New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-24

"Wbat she'll be dane for our Finances and Canal
Enlargement ;" is q serious aud pressing question
for the People of this State. Our present Legis-
lature las but three. weeks to serve, and will ad-
jouru, at all events, within month. The choice
between continuance Of OnerOus taxation aud
stoppage of our Ca al Enlargement on the verge Of
completion must meantime be made Which shall
be chosen
Our People have gaised, in one way or another
ample means to complete our Public Works.
About -Four MilliODs Of those means have somehow
been stolen-that is the shortest way of stating the
fact No party and no administration is solely re-
spOntible for this great public wrong aud loss Most
Of il took place when no party had complete control
Of our Caral Expenditures, and the eI-Ofiicer who
is presumed to be most culpable in the premises
was elected as an American, but has since been
"everythirg by turns and nothing long Most of
the State Officers of every party have been honest
and faithful; but there must have been extensive
and systematic coluson between contractors and
certain of the division engineers to deplets the
Treasury, and thus swindle the State. However
this may be- the money is gone and the Grand Canal
unfinished. In this perplexity. what shall be done
The last Legislature answered." Double the
State Tax for two OF three years, and finish the
" Enlarged Canal without incurriog another dol
{" lar of debt" This was bold, honest, manly
answer-the very answer that should have been
Qiven-yet il cost the Republicans the loss of the
laet State Election. The political minority there
upon set up dishonest and proaigate cry OF
Black Republican Extravaganza. and frightened
Thousands of Republicans into voting against their
poit cal principle, and tens of thousands into stay
ing AWAY from the polls The result was the cleo
ton of State Officers including majority of the
Canal Board, by party which numbers in It's ranks
hardly one-hird of the legal voters of our State.
simultaneously with the Extra Tax, We had
year Of extraordinary disaster on our Canals. They
were opened late because Of the condition in which
they were left by the work of Enlarge men prosecut
cd through the Winter and early Spring by the
t1actors the new WORK left tht VI in bad condition to
start with; then Summer of ncessant rains and
foods caused break after break, until their nsvsa
ion Mas scarcely resumed before it was again inter-
rupted. When they had ST last been put i'll toler-
able conc itiOn for service, the great Commercial
ReyulsOn Overu uhelmed Business ana paralyzed
TraI sportation; so that the Canal Revenues of last
year were but shadow of what they should have
been. The rival Railroad interest struggled TO save
itself fIom The general disaster 10y drawing from
the Canals every pound of freeh that could be car
lied without positive less, 80 that the Cana balance
sheet Of 1857 wss enough to discourage all who
could lot or would not look beyond the present,
aud zee how Fictitious and Transient were the in1u
eIces which lad proved so depressing
Ahother year opens before Us, and the new Canal
mai agers find themselves in position where the
unworthy arts that hosted them into power will no
longer serve their turp. To reproach their prede-
ctssors for misfortuDes which they know were IN
Nitabe does hot Suffice they must state distinctly
just what they would have the Legislature do TO
rep'erish the Treasury aud preserve the Public
| RAIN The perPle1ity 10 which their ill.wOn ele-
| 'ahou nas Ih''Ned them may be judged flom the
TACT mat though they came into power On tue let
OF January, they have rot yet officially indicated
what they would have the Legislature do. though
three f'urths of the Session have trsnspred
If We may take the giviigs out of their State
organ az semi, ficial our new Canal Board nropo.s
to temporze with their difficulties, and tide over
another Election BY s'king the People to vote nc,,
November for or against the creation Of a rarthsr