New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-04-04

People regard him, or ever did regard him,
with personal i'll will.
CANALS As MILITARY HIGHWAYS.
Unless there has been serious misap-
prehension Of portions OF the argument EN-
ployed by Mr.. Ruggles yesterday in the
Chamber of Commerce., in favor Of an
enlargement of the State Canals in view OF
military exigencies, corrections are needed on
one or two important points bearing on our
relations with England. Mr. Ruggles is report
ed to have made the statement that the Ship
Canals of Canada, which include the Lachine,
Beauharnois, Cornwall, and Williamsburg
usually called the st. Lawrence-Canals, and
tho Welland, connecting Lakes Erie and On
iario, were works constructed by the Govern
ment OF Great Britain for naval and military
purposes, in violation Of the spirit Of the Treaty
OF Client, by which both English and Amerl-
cpn war vessels are excluded from the Lakes
aud the River west Of Quebec. In addition
to this, Mr.. Ruggles is said to have given au-
.hority for statement which we think must
be incorrect--that on the occurrence OF the
Trent difficulty, British gunboats were dis
patched to the st. Lawrence and ore now sta
toned in the Ottawa River. Both these
statements need modification.
The causes which operated in favor of the con.
structon of the Weand Canal in Canada
were precisely the same as those which gave
birth 10 our own great State enterprise. In
1922 the Trade Acts passed BY the British
Parliament, by imposing heavy duty on Ameri-
can produce entering the Colonial market all
but destroyed that part of the carrying trade of
the ST. Lawrence, which even so early as 1902, in
-four alone amounted annually to go 900 bar
rels. The change in the Imperial policy was
exceedingly unpopular in the Province; and
immediate efforts were set on foot by the
traders Of the Peninsula bordering on the
Niagara frontier TO attract some portion of the
growing Western trada to Canadian route
by means of 3 canal cOnnec.icg Lake Erie with
Ontario. 4 private Company, therefore, wa
orqnized in lo2i. lis capital At first was oDl!
Sl5OOOo. ihe following year. however. THE
was increased 10 $500, geo; and this again, ten
Years later, to $1,000, geo. ~ this time viz,
in 1884, the Province Of Upper Canada Ind
stock in tie enterprise to the extent Of $780,
0CO, in addition 20 loan OF $500, 600; Lower
Canada had also stock worth 100000; and
the Imperial advances were S!!2,2@0. In 1889
the advantages of the undertaking in CON-
Inercia point Of view, as affecting the whole
Province, were so apparent tina. the Legis.
lature Of the Province vas induced TO assume
the entire work, and previous to this time its
Dimensions were only suited to The very smallest
class of lake craft.
It was only 80 late us 1916, after il had
been for seven years in the hands of the Pro.
vincal Government, that the engagements
were made which have been 80 advantageous
TO the trading interests of Canada. These en-
largemcnts, made entirely by loass effected on
the credit Of the Province, even now present
no very formidable dimensions. The locks are
$50 feet in length, 20 feet beam, and Of feet
drausht.
The enlargement Of the Lachine and other
canals which improve the navigation oi the ST..
| IaNTrncc WEB OhiJ cHrtltu " INC nanIc t!iic
and under the sane control as the Welland.
! In 1916 the Province had completed the im-
proyements by loan on the Province credit,
which, including tho first expenditure, amount.
ed to ,36369, 633; and this outlay gave them
what the rapidly growing trade Of the Western
producing districts demanded, viz: locks 200
feet long and So feet wide. In short, the
whole Of these magnificent Provincial works
are local trading enterprises, to which the I'm
peral Government from the first gave only the
most meager support The only work Of a
military kind in which the English Government
invested and sunk any amount Of money was
the Rideau Canal, connecting tho River Otta.
wa with Kingston on Lake Ontario; and that
is mere ditch, utterly useless for military
purposes. and only employed to an imperccpt.
Die extent for trade.
| To call these improvements, therefore, a vio-
lation of the spirit Of the treaty of 1914 is
incorrect, and the argument offered for Mr..
Ruggless'proposed improvement in our inland
navigation is, so far, without force.
Turning TO Iav i,pvr. " gun-bcat, berg