New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-26

the reuUDeratve staDdero, tcO al conseii'"' -
10 themselyts, SEEK thus 30 enter into competition
With the Canals can only be attributed to ce-ire 90
their port 10 rpsh what must plainly appear 10
be its inc vable resuit oisrust II TIE people o. vac
value arc efficiency Of their public works "a 90 ~
doImeLt OF tue Enlargement, direct arstion in sno
IA, snAut of The debt and monopoly OF the carrying
trade turned over into the hands - the hffo..s,
With this stsse TO play for enjoying as ,ne{ ~
ability 70 make up their Losses on sucn and fs-e
creased tariff Of charges upon other heeu'. anu a,o
for passengers and the game len en'Bey ~ ,ue ~
han de without restriction il is not astonishing Una
they enter upon it, -. -. A. c..a .,a ,ho
emit cnnsss which have led thereto the next in
,uiry arises what is the appropriate ana most ensc-
final reueoy' Your committee have heard three
MODES suggesfed: - one, direct taxation upon tAe
neorie. Another taxation of corporations, certain
na,c1ntsee upon their capital for state purposes
enptiog tbs from all town. county and local taxes.
Third imposing tolls upon railroad tonnage.
The ecessities Of the State hnYipg been TO very
great extent occaioned by the sci1b OF private coz
poraons and Injured 10 their benefit il ia not night
that the burden should be thus imposed upon the pso
pie. more equitable proposition s 10 let those VINO
have created the burden be charged with its removal
Your Commute zee cannot for moment entertain the
proposition Of recommending direct taxation upon
she people for sucb purpose' particularly a. t'istms,
when imperative necessity exsts for tne lnpo
OF mill tax upon the people for the benefit OF the
gene raj fcnd and the support OF the Government as
20 the second proposition Propo.iog The taxaon OF
certain percentage upon the capital STOCK oil corpof
town, county and local taxes this is virtually tax
alton Of tbe people only sdoptu an Indirect mode to
accomplish it The amount thus charged up)n the
corporations must bear rataoe proportion TO the
amount Of Town, county aud local taxes from which
they are relieved and which lett to be discharged
by The - ople or there will be 40 inequality in the
tsxa,icn on the one side or the other With such
Inequality il will cOJct with of the funda mental
principles Of our Government, equality Of taxation, ~
well rights. IL the inequality IS alnst the people,
II is uIjust to them, creating UPON the q greater
burden tiah o direct tsx, innrpg TO the relief OF
corporations II the inequality is agsbs, the corpora
TONS il lie just toward Them, class az they are,
with tbs suge exception Of some of the railroad
corporations, in no way connected with the matters
rendering additional taxation necessary.
The lat mooe, imposing caUal tolls on railroad tun
nsge appears 10 II opinion Of your Committee to be
the only true, just and eqDitable mode. As 10 the
right OF the State TO impose such toll there be
question. The railroad companies deriving their cor
pora.e exster ce from Sta legislation and bsng sub
iect by the Constitution to such changes and emsnd-
enis In their acts Of incor poraton the Legislature
may deem proper, the Legislature has the power 10
mold The m In such form, and subject them 10 such
charges and restrictions they may deem the inter
est Of tho State to require. They have the power 10
prohibit them altogether from the carriage of freight,
and 3 consequence dictate the terms and conii
items upon which it shall be carried
The right being clear the only questions left in
volve the jusiice and propdety of its exercise. rhe
statements and statistics in tbs previous portion of
this Report in the opinion OF your Go nmtee, show
affected by the carrying trade Of railroads 10 this
State ana that their have been thereby very
largely impauedj and that such effects to soma
extent at least attributable ~ dep ,rure by those
corporations from their Legitimate functions aud to
an effort by means OF runoua prices to divert the
trade and busDtss from the Canals Such facts alone
call uptn The Legislature, as the guardians of the
public interest, to make such provisions OF law as
may be necessary TO remedy the evil well as pro-
vide for the deficiency. IL is right and just that the
burden Of supply ing the deficiency should be thrown
upon the parties producing It. IL Is the remedy best
adapted to the case. For as the deficiency huctu-
ates in amount the diversion OF trade from the Ca
nals increases dminishes, the tolls railroad
fuDDsee will huctuate in the same proportion, aud
accommodate Itself to the necessities of the case.
A uniform tax upon property could not thus be sd-
justed TO Get the exiseDcy. There Is danger of
diversion Of trade, through other States markets,
TO be apprebended therefrom. The low prices a.
which the railroads at present carry their freight is
not founded upon competition with rival routes
through other States and 10 other markets but il has
for lie foundation and its cause competition with the
Canals of this State The result Of the measure
would be not the diversion of trade from this S,ae,
but you'd restore il 10 the cheaper, although the
lees expeditions transport of the Canal
The correct view of this subject ia presented by the
Auditor in his late Report upon the tolls trade: aud
tuLpsge Of the Canals and the Committee refer 10
the following passage from such Report;
"Hb suggested rnst, by toe imposition OF tolls
, - .psIeT a,iSn through the sste-resaiog diver
.cp Of trade other ana rival routes through nsgnoont
,rS ,udicou. Sscrimoaton OF the tunpsse be
bsrstS with t The OF transportation upon the
opcn ~ ,rosss Va el strife t, divert bust
from the Canals and contend with the water line Ia the
ecotony Of alton much freight hss been carried by
70 =, an extent a. practicable by large tariff OF freight
apon many no, all articles composing es,nae rs,rSsa
railroad freight, BY imposing TOYS uPon lestmse "a
nal FREIGHT and the necessity OF the incies.ed ta upon
ex and ths consequence will be the cheap
enps of transportation and not its increase IN cost"
Your Committee have therefore, arrived at trm
conviction of the propriey necessity and expedlency
of impOsing tolls upon railroad tunnage, ana have
prepai I'd bill for euch purpose.
They have endeavored in such bill to discriminate
in relation to the ratio of tolls to be charged upon
certain companies governed as near as might be, oy
the extent OF the diversion and the proximity OF the
yoacs TO the State works.
Ihey have also exempted from such toll nsa. cattle,
borses sheep swine fresh meats, poultry eggs, out
ter cheese and the ordinary baggage OF passengers,
being Of character proper to DO relieved from the
tax. ,.,p,
the power 10 exempt such other articles of merchant
ise and vegetable food in their discretion as they SHALL
deem legitimate railroad freight not diverted from
the businsss of the Canals.
Baed upon the freight carried upon the various
railroads charged with tolls daring the last fiscal year,
it is estimated that the receips for tolls under such
bill will amount as follows:
Full freight on iunnNe Of the roads included In sec
ton OF u. proposed bill 76
Two ihiros freight on included section S.. 1881
One haiti freight the road included In section 49,. $3.50
Total. 1858 SS1
Your Committee therefore, ask leave to introduce
the accompanying bill:
AN AoT o.ns tolls upon freight transported certain
railroads named and re'erred TO therein
The Ptops ne Of he York appreciated Senate and
Aasemblp do exact a. fsl1cs:
SECTION The rsiosd 0fths Stste here
rsmsd and such other Rsoad Com uies the Comms
OF the Canal Fund cha prescribe hereby required 10
the Auditor the Canal Department at ssch
tes 10 such aud In such place bs directed