Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1852-04-29
NO. 48.
The system of Internal Improvements.


We have asserted that the passage Of the Inter
nal Improvement bi in 1896, was a party measure
That Of all parties voted for it, and after its adop
ton sustained it, is fact which one acquainted with
the history of the country will deny But we do main-
tain that the prosecution and Of the sys.
tenn, from its beginning until its disasterous downfall
was under the control and direction of Wings. Noah
Noble, Wing, was the Governor at the time Of the
passage OF the BILL He emphatically the father Of
the SYSTEM much De Witt Clinton was the father
Of the New York and Erie Canal. He recommended
the adoption of general system. Under his direction
were the surveys aud original estimates made He ap.
pointed the first Board of Internal improvements which
was composed Of seven Wings and two Democrats
The hrst board consisted Of the following gentlemen:
David H. Maxwell, David Burr, Samuel Lewis, James
b. johnson, John Woodburn, Elisha Long, Thomas H.
Blake, Samuel Hall, and John G. Cendenin-Messrs
Long and Woodburn being the only Democrats on the
board Under the direction of this board the first let
tngs, in 1886, took place. The fund commissioners ia
the various stages Of the progress of this system were
Nicholas McCarty, Jeremiah Sullivan Samuel Hannah,
Isaac COe, William c. Linton, Caleb B. Smith, and
Milton stapp-all Wings. For the purpose of prosecu-
ting this system of Internal improvements these com
misoners sold State bonds to the amount Of THIRTEEN
THREE HUNDRED AND sEvENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS AND
SEVENTY FIVE CENTS for which they received in cash.
NINE MILLIONS NINET7-Two THOUSAND THREE HUN
DRED AND SEVENTY EIeHT-DoLLARs AND SEVENTY
EIGHT CENTS. leaving suspended debt of -FOUR MIL
LIONS ONE HUNDRED AND sIxry'EIeHT THOUSAND
EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHT DOLLARS AND sIxrY.EIcHT
CENTS.
This suspended debt for State bonds, sold by
WHIc fund commissioners credit, without authority
of law. The payment was, however, secured by mort.
cages the Morris Canal, the Pontiac Railroad the
Soap and Candle Factory, lot of Apalachicola swamp
lands in Florida, lots in New York and Brooklyn,
and sundry other fancy articles. NJ. G. Bright the
Agent of State, BY the return of bonds and by the
sale of the fancy stocks and property realized the sum
Of seven hundred and twenty thousand eight hun
dred and eightyfve dollars and seventy -four cents,
making the loss to the state by Wing mismanagcment
and Wing hnancering, of the enormous sum of THREE
MILLIONS FOUR HUNDRED AND THrRTY.SrSE THOU.
SAND NINE HUNDRED AND TwENTY-THaEE DOLLARS
AND NINETY-sIx CENTS.
This fair statement OF the case taken from the re-
cords During all this time, the administration of the
State Government in the hands Of the Wings. Un-
der Wing rule the credit of the State the lowest
ebb; the name of Indiana by-word of reproach.
governor Wnltc0mO was elected, nnding the al
fairs of the State in such hopeless condition of bank
ruPtcy and Disgrace he Immediately work all his
energies to restore her credit and to pay the debt,
which hung like ncubus the energies of the peO-
pie. He succeeded, by the aid of the Legislature
ting his recommendations of making arrangement
satisfactory creditors thus restoring the credit Of
the State and providing for the prompt payment of the
interest the remainder of the State debt Under the
administration of Governor Wright, the interest has
been promptly paid, and during the present year.
than half million Of the principal will be lquidated
This is true picture 1t has been drawn from the
record, and is sustained by the facts and the figures.
Wing friends desire to pursue this subject any far
her shall give the details of of their ansac
tons. The report Of Governor Noble exposes the
fraud and the folly of of the Wing Fund Commis
soners in a very strong light But we have pasiicu
lar desire to pursue the subject II, however, il be-
comes necessary, shall publish all the facts. Ii
Wings wish to rakeup the dry bones and mOuldeIing
ashes of the system Of Internal Improvements and its
management, we are ready FOR the examination: we
shall not shrink from such inquest.