New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-24
FROM PHILADELPHIA.
THE STATE CANALS-THE COAL TRADE
SHORT PEACH CROP-NEW-JERSEY
POLITICS.

POLITICS.
From Our Own COrrespon3ent
PHILADELPHIA Aug. 23, 1855.
The chronic appetite for public plunder by which
the Democracy are deyoured is again illustrated BY
an attempt DOW making to defeat the recent sale of
the State Canals. These works have been for
years TIE great betteIing houses to which crowds
of political paupers were annually consigned BY
tie dominant party, as the reward for services at
the polls. They we're, in fact, built, worked and
maintained under State ownership for the sole pur-
pote of providing places for class known as work
ipp Democrats-that is, for those ingenious fellows
who could poll the most votes out of the fewest
men. Such lszsr house could therefore, be eK.
pected to furnish little else than chap'er of lying
and stealing. The yultures went in for the Pur-
pose of goreiDg Themselves and they did so to an
enormous extent. The State was plundered by
these men in thousand ways AT tins moment
there is an army of these Democratic deiaulters,
who put the public money in their pockets, VINO
have it there now, and who have never been called
on TO dsgOrge. The steaings at Washington may
have been more enormous, but the number 9"
thieves in Pennsy ylvonia has been greater. At iaet
robbery should be ended by selling the Canals
and cutting loose from from all ownership IN them
This vas finally effected, after great opposition
from the Democracy. The act, of course, woul1
tuIn three Canal Commissioners out OF office, de-
prive them of handsome salaries and numberess
valuable pickngs. BUTT was accomplished, never
theless and the works have subsequently been re-
sold to different companies. After everything had
| been harmoniOusly arranged, the payments made
| and titles passed. the Democratic Commissioners
| determined that they would not be thus sunlmarly
egislated ont OF Office before the expiration OF their
term aud last week resolved to contest the legality
of the sale by the State, and to institute proceedings
to set If aside. They have had difficulty in pro-
curing legal opinions to sustain them in the selfish
project of keeping themselves in office, and are now
going into the Supreme Court at the cost of the
State to nullify tayorte law Of the State for their
own pecuniary advantage. 1t is striking lllustra-
ton of the undying grasp with which these yultur"s
hold on to the public purse. II the Opposition
should happily succeed in electng the right sort OF
| Legislature the vexatiOus proceedings will be cut
short by an act abolshng the Canal Board and thus
deprive the whole crew of any power to perpetuate
| the punderDg system so long IN vogue.
| The cool evenings of the approaching Autumn
are turning attention to the condition and pros
| poets of the coal trade. A great competition to
sell exists among the dealers. No less than sixty
five bids were ast week sent in to supply the com
paratiyely small quantity required for the public
| schools Lehgh egg coal was offered as low as
| SO 80, and white ash at So 40. The bids were
| made at all prices-sOme being 10 cents tun
lower than others. But coal is now under a fnan-
| cal and industrial cloud. So many large interests
| in this city are affected by the prosperity or de.
preston of the business, that its condition is
| watched with great anxiety. Thirty-One years ago
| the first coal came to Philadelp lphia-being ten
wagon.l0ads hauled over the mountains by George
| Shoemaker of Pottsville. Very few persons could
be induced to purchase it, and most of these were
wholly unsuccessful in their attempt TO make 1t
| burn. Everybody considered it mere stone.
| Mr.. Shoemaker was denounced IN all quarters as
| q cheat and measures were being taken to arrest
| him for swndling; but he escaped arrest by leav-
| ing the city by crcuitOus road, and did not stop
until he had got thirty miles on his homeward jour
ney. The most remarkable feature in this .ex-
| traordinary speculation was that MIR. Shoemaker
| did not himself know how To make the coal burn.
| He was therefore unable to convince the public
| that il really would ignite. Had he experimental
at home and brought with hun CRATE or stove, IN
which TO kinde q successful fire, the exhibition
would have no doubt fastened full ten years the de-
| velOpment of the coal business. He reached his
home, disgusted at the belligerent temper of our
citizens and heartsIck at the ll-success of his ad
venture. His reputation as an honest man was
rescued, however, by an iron master III
Delaware County, into whose hands some
of the repudiated mineral accidentally fell.
He tried the coal, caused it to burn
freely, with an intense heat, and was so pleased
with II that he proclaimed the TACT IN the neWsps
pers. This led Others to try, and they also sue
ceediDg, the prejudice was removed, and cOnsump-
ton went on from this disastrous beginning, until il
last year reached the enormous quantity OF
3476. s62 tuns. But up to this date the depression
of manufacturing has caused reduction Of 300, 600
tuus 10 be sent to market and the whole year will
undoubtedly show falling of of full COO, 900 tuus.
All this the fruit of Free Trade.
The Scotch water pipe question is not yet dis
posed Of and about the time those pipes begin to
arrive at Washington, the country will hear some
facts in relation to this matter that VIII 90 II good
In the mean time there has been much attention
devoted TO it in this city 1t is well known among
our iron men, and ought to be known to every oae
of our citizens that in the British hot blast furnaces
the heat il so intense that cnder heaps and the
Innst imnnra nrea ara raaAy me.sd, aud arc rAn