New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-12
The Canal Contracts.

lie cutlery of corruption, extravaganza,
sc. now raised concerning the recent award Of
Contracts on our State Canals, renders pertinent
the following facts:
|. 1t is fact that the oirnals now promin-
ont IN this clamor were traditonaly, actively
and utterly hostile to the. Speedy Enlargement
policy, having fought At from it, inception to the
last moment when opposition could avail. and
having horored it with even hasher epIhets than
they now literally be~tow on Tic award OF Con
tracts under is.
9. 1t IS act that, IN anticipation OF the Speedy
Enlargement. a careful survey IN detail Of the
work to be done and 4 close estimate OF its ne
cossary cos. was made by the States Engineers
: who are men Of experience as well as capacity,
and the result reported by them wiz that the
whole work remaining to be done would cost
about II ,O00,000) was assumed as a standard by
the friends Of the enterprise, while cts foes have
from time to time lnsinuated that the cost would
exceed the Engineers official estimate
;. II is fact that the Contracts have Just
been awarded at bids generally near but av-
orsglng be'or the Engineers estimates, so that the
Enlargement of the Eiie and Oswego and com
pletion Of the existing Lateral Canals under the
Contracts Just made will cost less than mas hith-
erto been presumed by the friends Of the under
taking
1. 1t Is fact that the last Legislature was
distinctly urged TO prescribe that the Contracts
should be given to the lowest bidders for each
respectively, but directly refused to do Sex
perlence having shown that under such a rule
men who know little or nothing OF the business
will bid for Jobs at hafprice and either be obliged
to throw them up after commencing or importune
Legislature after Legislature Tor relief so that
every Job taken below its value is sure to cost
the State more than il fair price had been slip.
ulated at the outset Thus the last Congress
narrowly escaped the nfamy Of voting Father
Richie >200O00 in addition TO the sum for which
he contracted TO do its Printing, ard the present
Congress will probably no, escape 1t. II does,
tire claim viii be lobbied about Congress after
Congress til one Is found weak Or corrupt
enough to put !, through
s. IL IS fact that the Wing majority (of on,)
in tie Canal Board did not act as Z uni, IN the
late award OF Contracts, and that nobody pre-
tends that the Contracts have been exclusively
given to Wings On the contrary. large pro-
portion OF them have been gwen TO the other
party, and in this proportion are included those
about which the greatest outcry is made.
o. It's fac. that those members OF the Canal
Board who now start the CRY that me Contracts
have been corUptly awarded because they were
not given to the lowest bidders were ,hems.lves
art end part N arrsHg sneras and combinations 10
stetltm % bdders whO psrs not the k,eest and are
row obstrepercus only because their bidders a,
higher rates than the lowest were not success.
ful, as Il was confidently and reasonably ex.
pected, only few days ago, that they would be.
Then an arrangement was all out consumma.ed
whereby the Bamburners were to have avery
liberal share IN the distribution but a, the
eleventh hour resolution prevailed giving the
allotment to the Canal Commlssionsrs zone Whip
two HunAers and never Barnburner) In CON
nsction with the Division Engineers This
new aud aaeI2ec.sd slide put the aoses Of our