New-York tribune., 1870-02-01
ALBANY.

uONEYs-CANAL MANAGEMENT AND EAlEN-
sIoNs--GovS SEYMOUR AND HOFFMAN WITH
THEIR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONERS, &C
ALBANY, Jan. 3l.-The discussion consequent
an senator HardeubUrg's resolution concerning li''
cnsnapVo Canal extcuslon will form Of the leading
,satures OF the prcscnt session Of the Legislature
briefly introduced Oh Friday, it win be continued To-
marrow as the regular order OF the day. 1t is concur
snt resolution directing the Canal authorities not 10
make any contracts for prosecuting the work until the
Legislature appropratcs money for that p1rpoSe'
The movement. important us regards the particular
object requires vastly greater weight from It's bearing
on other matters The Senator presenting the reso
tons frankly said that he had broader objects thah inc
rhraseologly indicated-hs anahemas being intehdou
for application to all other public officers whose course
might involve the honor Treasury OF the STATE ne
mentioned as one other example OF the praeoe nc ue
uounced the course Of the Trustees for constructing @
now Capitol who borrowed money and spent 1t
Last year for contracts on that wotK DeIoie
legislative appropriations were made Ho pro-
tested against any work being contracted Jor
until payment is specially provided by legislation That
the State may not be prematuroly involved by having
its faith and its pledged for expenditure on oo
ects which may not he convenient TO prosecute lmme
dately II ever The soundness OF the reasons VIII De
recognized by intelligent people, even In regions parcu-
,r,v interested in works temporarily retarded by this
prudent policy.
With this brief aluslon to Senator HaTdenburg's gen.
er application Of his doctrine i'm his Introductory re-
marks when Offering his resolution. attention may DC
turned toward the special object the present OCCASION
"a a prominent example OF pernicious administration
even under prudent aud positive legislation IL Truly
surprising that any admonitory resolutions should be
requisite now In this Chenango Canal case The fact
that admonton is needful should render IL short sharp
and decisive more deliberate Of flying In the face
OF law cannot readily be found The law OF 1863 author
zng this extension in its very first sentence seemingly
prohibits Just such as the Canal Commissioners
we're running when overtaken by legislative rebuke
Tint first section merely allows the Commissioners to ex
tond the Canal only as funds shall be appropriately"
from time to time" Yet with the Legislature actually
I'm sessiou-whout any appropriation to sustain them
the Canal Commissioners advertised to let contracts for
the remaining work. with the law staring them In the
face virtually forbiddng their doing anything Of the
sort When Senator said that haste was necessary In
passing the resolution otherwise the contracts might
be let by the Commissioners the 1st Of February
other replied that public officers would hardly
dare 70 commit act against which a leRsla-
tive resolution is pending, forgetting the fact
that those officers actually about doing
what expressly contrary to the spirit II not the letter
OF an aready-existiug law Were contracts now made,
without any protest from Legislature actually In scs
son would such contracts though clearly contrary
10 the spirit OF existing law be pausiby considered
y the contractors and the Canal Ring at eas as bind
ing the honor and treasury Of the Sate Would it not
be cOntended by the contractors and the Ring that
future Legislature, not the present one, should make
appropriations to which the Canal Commissioners for.
may committed the State for paying fully at least
compromising with the conractorsi Has not the State
had abundant experience in that lnei
10 win quickly be what legislators IL any, refuse
70 promptly condenning the manifest breach Of
proprety and Of the spirit Of the law in this The
circumstances which render denuncation needful now
may prove valuable in showing Of all parties the
LOT pbn1a
ieet OF canal management. but to operations in all other
public works involving large expenditures and RESPONSE
blltes Even Gov. Seymour would be more than salts
fed by the assumption Of power IN this case by the Canal
Commissioners, whom he thinks the only safe depOso-
Tes Of executive power under canal system But he
may be consoled b. seeing, proceed, that Gov.
HOfman's favorite Canal Board which he says should
have all the power hardly less infallibe than the
Canal Commissioners.
And now for glance a some details in these Chenango
Canal matters, past and present Always costly affair
for the people Of the State lis tolls not paying Than
ons Of he current expense OF keeping II in operation,
saying nothing of its original and outlays for i'm
movements The proposed extension Of this canal was
hailed by people, few years ago. as calculated TO
render good service by connecting II with the PennsyL
Canal system supposng that access might thus he
% aa 10 n g oSa Snd also benebpg them by enabling the
canal to pay at enough keep itself in ordinary
navlgabe order II II never repaid anything OF the
cost OF construction or improvements
reoiSedi Railroads now built in that direction show
now SanSrs ais nSS f S of bIcS IN parallel case we viii
presently speak. We conne attention just now to the
prospects OF the Chenango Canal and It's extension sup
pose the Legislature inclined TO appropriate money for
Completing the extension, should that be done till all the
amined by every member Of the Legslaturei
And what do those facts show in reference TO the pro
posed extensions That extension, from BnghamtOn TO
the State line, is about forty miles, beyond which II Is
required by our law that it must be continued % by the
sbie Pennsylvania company" down to Athens In that
State, where 1t must 80 before any connection can De
syvania canals and coal mines Twelve hundred thou
sand dollars have been already spent on . our @ e3ten
now estimated" as required for completion to that
always hOnOrably excepting the original estimates for
the Enc Canal large per eentsge must be added Tor
ne when made does not cost moro than two mil
lions. the people may be thankful
SIDE for two millions what certainty is there that the
connecting link IN Pennsylvania from the State line
where, will be made by anybody in that Statei Our Now
York law authorizing the extension precise enough
vital point before beginning the work. Read its require
ments, aud then see how far they have been fulfilled
That law passed In 1868, expressly declares that: go
state Of Ptnnsyirsua OF company Of reabk responsibility ucorpo
,S under h laws shall ,asi, Canal
a and tga proroHs have been made to complete paysae
a State line down 70 aud form connection with the
North BAu Canal at or near the village Of Athens 10 said State Of
Now how were these positive requirements met on the
part OF Pennsylvania and our Canal Boddf IL may be
said that lldt EONfO i6celNcu
OF a bond. But what sort OF bOndi Is 1t from the
State OF Pennsylvania or from any reliable, respon
sible company" the condition precedent" required
by our Iawf Judge for yourself Here II sa there is
OF il:
81 BY these presents That The North Branch Canal
COMPANY The state PeuHs9a is held ADD frmy bound unto the
psage o. Nea-lofk he OF hundred thou
paid said people default be made tie condition
folosing. that Is %
The condition Of this DBL cation such that The said North Branch
Cut Company tLlI complete rAugab Canal fom the State Line
sad aud form connection with the North
B1ob Csas the village Of Athens il the state Of PsHns
the Of Nesl0k shall be
n0gaJk BY said Of NwYo TO form
v said Cus 10 be by said Company completed then