American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-01-20

ize the Legislature made the following Ie-
port:
MEMORIAL TO THE LEGISLATURE
Your Committee appointed to draft q
memorial 10 the Legislature in relation to
the canals Of Ohio. beg leave TO report as
follows;
To The General Assembly of Ohio:-
A convention Of delegates representing
many Of the counties of the State, having
assembled at Columbus on the 9th Of
January, / $50, 10 take into consideration
the future policy which should be pursu
| ed in reference to our canals, represent
That the. e..constFuction Of the canals of
Ohio has been the principal cause Of our
States prosperity, growth and greatness.
They have been the means Of clearing our
lands-rendering the cultivation Of our
soil pro6table-buildihg up our manufac-
tories-rendering the, minerals of the
State valuable furnishing avenues Of
extended commerce, and bringing the
State of Ohio from wilderness to high
state Of civilization and prosperity.
The sale OF the canals would in our o.
pinion result in their utter abandonment,
and as 10 securities could be given by
purchasers Which would be lasting in ther
nature, and in no case beyond the lives OF
the present generation, the Abandonment
would follow whenever the purchaser
should find il Improbable to keep them
up, or when the canal business ihterferes
with other interests. railroad or otherwise
which mightin the opinionso Of the pureha
sers, be paramount 10 their interests in
] the canals. d ,tE4 e.g3'
The great benefit derived from the ca
mails is not the production Of revenue,
but TO enhance the value OF property and
increase the business OF the State, because
the money in the canals, although some
times lavshly and recklessly expended.
amounting to several times their cost, and
therefore the State may well keep up the
cansls, even at d sacrifice, when indiyidu-
usls would be justified in Sustaining them
only when their revenue made them a
sourceo of profit.
| And further. the benefits are not con,
i fined merely to the counties along the
line. but the cost Of transportation on all
our railroads the canals fixing the general
average cost Of transportation, Were it
not for canals many of our railroads could
and would establish higher rates than they
| DO now, and would consequently depreci-
lite By Just SO much the cost Of all articles
for transportation at the home market.
! The value of taxable properly would
be 80 reduced that The State would lose a
lar greater sum than has ever been expen-
ded to keep The canals in repair. The ca
nal counties now pay a mnch larger amount
of taxes than ell the other counties, and
the consequent decrease Of taxable prop
erty in the canal counties would require
the other counties to pay larger tax than
they now pay.
As proof OF this We would refer to the
polry pursued in reference to the Ohio
and Pennsylvania canal, about one third
of the stock Of which is owned by this
State. and the other two thirds by individ
uals interested 10 railroads. This cana
is so managed that nearly all business has
been driven, from it, aid is now monopo.
lied by railroads. Z.
4 While we believe an honorable and fail
competition between the railroads and ca
nails Of the State would Be beneficial to tn e
interests of the people, We think the Leg
islature should intsrposa its power to pre-
vent an unjust policy on the part Of the
railroads, which sometimes seems intended
more to iujure the business Of the canals
than to ptom6te the interests Of the roads.
| Your memorialists earnestly request
that you make a sufficient appropriation TO
put the canals in thorough repair. II this
is done, and a rate oftolls established suf-
ficiently low to invite business, the reve-
i nue. derived from the canals will be amp
u sufficient to sustain them. and these
great works, the first cause and present
monuments Of our States greatness be
preserved to benefit coming, generations
n Mr.. Dawes, from The Qommittes on
Resolutions, reported the following whiel
B were adopted: ssb 5oig b diio.s buossa s.gI
j ii oosg bsisb bREsoLuffoNs. "a sh,smablj
u WIiEREAs. a bill for the !. sals, Of the
Public Works OF the State has passed the
House OF Representatives by q majority ol
sixteen, is before the Senate, aad rs the
deficiency Of revenue from these works,
caused blythe floods OF last spring, has
strengthened the confidence and stimula'
ted the efforts of the advocates of such sale
andi l ~ .H "f5r
WHEREAS. We believe it highly impor.
tant to the interests of the entire people
OF the State that she retain, her ownership
!. aud control OF the canals and slack water
improvements fot ths security and p'otec
ton of her citizens against railroads ant
other naonopolies; therefore,
i 2 Resol0ed, That this ConVehtIon earnest
ly demonstrates against either the sa1o o,
the leasing Of the Public Works Of tbs
!. State.
n Resolved, That the publishers Of the
hewspapers in the State are respectfully
requested 10 publish the proceedings' .
! this Convention, together witht the address
, to the people Of the State on the subject Q
selling the Public Works.
Alter the adoption Of the resolutions.
i the Convention took a recess until half
past seyenc y
, The business done in the evening j:
hardly worth reading. The resolution Of
fered by Mr.. Egsles!on was adopted