The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-26
sar The suggestion made by the canal

BG The suggestion made by the canal
meeting at Toledo last week, that conven-
ten be held, composed of delegates from the
sections of country interested in the preser-
walton of the Wabash and Erie canal, is
worthy of consideration. Such a meeting,
if the members from each county would
60 prepared to give full and correct infor-
nation in regard to the condition Of the Ca
nal-its past management--its business
the repairs and Improvements required in
their immediate neighborhoods, a mass of
information might be collected that would
show the people of the State what steps
ought to be taken to save the work; at the
same time the expose would lay open to the
bondholder the neglect of their interests by
their Trustees, and convince them of the ne.
cessity of an immediate change in the ad-
ministration of the trust. Meetings have
been held at Fort Wayne and Logansport
on the subject At Fort Wayne a commit
tee was appointed to prepare a petition ask
ing the Legislature to adopt, at this session,
such measures as will secure the permanent
maintenance of the canal, in case of its
abandonment by the bondholders. The
people everywhere seem opposed to any ap-
preparations by the State to the canal, while
held by the bondholders. There would be
no guarantee, under its present administra-
ton, for the faithful application of the mon
ey, which would, it is feared, be consumed
in the payment of enormous salariesto "the
mere nothings" and "do-littles that fill
its offices; it would only be preparing the
way for its managers to get another hold on
the next Legislature.
But in a lease or transfer, the Fort Wayne
Times suggests that there may be very Sc
rious and imminent danger to the Canal. If
the legislature should pass law to author
ize the bondholders to transfer or lease the
Canal to company, the railroad interests,
with which it completes, would buy it up, or
get control of it, and fix its tolls in accord
ance with the tariffs of their railroad freights.
'Such an opportunity would be just what is
desired by railroad interests, whose agents
and operators are innumerable, and their
power like that of the banks, has become
almost irresistible in the State. People al
ready talk of our member of the Supreme
Court as the Railroad Judge and OF
others as the Bank Judges The Times
continues, "0ver legislative bodies their
power is immense, and no individual or sci
of individuals, in their ordinary capacity
are at all in their way. Money will bt
poured in by the hundred thousand, the bes
which ingenuity can invent and use, all o
which we would warn our people against
but urge them to treat the matter as it de
serves and our Representatives and Sena
tors to fear not to talk of it, as do dema
gogues."
At Logansport resolution was offered a
the meeting, instructing the Representative
and Senator from the county to vote for ;
bill to release the bondholders from furthe
obligation to maintain the Canal lying soutl
of Terre Haute, if the bill could be so drawn
as to protect the liability, even by implica
ton. to pay any thing for it. The PROPOSE
tton led to a very lively discussion, in whicl
several prominent citizens took zealou
part. The speakers all agreed in the pro
priety of abandoning the portion South {
Terre Haute, but insisted upon keeping u
their own section After a warm debate
the meeting was adjourned to one day i
the present week A lease or transfer
the Northern portion of the Canal, it is feal
ed, would result in placing that portion Ut
der the control of the Wabash Valley Raj
road Co., whose interests would be pre-
NOTED by rendering the Canal unnayigabl
But the Southern Division has a route S
exclusively its own; which interferes s
little with the business of the E. & C. Raj
road, that the latter would have but yer
littls inducement to attempt to interior
with it, as the object would not justify muc
risk or expenditure to accomplish it.'sz5
t1l - - -rzsss
The LEGISLATURE has now been 20 day
in session-one-third of it's constitution