New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-18

"What shall our State do to replenish her hollow
Treasury? ?" is question Of the deepest import
ance to every citizen of New-York. In one way
or another. the end must be secured; for our
Grand Canal must somehow be completed, our
Public Faith be kept, and the necessary cost OF our
State Government be paid. All this is surely TO
be dOne and it were far better every way TO do it
promptly, freely, manfully, than hatingy, reluc-
family, and after we shall have permitted the States
credit TO be dishOnoIed It is not pleasant to pay
high taxes; but we may better pay them to main
tain the States honor than to retrieve it.
Thus thought and acted a majority Of our last
Legislature; and, though by so doing they damaged
the Republican party which had majority therein,
we honor them for il. Though we lost the last
State Election because of the Canal Tax, rejoice
that il was imposed-that Republican ascendency
was found Obedient to the dictates of Honor and
Duty Should our present State Officers recon-
mend q renewal Of that Tax. we shall bow ID the
necessity which impels il and probably nterpose
no objection.
While, however, We are willing to bear taxation,
if taxation must be, we believe that ths Central
Railroad ought to be required to contribute literally
toward the relief of the State Treasury from its
embarrassments. We hold that the State, by con-
structing her great Canal created the most favora-
bic route in America for productive Railroad and
that she was perfectly justified in her original re-
quirement that any freight carried over that Road
should pay Canal Tolls into her Treasury. We
bod that the waiver of that requirement in 1851
was premature, if not absolutely wrOng-that it
should not have taken effect, if at ALL until the
Canal Enlargement shall have been completed and
its benefits realized. We hold that the State, in
effect, made magnificent gift to the Central Road
by taking off those Tolls-a gift irrevocable far
as past business is concerned but which she is un-
der no obligation to increase indefinitely by per-
sistDg in the policy inaugurated in 1851. In short,
we believe that the State rehtuly may and should,
in substance if not to the full extent resume her
bounty, and restore the Canal Tolls on Freight
passing over the Central Road. OF course, we do
not believe that other Railroads than those ex-
empted from tolls in 195l-Railroads built with
no expectation. no stipulation, tLat they should be
required to pay tolls-can now be justly subjected
TO this burden, and we cannot see why such thing
is proposed, unless it be to widen the area of hos
ilty 10 tie Ie-impostion Of tolls to insure the
defeat of that measure. But why the Central
Road should BE- allowed to strip the Canal of
freight, without being re-subjected to tolls, we
cannot imagine.
As to the pretense that Canal Tolls on that Road
will drive freight TO rival routes through Pennsyl-
vania and Mary land admit that it has some force,
but not much. 1t viii drive three tuns to the New
York Canals TO one to the Pennsylvania and Bati-
more Railroads We can slord to be just to our
own taxpayers without danger of running the
TT Isde of our Railroads.
The view of this subject taken by the more direct
friends of our Canals Will BE- found presented in an
essay on another page of this journal.