New-York tribune., 1867-09-12

Tho Convention then went INTO Committee OF me the
Whole upon the reports finance and the canals, N.Y.
Mr. DGsp e% Snsds Believed tho canals
never destined to be superseded in the transport OF
from which the State should receive back only
what had advanced while the surplus revenues should
held that economy Of transportation depended the
condition Of the waterway Of the canals The ockass
the test OF the capacity or the rate OF transit AS 10 tne
Erie, what can be accomplished in its present conditions
The Convention Of lsi6 made full systcm Of inquiry into
every few rods Of it's length and measuring It's locks
S d Plain & @ as' 'na
on June a. IS48 passed $40 Yet these old single
29s boats aud at Frankfort 26s boats History
Itself What is wanted Is an improved waterway. Give
Tins is What is wanted rather than new locks
His friend Erie (mr Prosse had taken out me sub
Scre Was Sinderance to all But 1t nowhere stated
in the report all the other locks on the Ere were NOT
IN tie same category On the strength Of hs
ease the Convention viii be called upon TO pull ths whole
line locks pieces order TO put in operon Tue ea
Needed. What is now needed is only better care
and management: By,andby it may become md ne
| cessary TO decide whether the locks thit need
| it shall be heightened, wdened or deepened How n
that could be done he did not know IL beongea 10 & s
as to the waterway Ninety per cent OF the time oc
cuped in transportation consumed in travel at the rate
THIS fair proportion. The true economy OF trans
portatIon es then in the rapdty Of travel ratheT Te e
resistance Of water and The naIrowness OF ihe chan
mel Why IL IL that you nad the ERIE tanai eet ueeP
aud 100 feet wde you would never bring lake vessel
through to Albany Because IL would csst twice as much
TO bring In that way as III the ordinary mode OF convey
You cannot alter the natural laws os resistance
and velocity As TO the estimate presented for this work.
it mere botch, and the engineer who would present
il should be dismissed from his position An enlarge
ment Of the locks will render II neeessaiy 70 en- en-
large tho waterway. For the boatman VIII
| make his boat wider in proportion as
the lock widened. He really believed that "
would better to build another tier Of locks he feared
the economy OF the Canal Committee. Their economy
would be ruinous than their extravagance What
the Erie Canal wanted was more water in the waterway
that the boat will not scrape along on tln shln "
water Give them honest seven feet, and gradu;liJ
10 eight Then naygators will be able TO save
fourth Of their time. This s practical snggesuon
Of far value than possible change In the locks
! Mr. T. W. DWIGHT (Rep, Oneidal would reverse the
usual order inquire whether the enlargement OF the
locks needed before he asked whether ana how tine
money coud be obtained He had no interest in canals
any interest In the question beyond ms WISH 20 see
the Western States furnished with an open hlgnWsy 10
the sea- But hsca@s as matter n af doubt whether
a question Of disputed fact should be put INTO
the Constitution t did not belong TO the fundamental
Orleans Ohurcl had given much time TO the financial
question, and had placed on record socaled deOt OF
sIsOO0OOO, which was DO debt, but SIMPLY deciaIauon
that canals to be made to pay Tor henseives
ont OF their This should never STAND III tnt
way OF enlargement. What he thought To be far and
what the Constitution OF ls4e ignored) was that great
public work had right to be supported out OF ts Own
revenues He would leave the enlargement TO be made
whenever II was Judged to be necessary
Mr. PROsSER rep, Ere) knew no good reason TOT
doubtng that the of the canals would be IN
creased in the next decade as rapidly at In the past Inc
traffic had doubled in the last 10 years, and quadrupea
In the last cheap and rapid transit Will secure TINS
end The improvements contemplated by the Canal
Committee will not only pay for themselves Dut VIII pay
the canal indebtedness before the lapse OF many
years. - .,.-, -,-.-,.Ao a.,
when the and the Convention proceeded
10 take its usual recess -,