Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-10-14

i.NlNiN SUITES NllN Alt Dlltl~l AlltINtn 'NNlltN
the construction, by the British Provinces Of
Great Britain. of "a ship canal from the river st
Lawrence 10 Lake Champaign, " he made a car
dinal point and our delegation in Congress "
instructed accordingly. This question transcend,
in importance any question of merely State policy
II affects directly all the States bordering upon
the British Provinces, as well as those Provinces
and in the mode Of action proposed 1t is in form
@ National question. II is 50 in fact also, and an
important question that demands high statesman.
ship OF course our Legislature should treat tn,
question with the caution which its gravity de-
serves, and act judiciously if it acts at all.
Several years ago when the proposed canal was
antagonized with the then struggling railroads Of
| Vermont our sympathies were all with the roads
and we were inclined 10 scout the canal project a
being unnecessary. We imagined the roads to b,
ol-suihcient for the needs Of Vermont and the
commerce Of New Englandan the West but We
have learned that it is utterly impossible to con
struct railroads MS fast as the new States of the
! West, and the fast growing commerce between
the East and the West, will furnish passengers
and freight for transportation Indeed, existing
roads of long lines cannot construct double tracks
nor even furnish the rolling stock for the present
single tricks as fast as they are needed
In looking for relief, we can discover it only in
extending water transportation as far, and en-
arging the number and capacity Of short connect
ing lines of railroads rs fast, as possible. For in
stances n ship canal Of few miles, from the st.
/ Lawrence 20 Lake Champaign, will open new
/ line OF water communication between all the coun-
/ try bordering ON the northern lakes and New York
city and another ship canal from lake Michigan
TO the Mississippi. viii do the same between the
/ Northern and southern States aud the effect
upon the corresponding lines Of milroad will be,
| 10 relieve them of the heavy and small paying
class Of freight, and enlarge their capacity for
the transportation Of passengers and profitable
| freght- Commerce would gain trehly in doub-
linn tho of
facility OF moving light frcights; and the reduced
cost OF moving grain, flour, iron, coal, and all the
class OF goods that would take transportation by
wator.
Again the proposed ship canal would make
Burlington instead Of Buffalo, or Ogylensburgh
the port for all heavy freight between New Eng
land and the West substituting cheap water com
municaton for about two hundred miles of costly
railway communication. The Governor well says
that this would save largely to Vermont in the
cost Of brcadstuils, but it would do more. Our
granite, marble and slate viii bear the cost of
water transportation 10 the mrthest port OF Lake
superior, and TO New Orleans and all the ports
in the Gulf Of Mexico, while very little Of it will
bear the railway mites. Vermont would bcceran
of a rich harvest from these sources.
But still again the additional freights poured
into Lake Champaign for the Fast would soon far
outsirlp the capacity Of the Central and Rutland
lines with all the tracks these lines can plant on
their road-beds, and new lines, through other
sections Of Vermont, would be demanded by the
necessities Of commerce, thus enlarging the fields
for profitable enterprises in Vermont We are
therefore for the ship canal proposed by the Gov
ernor for another round Niagara Falls for still
another from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi :;
and for cnlarging The capacity Of the Erie and
Champaign canals. Pretty large business think
you? Yes very large indeed of national i'm
pJrtance and the national government should
secure their construction.
Now for the way Of securing the st. Lawrence
and Champaign canals. We will not disguise our
dislike to what is called Reciprocitywith Canada,
for we are yet sore of the old treaty, which was
worse than cheat. 1t was an absolute and de-
lhemte sacrifice of the interests Of all the North
em States, and in some points of the nation also
and that not 50 much for the benefit of Canada as
C. Great Britain. 1t was designed to appease the
craving of the Canadians for annexation to the
United States, and the treaty was forced upon the
country, by a Democratic administration, simply
to prevent an addition to the political power Of
the North That was the root of the matter
Now we want no more tricks of that Sort no
more Sacrifices OF the North, and no more treache-
~ to the interests OF the country. Possibly
better treaty may be negotiated but we think il
ought to be II treaty of Tree navigation and trans
portaton, rather than Of free trade--each country
recprocally giving 10 the other the use of water
and railway transportation. II Great Britain will
build the Champlain and st, Lawrence ship canal
let the United States reciprocate by enlargng the
Champaign canal and if the Canadian canals
and railways are gwen Tor our use then let US open
ours to their use. That sort Of reciprocity will
do but 50 long as it is necessary to impose duties
upon foreign products for revenue we object
TO putting the British Provinces upon any other
than the footing Of other foreign countries
They deserve no special layors from us, md it
would be neither Just to other nations to grant
them, nor polite for our own.
III thcrcfure the Ipgislature il ia adnnt amy ra-
solution for the proposed ship canal, we trust it
will not in any way commit Vermont 10 the Ca
madam policy Of Reciprocity or emlarrass our
delegation in Congress with any instructions on
that subject. Mr. Morrilpe vieNVs wei known
to be strongly hostile to any thing like the late
treaty and indeed our entire delegation was,
from the first operation Of that treaty. entirely
hostile to it, rs were the people of the State.
We hope it is not necessary for us to add. that
part OF this article is to he construed as cen
sure of the Governor. We understand him only
TO suggest that il treaty is to be made, the OPP
portunity for securing the canal should be i'm
proved, We agree 10 that, believing, however,
that nothing buta treaty Of navigation technically
so called, should be made or, to adopt phrase
oogy better fitted for the time, let call it n
trenty Of navigation and transportation. The ex-
isting rights OF the respective countries to the us,
Of the nayimbe waters of the other, cannot, with
out considerable difficulty, he ascertained by any
/ body outside of the State Department at Wash
ington, or the Foreign Office at London at least
| by anybody but an expert in the treaties between
| the United States and Great Britain, and the nav
! gati0n acts OF the two countries. But one thing
is certain and that is that these rights were fixed
before the advent of railroads, and when the ton
mage of the st. Lawrence and the Northern Lake,
did not amount to one hundreth part of the pres
ent transportation by wnter and railway. So il
is fit, indeed it is necessary, TO reconsider tn,
provisions of existing treaties or laws to meet th,
~ Upnpipe aI tlp times IN llugtrnta thiu
sity, we have only to say that the privileges 0
navigation are now set up against the privilege
Of transportation by railway, 20 that we have an
absurd claim of exclusive privileges by the les
against the greater. While a dollars worth o
freight passes by water under the bridge at Rouse
Point, we doubt not that a thousand times tina
amount passes over the bridge by the railway
: vet Canadians are claiming that the bridge is il
violation of law prescripye rights, and the rail
way subordinate to the scows and RATS that pas
under it.
IL we run this claim out to its legal consequen
ces, the railway is not only responsible for al
damage TO vessels that choose to run their dirt
noses against the bridge but the bridge itsel
may lie ahated as n nuisance and the vast railwa
commerce between the East and West taxed wit
the inconvenience, delay and cost of Il ferry
This claim, absurd and injurious as it will b
in effect, may possibly be within the legal efiec
Of existing laws. In any event it is so claimed
/ and case hus been brought against the Vernon
, ~ Canada Railroad Co. in the Courts Of the Prov
ince OF Quebec, and judgment has been take
against the road by default. The Railroad CO
will of course insist that the case belongs not /
4 the judiciary of Canada, but to the Government
. of the United States and Great Britain respect
4 lively. Thus il will become matter for the cor
: sideation of the State Department, and ailor
. ground for international negotiation Vermont
!, New York, and Congress, have all concured i
y authorizing the bridge, and we do not think See
rotary Seward is quite ready 10 surrender it
the dozen or 50 Of British boatmen who come oe
I cnsionally into Lake Champaign.
n Still Great Britain may attempt to set up
q claim against us, and grayey Offset il against on
|, claim for American vessels destroyed By rebel D
= rates through British default. Ii is II good tim
10 reconsider this subject and settle it in accor,
anee with the changed condition of transportation
+ let the State Department do that, and waive ii
: Reciprocity question.