New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-11
aIR STATE CANALS.

OH STATE CANALS.
The business on our State Canals this Spring is
large beyond precedent, although the extraordinary
abundance of breaks-Which reflect no credit on their
mansgemen'-must seriously embarrass and impede
their navigation. Should business continue equally
good through the season. the Canal Revenues oil TINS
wear must exceed -Four Millions of Dollars. Were the
Enlargement and It's colateras completed the rates OF
toll being left unchanged these Revenues would not be
less than Five Millions involving large addition TO
our Citys trade and to the supply of products whence
her People must be fed and her Imports pad for Were
the Enlargement completed this day, many staple ar
ces of consumption would be sensby cheapened to our
consumers while yielding larger return to their pro-
ducers in the Interior or the Great West.
We need the Enlarged Canal, completed and in Oper
alton at the earliest practicable day. Our City needs
tour State and her Finances needit Free West
needs tour Country and the world need IT, Why can
we not hayet
There is Just one important interest adverse TO it
that of the Herkmer ascendancy in the party now rll
ing our State This ascepdancy forced into our reform
ed Constitution of 1S46 clause calculated and intend
ed to postpone the completion of this great work until
it could be effected with the accrung surplus revenues,
heavily depleted not only deay the current expenses
of the Canals and the interest their Debt but urth
er in part the expenses of the State Govern
ment Thus ettered the Canals cannot work out their
own completion for many years to come.
The controversy between this and the more rational
system Of completing the Canals Immediately, on the
credit of their prospective Revenues has been wsged
to its proper conclusion. The sentiment Of the State
is this day very decidedly favorable to the earliest
MI of Drbli vvth inn ginO fraSh
taxes on the People The Herkimer policy is plainly
seen to run parallel to that Of mser who, having in
herited unfinished structure should resolve TO rent
the first story and basement until he should thence OBJ
tain the funds necessary TO build the upper stories and
put ON roof or else should resolve to 60 without his
dinner daily until the amount thus saved should suffice
to complete the building The late Session exhibited
the spectacle of a Democratic Legislature, under
Bamburner Speaker, Herkmer Chairman Of Ways
and Means, and an apOstate Governor (who strkingy
verifes the truth of the maxim that renegade is
worse than ten TuksO virtually driven by the force Of
public sentiment to take decisive steps toward relieving
the State Of its Herkimer manaces and allowing II to
move on in the path of Progress and Prosperity.
But the Herkimer dOctorsdo not surrender with good
grace They must be paid at least for heating the poker
If they allow the Constitution to be amended and the
Canals to be promptly completed they must be grat6ed
with the imposition of a Direct Tax, What though the
amendment they consent to renders all taxation for Canal
purposes manifest absurdity they say with Shyock,
Though it feed nothing else it will feed my revenge
The ghosts ohe departed prophets of Canal bankruptcy
and beggary may be somewhat consoed for the general
failure of their doeul representations by the spectacle
of the State subjected to at least Canal Tax.
W. how hoar ;rcl; nj ,+;u
this maleyoent whim, if We might thereby secure the
early completion Of our State Works Our main OBJ
lection to it is ths-the proposition is not made in good
faith. The followers of LOOMS intend by insisting on
imposing tax to render the Enlargement OdiOus and
arrest it altogether They know that the farmers Of
st. Lawrence Delaware Suffolk &c, who will readily
consent to the Enlargement if effected by Canal
Revenues alone will be reused to unanimous oppo-
sition by the imposition Of tax These farmers
will sey, Why should We be taxed TO enlarge the Ca
nails If the Enlargement will pay for ITSELF why not
let 1t DO so II is TO be losing job why not leave it
undOne We know well that, whenever the Debt is
paid off, the Legislature viii be clamored into reducing
the tolls so that they shall barely defray the current
expenses leaving the money taxed out of our pockets
for the Enlargement dead loss. If the enlargement
il.
The GteH's FaRs Republican the Democratic orpan
of Warren County thus up the matter at issue:
1t seems 10 there should be but one opinion among
the TAX payers oi The State in regard these measures The
whole question is simply this VII the people OF the State
suffer their farms and other taxable property he thed for
the expenses OF enlargement wthey have the revenues
Of the canal pay for lis competon Ought the people
to be taxed million and hall dollars year until the canals
finished shall the funds be borrowed for that purpose
ona pledge Of the canal tolls The Assembly bill proposes
to tax The Senate bill proposes 20 borrow on the canals
credit The Assembly measure 10 force the people ofths
quarters Of whom have personal interest in
the canals and tens Of thousands of whom have none what
everto pay taxes 10 the amount Of millions OF dollars
for their completion while the senate proposes 10 let the
products Great West pay for the work in the shape Of
tolls Which Is the wiser policy We will pretend to
guess what the people in other sections Of the State think Of
the matter but viii undertake for Northern New
York thar as between these two plans the almost unan
nous voice ofthe electors here would be in
Of the Senate and IN utter and hearty condemnation ofhe
Assembly's proposition
Our LIZ gislare meets in extra session on the 9th
inst and trust wiz proceed forthwith TO settle this
Canal question. There has already been quite enough
Of delay and vacilation Let US now have action fink
earnest and decisive.