Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-03-27

habitations of civilized people; and wlIer
stood the council house of the savage, devote,
to preparations for war, now is to be seen th,
court house, for the peaceful redress of grievan
ces; and where roamed the buffalo, elk anC
panther, over the plains and through the nigh
4 ty forests, are now to be seen herds of cheer
and cattle quietly grazing. The husbandman
has converted vast wilderness. inhabited by
wild beasts and their yet wilder neighbors, the
savsges, into fertile fields, and made the once
wild waste fitting habitation for millions of
civilized beings. .....,.s -,sb,,
| When many portions Of the State were poor,
and were compelled to contend with all the ad
verse circumstances incident TO the opening of
Q new country, the State, through her Repre-.
aentatives, although in its infancy, determined
to leave nothing undone that promised success
in the developing of its resources. Canals and
turnpikes were created for the benefit of the
people, with the expectation that they would
always be source of revenue, and never be.
come burden. But circumstances have chang.
ed, and the hopes of our fathers are not now
realized. They have become an annual tax
upon the people for their support, and the ques-
tion Is now pertinently asked, what shall be
done to relieve the State from this heavy bur-
den? tW pa
answer, Mr.. Speaker, that, in my opinion,
selling them out to the highest responsible bid
der seems to promise the only mode of obtaining
permanent relief. If they are leased, no final
relief is obtained; and few years at most will |
find them again source of vexation and trou-
BILE to the State. The whole duty OF the State
to those sections benefited directly by the Public
Works has been fully discharged, and the time
has now arrived when sound policy and sense
OF justice TO those sections that receive no direct
benefit from them, dictate that they should be
divorced from the State, and placed in the hands
Of individuals; and thereby relieve the treasury
from the heavy drafts being made upon 1t so
frequently as in the last FIVE years for the support
Of these works. 0 .fr .s-. t....2 - II
The original cost of construction OF the ca.
nails was In round numbers SIS 900, 900, and on
this amount interest has been paid In the sum
of $l60OO,0OO, at the rate Of six per cent. sim.
pie interest, since their completion In l643 In
addition to THE, there has been paid an un-
'old amount OF compound interest since their
of which there are no data from
which strict calculation can be made. Prior to
LS43, $50, 100000 interest was paid on money bor.
owed from 1925 to 1S43. In making up
'trict account of expenditures, there should be
ldded at least 1000 per year for legislation
Since ls43, additional works we're built, which,
With an untold amount Of claims for damages, 7
expenses Of fund commissioners, and transfer q
,gent at New York. swell the amount Of expen-
iitures upon the Public Works, up to November /
%, 1860, to at least $54,000,00U The gross ?
eceipts for the same time have been, from all
ources, $l3, 800, 600, which, deducted from the /
um Of expenditures, leaves balance against b
hese works of $40,000,000 ai,asg 81 il
The people Of Ohio have ever cheetfully re-
ponded to the demands made upon them for "
means, not only to build the canals and pay the Il
interest and principal Of the public debt, but n
or the building up Of her institutions of chari. G
y and beneyolence, and are still willing to bear
ny burden that promises prosperity to the 4
tate. O
The Public Works never paid over az per II
ent. net profit in any one year, and have not Il
cited the State, since 1880 to 1856, over two "
er cent while the State has been paying six al
er cent. on all the canal debt from 1927 10 Il
$50. Since 1855, they have failed to afford W
1fticient revenue to keep them in repair, aud
ave cost the people In direct taxes for their Y
lpport $567,000. Nor can we look forward o.
18th ray Of hope to the future, but cheer q
,ss gloom hangs over the prospect. tH' e
The Comptroller of the Treasury, 10 his an. b
ual report for 1860 says: "It will be observed a
'om the foregoing statement of the canal fund, N
lat on the 7th day Of April, 1860 the disburse 10
ents for the Works had exceeded the revenue OF
ON that source by the sum of $l35,040 60, NJ
I'd that this deficit in the canal fund was re- bl
abursed by transferring to that fund like sum
ON the general revenue" 10 another part of W
10 same report, statement ofreceipts and ex. th
snditures 10 made as follows; tb