The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-06

stands upon Il basis OF works that are worth
more money, and therefore ought not to be
oallesl debt. This brings US to the second
pert. Are the canals worth the money they
art. estimated at and is their business flourish
u e and on The increases A glance at the fol-
lowing table of the tolls on the State canals
for the last four fiscal years is perhaps the
best answer to the question =
ToH,.
1850 ......................s3 4s6, liz
1851. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 3,772 l63
iooz. iaolto
1905. CONGRATULATIONS. o,loooto
Thus since 1850, while the produce Of the
West has been increasing with enormous
strides, and the carrying trade growing with T.,
the revenue from the canal tolls has actually
fallen 100000. The cause ofthe decline isquite
obvious. The canals compete with three rail-
roadside Erie, the Central, and the Northern
for the Western trade. When the first railroads
were built the State tried to protect the canalsby
prohibiting the carriage of freight on railways;
but OF course this ridiculous enactment soon
gave way beneath the pressure of public
odium. A fair field was then opened for COM
petitions; and the result, which any child could
have foreseen, has been a gradual approach on
the part of the railways towards monopoly OF
the carrying trade. Their superiority in pont
Of speed was sure to make the rivalry no rival
ry at all. Accordingly, in the four fiscal years
ending in 1858, we find the freigh,s of goods
carried over these three railroads to have iu-
creased from Sl,l22,432 to S4500000, rather
more than 400 per cent. 1t is perfectly obvi-
Gus that every year will accelerate this rate of
progression. Increased traffic viii enable the
railroads to lower their rates of freight, and in
course of time, they will possess over the canals
the advantage of superior economy as well as
infinitely superior despatch. When this comes
to pass, where will the revenue rom canal tolls
be?
No fresh outlay for widening, deepening,
lenghening or completing tie canals could
prevent or even impede this result. A hun
drcd millions thrown into thar bed or on their
banks would not alter the act that the rail-
roads are a switter and may DC made cheaper
means Of conveyance for gools.
Finally, with the evidence before our eyes,
first, that the canal revenues are diminishing,
uhu sSbcuu'y, luot yCbl tuC ASSsaueuiS
was forced to raise sumof Sl,20O000 by
tax partly required to make up their deficiency,
we cannot possibly discove, on what grounds
the advocates OF the new loan expect the canals
to pay the Interest. They cannot pay the in
terest on S24,000,00O, though their railroad
competitors are only in Their infancy; how on
earth are they to pay the interest on S34 ,0OO,-
coo, when instead of three we shall probably
have half dozen railways leading from the
west to the seaboard?
1t does seem to us. therefore. that the people
OF New York would do well to think matureiy
over this matter before they ratify, by their
vote on the 18TH the action of their Legisla
ture. We have endeavored TO lay before then
the simplest and most elementary view of the
questions; believing that the deductions i
suggests are quite as reliable as thoe
which flow from high philosophical r
economical considerations. Still, it car
hardly fail to occur to the minds of many thai
in proposing to sink more millions in thes.
canals of ours, the Legislature is overlooking.
recognized law Of commercial economy. Canals
are only step in the scale of internal comma,
nications They rank above post roads; as being
more rapid, more convenient and cheaper chan.
Ies for the transmission of goods. But they
rank below railroads for precisely the same
reasons When country is dependent on com
mon high roads for the conveyance Of her goods
to q market, she does wisely in running in debttt
build canals But when all her available private
con al lie taI in
tions of higher order-yiz.. RAILROADS.&C. pro
pose to lay tax Of three dollars head on he,
population for the purpose OF going backwards
and embellishing her useless canals, is exactly
like throwing ones purse into the water be-
cause ones pocket book has already fallen in.
We are sorry to say it-but we must speak
plainly-and we will therefore add that we
have no doubt these views are shared by the
Legislature at Albany which passed the
amendment in favor of the loan They are so
selfevident, in fact, that one would need to be
very obtuse to fail to see their accuracy. We
are convinced that the Legislature has passed
law of whose absurdity it is amply aware, and
simply because it will place in the hands Of the
anti-slavery majority sum of ten millions.
wherewith to open the political campaign. We
are now formally notified that it is their intcn
ton to run Mr. Seward for Governor. and we
can readily guess that the next Presidential
election win not pass without some active par-
ticipation on his part. For these schemes the
anti-slavery men want money. The canal COM
pletion scheme is accordingly devised: and if
the people Of New York vote in the Affirmative
on the 18th, they win pocket ten millions, quite
. handsome fund for their purpose, and which
viii enable them to WELD an irresistible amount
of corruption
Shall we be taxed ten more millions for tbisq
STooI PIGEON MOVEMENT N PENNSYLVANIA
We see it stated that a movement is on foot in
Pennsylvania with view Of securing the cleo
ton OF John ". Forncy (now Clerk of the
House Of Representatives, as the next United