Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-03-08

ted be reconsidered; which was disagreedt To-
yeas 81, nays S.. E u -
erEcrkL ORDER.
H.B. No. Obi, by|RIr WOODS. on leave
To provide folA Aleasibg tho Public Works Of the
State, was taken ub, when
Mr.. WOODS Sblained the present condition
of the bill, and Q nature of the amendments
pending, and suggested that that part Of the
bill providing fof tlie sale Of the Public Works,
which Is the frft eleyen sections, be considered.
MT. VINCENT proposed that the House pass
over those sections anN consider the provisions
Mr.. WOODS then moved that the House con
slider the amendments, and called for division
Of the question.
5The question then turned upon the adoption Of
the first IL sections s-
8, Mr.. HITCHCOCK, the author of this
amendment, remarked that the proposition be-
fore the House was of importance; that while
he would hasten to its Consideration, he trust.
ed the House would not fail fully to con-
slider it before coming to vote. As the author
Of the proposed amendment, he desired briefly
to give his views.upon it. r.
He referred to the early history of the cAnnls,
and the fact their projectors fattered them.
selves that they would be such a soutce of rev.
enue to the State as that in few years to re.
imburse both principal and interest of the cost
of their construction. By reference to various
reports of officers and other documents to which
he had access, he found that the original coet
of the Public Works, when called completed, in
l643, was 1862, $40 ~. Interest on this cum,
which has not at any time since been ma.
terially reduced, $15,797,753 Ga. Total ex-
pense of salaries, repairs, &C., to Nov. Is, lS6O
$l3, ,693, 1877 l6. Interest on moneys borrowed
previous to during the construction of these
works, $3.50, ,658 SO. Total, $50, ,2S9, ,l59 A.,
His object would be to make q fair showing,
charging them with oil they cost, and give
credit for the gross amount received from them.
Then to this amount should be added expense
of additional works since l943, for which
special appropriations have been made; ex-
pense Of Legislation each session upon the sub
| ject, amounting on an average TO about $l0,O00
annuelly; all expense connected with 1.-THE fund
| commissioners and transfer Office in New York,
| necessary on account of the debt incurred in
building these works; and In addition, an untold
lamount OF claims for damages which have been
lconstanty arising, Then there issa large
amount Of interest," upon money borrowed to pay
| interest, running the debt up at one time to
about Sl8 ,000,000. The amount of these items
| he did not attempt to state, but from the COM
putation he had made, added to the aggregate
before stated, would reach an amount tsufh
|
| upon the duplicate at the time Of their com
mencement, about $60,000,000. The gross
| amount received into the Treasury from them
is $13.669,l7 "a, leaving little more than
SAC, 900 900 that they have burdened the Treas
ury. +. Toavoid all mistake, he will say $40 OOO,-
4 000.- oa,.i ga ,,-,s, ~, 1fiS, \, s-r,.-,ss -
~ They have never, except in one instance, paid
an amount OF net revenue into the treasury
equal to one half the annual interest lille
paying any, about one.fourth. For FIVE years
4 past they have been direct burden upon the
treasury to over 100000 per year. The.eostItc
the State for paying the interest on the debt
and extra repairs, above receipts, is nearly 81,
900. 900 annually. =
Now, what shall be done2 That it was
wrong policy for the State to do this work orig
inally he did not say. That it has aided the
development and advanced the wealth OF
the State there is no doubt. But It has plac
i ed burden upon the people of the whole State.
i That the State is now well supplied with means
of transportation, in canals and railroads. built
partly by the State, and partly by private enter
prise, shall she any longer be o competitor
with any of her citizens in the carrying tradel
Il It is the duty Of the State to foster and cherish
all the interests Of all her people, and not be q
| competitor in any of them. ,r9) gaa iors1alis
4 ] Thegreat objection to selling seems, in the
minds OF many gentlemen, to be that, if ssld,
they, may be neglected or pass into the hands Of
railroad companies, and rates OF transportation
will be increased. The same reason that COM
pels the State to keep possession on this ac-
count would make it her duty to go to work
and dig ditches to furnish cheap facilities Of
transportation TO all the people of the State
These works would be better managed for the
interest Of all, in the hands of private parties
| Asnow, they are O source of patronage and cor.
| ruption, and political disturber. 1t can not
| be avoided. 1t seemed to him the State
should Withdraw herself entirely from connec
ton with them. Il will necessarily be done, and
can as we'll now as ever. m
Mr.! VINCENT followed, and favored lease.
| The history of the. canals and canal manage
ment was the darkest picture we, as Legislators,
could contemplate. They were conceived in
fraud Only one line was to be built, of $50
miles, and at a, cost Of $2,500,000 On this cal
culation the first money was borrowed. But we
i have been led on until the State has expended
from 80 to so millions Of dollars, and now has
on hand a debt of $l4 QUO 900, and S49 miles OF
dilapidated canals and river Improvement. 2
a State management had increased the original
cost Of the canals two fold and it cost the State
four times as much TO keep up repairs as IL
would private parties. y i1 o.. 9p tiets
| The State should have no business relations
except such as are necessary to its existence as
q Government; State management originated
In strong governments, where the head was ev-
erything, the people nothing. The, State would
become bankrupt in the most lucrative business.
If worked all the farms in the State, il would
ask for an appropriation to pay current expenses.
It would fail in merchandising, and, as builder
we had an example in the State House, at cost
of one and a half millions, which could have
4 n half F,..tIi itr,ryr = Ia