The Western States, and OF former estimates
made of the trade upon ana The revenues 10 be dc.
rived from the Canals aud the opinion Is expressed
that unless inudjcious measures are adopted, the
Canal Revenues must continue 10 incresse The He
port set : fort the estimated Canal Revenues made
bv the Canal Board in 1910, and shows that IRON
( $40 10 1916 the actual revenues have exceeded
that estimate S36.4l o. 1t also adverts 10 the es
Inmates of Canal Revenues, made by Mr.. Rusgles
in lS3S and shows that they have already exceeded
! tha, estimate more than S20o0000
! The Repor, neither vindica;es or condemns any
former policy or theory but suggests such views as
arise out of the existing state OF things and presents
such facts and considerations as are calculated TO
lead 10 iudicous and wise policy IN relation 10 the
| public works.
On motion of Mr. BAILY, the same number of
copies OF this Report as OF The msjory leloO were
ordered printed.
Gov. Seward in Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati Gazette gives The following cor
respondeucc between several citizens of the West.