The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-23

eightyive feet above the level OF the sea- will DE
prepared to accommodate visitors on and after the
18th OF the present month.
Our Albany Correspondence.
ALBANY June 20, 1854
State Officers Inuit,ng Proposals for Canal Work
"A small portion only panted to be done-No
Regard to Lowest Biddeys-IndeGnite period for
their Compietion-Eightesn Millions Estimated
Expense, &c.
After q delay of some five months. the Canal
Board Of this State has at length issued proposals
inviting contractors to bid for certain portions Of
the work for completing the canals. Why this pro-
tracted consultation-why defer the matter to this
day, when the power and the means have been in
their hands 80 long-are questions not readily
swered now, but easily will be- long before another
batch Of proposals promulgated. 1t is perfectly
evident however, that the canal managers in power
now are determined to take their own time, and to
proceed with the work with just so much speed as
will suit certain contin gencies. 1t will be recol-
lected that the men in power, and their friends
who placed them there, made the welkin ring in
1850 and 81, because of the incapacity of the
canals" and that if the completion Of those works
were not accomplished in the course of three or
four years from that period, then the current Of
trade would most assuredly be diverted down the
Mississippi, or through the Ohio and Pennsylvania
canals leaving our Erie desert waste OF waters"
But there appears to be sufficient capacity and
facilities though the trade and tonnage has increased
to q mighty extent during the last three years.
Instead of undertaking to complete the works,
within anything like the period they SO strongly
urged 1t should be done three years since, it now
appears from the first instameDt of the programme
that an indefinite period of time is to be consumed
in the work Small portions only are to be put under
contract, as will be seen by referring to the pub
lshed notice of the letting board. On the eastern
division of the Erie Canal, only fourteen sections
are required to be constructed, bridge abutments
on twelve sections, cuverts on seven sections, and
two waste weirs. On the middle division, only six
sections are to be done, one aqueduct culverts on
eight sections and bridge abutments six sections.
On the western division, only nine sections are to
be built and neither aqueducts, BRIDGES culverts,
waste weirs. abutments or anything else. Two
work thus assigned Under this system, it will con.
sumo the time Of at least ten years to finish the
public works.
In the proposals issued by the board there is not
tracts will be assigned to the "lowest responsible
bidder" This leaves q lee way, o discretion,
power in the hands Of the letting board, which
never contemplated. It was imagined that
the State officers, having the matter in
charge, would look to the interests of the State
by alloting work to reliable, competent con-
tractors, who should perform their contracts,
under the specifications, for the least amount of mo-
ney. The great complaint against those who
awarded the contracts in 1861 was that they gave
sections ofwork locks and bridges to persons whose
bids overun the "lowest responsible bidder" many
thousands of dollars. And there is no doubt that
this fac-tbis reckless disregard of the interests Of
S9 1g the work to
complaint against the unconstitutionality of that
law. Reasons for allowing competition and compel
ling the exercise of economy, which existed in 1851
are equally strong and imperative now; and the ne.
gect Of the present State officers to place this safe
guard upon the expense Of the canals seems to JUS
tify the belief that system of favoritism is to be
adopted, more prejudicial to the State, expen
sive to the canal funds, more speculative in its
suits, than anything ever yet anticipated or expe-
rienced in the State.
From the fact that so small a quantity of work is
to be performed at this time, and that no COMPETE
ton is to be allowed, 30 that the lowest bidders
shall be secure in their Offers it is perfectly appa.
rent that the present managers have 80 arranged
their programme as to select their own contractors
who, when they shall have nigh completed the work
in their hands, some two or three years hence, will
be assigned other sections, culverts, bridge abut-
ments, &C., under new .proposals-say in 1885,
Another two years job will ensue, and so continue
| on from time to time for an indefinite period.
The amended constitution provides for borrowing
| ten millions. The men and the party now in power,
those who have been extrayaganty ciamorous for
speedy action, have uniformly declared this sum to
be amply sufficient. Their late State Engineer Mr..
Seymour, had every inch surveyed by his suborji-
mates, previous to the passage of the law Of 1851,
nected with all the unfinished works, aud the above
was the amount in gross and all that would be re-
qured to complete the whole in less than three years.
That engineer was silver gray. His estimates
were relied on by Gov. Hunt, Canal Commissioner
| Cook, and all the State officers. But now, Mr.
Clark, woolly engineer, believes that it will re-
quire the sum of eighteen millions to perform the
work-a sum nearly double the amount required
three years ago. A Rochester paper makes this as
sertion. The State papers enter denial, by stating
that the present Engineer never made such an asser
ton. 1t is not likely that he has, directly, though
from report which he submitted to the last Legis
ature, he up to something like thirteen millions
There is no doubt, however that the contracts which
are now advertised for, will form basis of twenty
millions. II will be curiosity to compare the new
| lettings Of the same work with those of 1851
As the canals are now the only hobby ia the State
which unprinciped demagogues can mount, those
| upon the summit now are laying their plans for
long and profitable journey. With ten millions in
their hands, which, they declare is barely half
enough, they have other schemes in view FOR con-
tiDung their incursions upon the Treasury. And
during all this time the forwarders and nivigators
ty but all agree that the facilities are abundant for
all manner Of transportation. The croakers, three
years since, made the people believe that there was
an utter mpossbility to carry the freight offered
the canals, that the Erie must be enlarged within
two years, otherwise the produce Of the West would
find its way to the sea coast through other channels
of transportation. Now, three years afterwards
when at least ten per cent has been added to the
tonnage on the canals, the internal waters of our
artificial works deep and broad enough to con-
vey their bosoms all the merchandise and freight
collected ut Buffalo, Oswego, or New York. Had
Archimides applied political lever, he might have
moved the world.
SEVERE HAIL STORM IN New HAMpsHrRE-The
! Exeter Ne,os Letter gives the following account of
/ severe hail storm in that section:-On Thursday
afternoon last, heavy thunder storm visited this
vicinity and along the centre of its path, especial.
| y in Brentwood, a large quantity Of hail fell. Mr..
| Thing. had ant Of
| glass broken out of the windows of his house n
Brentwood, and nearly all his crops were cut down
| even with the ground. Others in that nsighbor-
hood suffered nearly much. A considerable guam
ttY of Qlaas in the Con Meeting house