Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-08

had not been disappointed lis for the inter
est of the State to sacrifice SI5,0O0,000, which
had paid indirectly every year! He thought
the State could manage as well as corporations.
Mr. Collins-I would ask the gentleman if
the persons employed on the canals are not Sc
Iected for their political relations, rather than
for their fitness j
Judge B. replied that he would not. for pOilt-
ical motives put in political friend that was
not good as his political enemy. Mr. Da-
vis-How is it about Railroad corruption! y |
think the public will say there has been quite as
much corruption in Railroad Companies as in
the management of these canals.
The Resolution was then referred to the COM
mitiec on Resolutions.
THE MEMORIAL.
To the General Assembly Of the State Of Ohio:
A Convention of delegates, representing many
of the counties of the State, having assembled
at Columbus on the 9th of January, 1859, to
take into consideration the future policy which
should be pursued in reference TO our Canals,
represent,
has been the principal cause of our States pros
perity, growth and greatness; that they have
been the means of clearing our lands, making
the cultivation of our soil profitable, building up
our manufactures, rendering the minerals of
our State valuable, furnishing avenues of ex-
tended commerce, and bringing the State of
Ohio from wilderness into state of general,
active, civilized industry; and although many
other channels of intereommunlcatlOn have been
established, yet our Canals have been heretofore
and, if properly managed, will in the future be,
the great regulators of our internal commerce
The sale of the Canals, would, in our opinion
result in their ultimate abandonment, as no Sc
curities could be given by purchasers which
would be lasting in their nature, and in no case
beyond the lives of the present generation. If
a sale should take place the abandonment would
follow whenever the purchasers should find it
improbable to keep them up; or when the canal
business interfered with other business, Rail-
road or otherwise, which, in the opinion OF the
purchasers, was paramount to the investments
in the Canals,
The great benefits derived from the Canals
are not the production of revenue, but to en-
hance the value of property and increase the
business of the State; because the money in
vested in the Canals, although sometimes Law
ishIy and recklessly expended, has benefited
the State in a sum amounting to several 'i---5 :;
80; - -.l-gIUrOI0 inc stale may well
keep up the Canals, even at a sacrifice, when
individuals would be justified in sustaining
them only when their revenues made them
source of profit. And further, these benefits
are not confined merely TO the counties along
their line, but the cost of carriage on the Canals
regulates, to a great extent, the cost of trans
portation on all our Railroads-the Canals fix
ing the general average cost of transportation;
therefore, were it not for our Canals, many of
our Railroads could and would establish higher
rates than they now do, and consequently de-
preciate the price of all articles for transporta
ton at the home market; and, secondly, the
value of taxable property would be so reduced
that the State would lose far greater sum
than has ever vet been expended to keep our
Canals in repair. The Canal counties now pay
q much larger amount of taxes than all the 9TH
er counties; and the abandonment of the Canals
and the consequent decrease of taxable proper
ty in the Canal counties, would require the 9TH
er counties to pay larger tax than they now
pay.
As proof of what we have said, we would
refer to the policy 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 individuals inter
ested in Railroads This Canal is so managed |
that all business has been driven from it, and is /
now mpnopolized by Railroads.
While we believe an honorable and fair COM
petition between the Railroads and Canals ofthe
Oidlt NUulu Dt ucuCACldl ~ Tic lultLCcl6 VI |
the people, we think the Legislature should in |
terpose its power to prevent an unjust policy on |
the part of the Railroads, which sometimes seem |
more intended to injure the business of the |
Canals than promote the best interests of the |
Roads ---r
Your memorialists earnestly request that you |
make sufficient appropriation to put the Ca
mails in thorough repair IF this is done and |
rate of tolls established sufficiently low to invite
business, the revenue heretofore derived from
the Canals will be amply sufficient to sustain
them, and these great works, which are the
cause and the present monuments Of our States
greatness be preserved to benefit coming gene
rations.
J. W. UNDERHILL, Chairman.
RESOLUTIONS.
Mr. Dawes, from the Committee on Reso-
utiOns, reported the following which were adoP-
ted
WHEREAS, A bill for the sale of the Public
Works of the State having passed the House of
by majority of sixteen, and is
now before the Senate, and the deficiency of
revenue from those works caused by the floods
Of last spring has strengthened the confidence
and stimulated the advocates of such sale to re-
lewed efforts in that behalf, and believing it is
highly important to the interests of the entire
people of the State, that she retain the owner
hip and control of her canals and slack water
improvements for the security and protection !
If her citizens against railroads and other mon /
,polies; therefore
RESOLVED, That this Convention earnestly re-
nonstrate against either the sale or the leasing
# the Public Works of the State n
After adopting the above resolution the Con- a
ention adjourned till half past seven P. n. :
|
EVENING SESSION.