Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-14


dual stock but l,a40 shares which remain to be redeem
ed, and which viii be absorbed in three years at
average rate based upon the preceding dividends The
United States will therefore, be the sole owner and cor
poraor Of the canal and stock in the year 1885, having
the original investment Of than million
four hundred thousand dollars, which is than su
cent to construct another canal Of ample dimensions for
the accommodation Of the and future commerce OF
the river.
Your committee in the Investigation of this subject,
avoid the conclusion that great injustice has been
done to the commerce Of the West in the tax imposed
upon it by the Louisville and Portland canal company
and great orbearance has been exercised in submitting to
this TOLL which is the only instance in the nation where
the Government has exercised authority as stockholder
and claimed nsurious interest their investment As
evidence Of the burden upon the OF the river
your committee refer to we'll atesed facts in the navga
ton Of steamboats, where it is ascertained that vessels
makug the usual number of trips through the canal will
IN the course OF fve years. running from CINCINNATI TO
New Orlesns, pay amount of toll equal to half the
cost Of the vessel and boat running from Cincinnati 70
St Louis making her usual trips viii pay In FIVE yeers
as = sass! = e t.s ssa tss boats sommer,.
red by those boats pays its proportion of this duty,
which ultimately falls the consumer either at home
abroad at home, in the consumption of every foreign
article imported through the canal, which makes it
species of internal duty to the purchaser and, when
shipping the productions of the soil to foreign market
charge which acts in reducing his profits. But this
is not all the losses and delay occasioned by tranship
men and other expenses, form continual tax equal to
the tolls of the canal.
requires argument to prove that every charge or
risk upon the carrying business of the country is to its
full extent, loss to the producer. The Eastern manu-
factuer who sends his products to the West must submit
to dminuon of his profits equal to the increase of
freghts and risk arising from the dangers and expense of
navigation the same must fall on the consumer The
petitioners complain of this unjust expense but it by
the most important grievance The contracted d
mensons of the canal and the necessity of constructing
vessels above the falls, to conform their length and
width to the size of the locks which only half the
size for admitting such boats the trade Of the river
quires present the principal objections to the canal and
call loudly for redress
1t will be observed that the locks of the canal admit
boat of 1873 feet long and about 90 feet wide therefore,
this class of boats being considered too small for the
carrying trade below the falls has become necessary
class of above the falls in the trade between
Pittsburgh and Louisville and another class below be-
tween Louisville and New Orleans.
Many of both of these classes being too large to pass
the canal must necessarily be confined to the trade above
below unless in periods Of high water, when they pass
the rapids.
Another heavy item of expense which may be estimated
charge upon the of the river is the amount
of poge paid by fat boats and other craft passing
the rapids which would pass canal if the charges were
reduced This annual expense may be put down at twelve
to fifteen thousand dollars annually, which would be
saved to the commerce of the river and many losses
avoided if free canal were provided for their passage
around the falls.
As evidence of the value of the floating
upon the Ohio and the necessity of providing another
for its passage around the obstruction your
mttee furnish from the report of the canal company the
trade which passed the canal in 1851 which is but por
on of the commerce of the river as they furnish only
the number of vessels passing that avenue around the
falls. The number of steamboat passages through the
canal in 1851 is ,456, fat boats AIS tonnage 374, 3D.
custom-house measurement; capacity Of the same boats
about 100000 tons. -
y reference to report made to the Secretary the
Treasury this year. it win be that there on the
Ohio river 348 steamboats, with tonnage of 67 GOO TONS
and the number of passing the Ohio for the
apd;p Tul, ic
statements taken from what suppose to be correct
data convince your committee that two canals are now
required for passing the Of the Ohio around the
rapids and viii be made indspensaby necessary by the
increased business of the country II is therefore evil
dent that any interruption TO this immense commerce by
the enlargement the attempt to enlarge, the present
canal would be highly injurious to that portion Of the
trade arrested above below the falls and which would
necessarily have be passed by land portage distance
of than miles through the corporate limits Of
the city Of Louisville subject such restrictions as the
neutrality-suspicious. might require. If then we estimate
the number of tons Of which passed the canal in
1851 may form toleraby correct idea of the add
onal expenses for perhaps period Of two three years
which the Of the river would have pay before
the work would be completed.
This additional expense could not be much less than
$400, 900 annually which would be estimating the ex
penses at dollar per ton for the portage 100000
Of freight IL will thus be apparent that the loss
arising from the suppression stoppage Of the river
business for year, for few months, if not in
calcuabe, would at least be considerable that no
project likely to infct any delays upon the Of
the river ought to be for moment entertained by the
General Government
Your committee believe that the enlargement Of the
Louisville and Portland canal would render it much more
useful and efficient than il is present but such
argement would after ALL afford but avenue and your
committee convinced that in urging the necessity Of
two canals they comply with the wishes of every interest
connected with the Of the river except local
considerations, which ought not TO outweigh in the deli
beratons of Congress great public work intended for
the public good Your committee believe that the objec
tons TO the enlargement Of the present canal before
another is provided cannot be and in the Ian
guage Of Capt Grams report the committee agree with
him that under the most favorable circumstances Of
water il would take about two years to make all the
qured improvements in the existing canal to the amount
Of the estimate Of 1856 298 and in the contingency
which ought be counted Of unusual extreme high
stage Of water the time would be at least three years
During all this time ii would certainly be very difficult
although it might not be impossible, to economically
execute the improvements without stopping the navga-
ton of the canal and thus the contingency might
Of being under the necessity Of nterrupng the present
train Of business on the river"
To interrupt for period Of two three years, the
regular trade carried by many boats would serious
y derange the whole system Of commercial business, in
far ii relates TO navigation, not only on the Ohio
but throughout the whole Mississippi valley.
This evil would be wholly obviated by constructing
new canal on the Indiana side.
1t will thus be that serious objections exist in the
report Of Capt Cram to the enlargement Of the Louis
vile and Portland canal1 and these objections made
much stronger when anayre that plan given by
him 1t will be by reference to the report that this
project contempaes the purchase Of the then remaining
stock 6151 shares owned by individuals at $40 per
share and the improvement Of the canal to the amount
Of 1866 2S which, together with the dry dock makes