New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-29

farm ry
S,ee, sxson m people, ~ sere not impefa alive ne
ccy for protective esi.latiepa cannot doubt eths. t.e
toll ps tun during the Il navigation al freight
passing railroads composing With the cens' OF Of requiring
these roads pay aggregate equivalent In annually
into the Treas When .s shall have been completed
the railroads 1hod be ehoved from burden temporarily In.
pc,td so that may the advantage Of the quickest
ana U@ the nss sT and seansifai West
The argument in favor of the reimposition of tole
upon the rail- oads might have been extended By ini-
tating comparison between the traffic Of the RAJ ways
al that OF the canals since lS5l While the tolls re-
ceyed from the canals have been, as have shown,
steadily diminishing the tunnage and reyennes OF toe
railroads derived from freight have largely increased.
In 1853 the number Of tuns Of freight carried over tue
Central and Erie Railroads was 99l 00O in 1851 II was
1876 OOO in 1853 Notwithstanding the general depIes-
sion Of business | $50 600; and in 1859, 7O0OOO.
II We take the Central Railroad alone, as the one
which comes more directly IN composition with
the canals the result lie the In 1888 the tnnnage
was 800 goo urs end in 1882 $4,000 TINS. The Re-
CENTS of th. road from freight were, 81 S}jOOO IN
1853; 1855 coo in 1855 and So 200 In 1917. In
short while the tolls from the canals have decreased
from goo III 1851 to 81 $1,000 in 1852 the re-
ceips OF the Central Railroad have increased from
81 800 OG0 in 1853, to 1900, 600 in 1859.
That the reimposition of tolls upon railroads would
not be onerous to any one OF them 10 shown Dy the
fact that those most conversant with the subject are OF
the opinion that the amount the roads woud be re-
qured 10 pay into the Treasury would be about hall
a million Of dollars though the amount which such
would indirectly produce would be very much
larger.
am aware that IL is sometimes urged that any toll
upon the railroads would drive business from this
Slate 10 the competing roads Of other States without
benefttpg the Treasury But the single fact that as
soon as canal the rate of Transports
ton ia largely advanced, though the facilities OF the
rival roads for competing az the came time largely
increased in every respect affords abundant evidence
that no such result need be appreheDded.
have referred TO this subject hitherto, as did IN
nv Annual Message, az a matter OF financial policy
required by the public interest Bat deem IT neees-
cary to remind the Legislature that II involves con-
stitutonal obligation which must be met. Both the
Constitution of 1876 and the amendment Of 1894
pledged the revenues OF the canals 20 the payment OF
the nteres. and principal OF the public debt, and the
public creditor has therefore, both legal and moral
right TO insist that the revenues thus soemny guaran-
teed TO the yment OF hls debt shall not De
diverted dsspated IL the Constitution foroidl the
legislature TO ospose of the canals, does not tins pro-
vsop also forbid them 70 dlVery them or ueetloy eue
revenues.
Ii seems clear thai the Legislature is by the Consti-
tuition deprived of any aut 1orty TO interfere Win the
canals in any way which shall render them ihsnnIent
TO meet the requirements of that instrument ana oo'n
the Legislature and the Canal Board fal TO perform
their hole duty when they fail so TO ADJUST the IONS as
TO produce the greatest amount OF revenue. III the
revenues exceed the amount called Tor oy tue eohstu
tope edge we NAV 20 deal with the excess as TO ac-
commodate local private interests, out not olher
wise. In other words, the Canal policy OF tne oa'e
must be governed with reference 10 revenue mainly,
till the sum demanded by the CONSTITUTION Il secured,
and If meed by too sanguine anticpatlons the Legs.
atufe in 1851 entered upon course which has resulted
in serious diinuon Of that revenue, 1t an impera-
tive constitutional duty TO retTace the step then taKen
and cprovde revenue adequate at least to meet the
claims Of the public CREDITOR to which, u must DC ad-
mitted is the highest duty Of q State.
The report OF the Auditor OF the Canai Department.
for the present year contains tfo tables, when show
most conclusivey that the law OF 1901, relieving the
railroads from tolls serious error. One of them
is an est mate which submitted TO the Constltu-
toIa Convention in 1916 of the tolls and net revenue
q, olsf for tan
other exhibits the actual tolls and actual net revenue
for the same ten years. These tables chow that DUR
ing every year. from 1876 TO 1851 inclusive, the actual
receipts ard net exceeded the estimated re-
cepts and net revenue, while during every year. from
1852 To 1861 inclusive, both the actual receipts and net
reye1 ne were much below the estimates. This dimnu
ton CONFIDENT in point Of time with the removal OF
tolls from the railroads. though perhaps due in part to
other Influences must be ascrbed principally TO the
measure of 1861, measure which hazard nothing IN
saving could never have become a Law If the Legisa-
ture had not fully believed that the enlargement of the
canals insured the amount required by the Constitu-
ton.
The Constitution dsposes of the revenues derived
from the canals, annually, i'll the following manner:
Fn To Psy the OF the collection saPernendenee
Seond 10 pay the and provide Sinking Fund to
pay the principal Of the old Canal Debt, si,5tOoOo
hrd TO ay The interest and provide sinking tpd 20 pay
Canal Debt provided for and them for the same purpose
FoaJa. pay interest and provide Sinking Fund to
The new Cna Debt in eighteen YEAR, which debt now amounts
Fy,h: For the support Of Government, s2s0,OO0.
Si The remainder TO be expended every year upon the
annals until they completed Gnd alter that as the Lealre
ma. direct
Estimating the expenses of collection, supeFntend
ence and ordinary repairs ut 500 000 the Constitution
then calls for SO $50 900 of annual from the
canals and there is reasonable doubt that by Just
legislation and proper adjustment of canal tolls by
the Canal Board "A permanent revenue OF nearly on
quite tina, may be realized If IT is not, the people
must continue to be taxed for the payment of interest
Taxation the only resort 10 provide for the
suppOt Of Government for the Schools the Charities
and for interest and Sinking Fund contribution on the
lean authorized by the people in November last For
these pnrposes fully two mills and one quarter OF a
mil on the dollar of the valuation of 1859 will be re-
quired. IL The railroads are TO be permitted sill to
destroy the ability of the canals to meet the constitu
tional requirements upon them, without an equivalent
on their par;, and tOs the canals remain they
now are and present and prospective deficiencies III
revenue are to be provided for by direct taxation
there viii then be levy necessary for such purpose
to- be imposed az the present session Of ore m and
three-onIths more and this lie exclusive of any appro
priaon TO supply means for securing uniform water
way of seven feet on the Erie and Oswego Capal-a |
measure required by the public mtoress-and eXcu-
Five also OF many other applications for aid from the
treasury.
In 1851 the revenues for the first tine made
quaie all tie requirements Of the Constitution,
the 5000 coo for the support OF Government not having
been paid that year. In 1876, the Canal revenues
were Insufficient TO meet the interest on the new Canal
debt of $40 coo coo; in 1851 they only sufficient
10 pay portion of the $3.50 600 due 70 the General
Fund Debt Sinking Fund and in 1888 they for the first
time failed 10 the first Constitutional requirement
CT Geo for tie interest and principal Of the Canal
debt and have ever since continued inadequate for |
that purpose. The total deficiency to meet the Con-
sti nona qurcm entR will be- the first OF October
next about So 7j00 Co., and II is increasing al the rate
of about e., eco coo year, OF the total deficiency,
about 81 $50 COO is the amount diverted from the fund