New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-31


a convention of Changers. Their discus
sions have been pointed chiefly to an inquiry
into the legal rights Of the transportation
companies. They have also examined the
power of the State and federal legislatures
over these corporations. The National
Board of Trade likewise took up this sub
ject Of transportation, though in the more
general and limited sense of the relative
power of the federal and State govern
ments to regulate corporations The Gran
gers were united in believing that the
grant of powers to the corporation was
reciprocal contract, under which the con-
sideration moving the public for the grant
was the performance of duty by the c0rpOr-
alton as a common carrier, under stipulated
rates Of charge for the service. The Board
of Trade deemed it inadvisabie to express
any opinion upon the much contrOverted
question of federal power to construct
ways or regulate transportation within
the States, but it adopted resolution
which recognized the extreme value Of the
natural water routes. The following reso-
luton was triumph of the water routes.
1t was the only one adopted on the subject
of transportation:
That the only complete and permanent
restraint upon unreasonable eXacti0ns tor
TRANSPORTATION must be sought III the devel-
opmen1 and improvement of the natural
water routes, to the end that these high
ways for our commerce may move freight
during as much OF the year as possible, at
the lowest possible rates, and thus subject
the railroads to the regulation of whole
some competition. We therefore rejoice at
the commencement OF important Improve
ments in the Welland and st. Lawrence
canals by the Dominion OF Canada; in the
efforts by the State and citizens OF New
York to improve methods OF transportation
by the canals of that State; in tine close at
tentiOn given to other projects OF interior
water communication; and trust that the
improvement OF the Mississippi river and
the great natural water ways OF the country
may be pushed without delay to completion.
This expression OF good will toward the
Mississippi, with the unanimous indorse-
ment at the last session of the Fort St.
Philip canal, places our improvements from
Dubuque to the Balize in a favorable point
of view before the American people. Still
the success of our favorite work, the Fort
St. Philip canal, ia very problematical. The
contest for the internal commerce of the
Northwest lies between New York and
Montreal, while the Mississippi route is very
| little spoken of by the lake and Eastern
interests. 1t is curious to see the enthu-
siasm with which the Canadian delegates
have been received. They are gentlemen
of excellent intelligence and honorable
hoo hnt uyha ro har
tory of the border wars and of British
aggressions, with tbs fame of Scott and
Perry and Lawrence and Harrison for re-
polling these invasiOns, it is a gratifying
sight to see the cordial welcome of the Brit
ishers by the descendants of those who had
suffered so much at the hands of the British
nation. Yet commerce has done it all. The
Canadians took very high ground in de-
bate. They read the treaty of Washington
to give to American shipping the use Of the
St. Lawrence. but denied that this con-
veyed also = right OF cO-navigation upon
the canal. which connect the st. Lawrence
with the lakes. They demanded IS an
equivalent for these further concessions
that the coastwise trade should be opened
to British vessels along the eastern coast
of the Atlantic, at leas: to include the New
England ports. One OF the delegates
claimed that the st. Lawrence "held the
key of the whole Western interior. New
York assents to this claim with very bad
grace, and insists upon the capacity of her
canals and railroads to control the same
trade. As question of transportation, it
is very plain that if the Canadian route
shall be improved and its rail uuadruped
like that of New York that the commercial
intercourse between the upper lake ports
and Liverpool must be conducted through
the St. Lawrence. Both Montreal and New
York employ the same lake and river route
to a common point OF separation. Up to
the WelIand canal on one side of Lake
Erie, and the Erie canal on the other. 1
neither has nor can have any advantage of
the other. At this point the routes sepa-
rate. The Canadian canals can now pass a
vessel OF $50 tons. and by lighterage one Of
400 or more tons. The New York canals |
can not pass vessel of more than $50 tons. |
Then the Canadian canals have a length |
Welland being but twenty-eight miles: the |
New York canal is more than 400 miles. !
with corresponding lockage from the lake |
to tide water. The distance by way of |
Montreal is more than 1900 miles, and. per. |
haps- eight days shorter than by way of |
New York. With the elements OF time. |
distance and cost so much in favor of the |
Montreal route to Liverpool. The grain |
trade north of the latitude Of Philadelphia |
and keoiuk. except that which is grown !
upon the banks of the upper Mississippi, |
will 90 to Liverpool by the Canadian route. |
The Mississippi is then then the sole re-
source by which New York can compete |
with the st. Lawrence, for whatsoever goes |
to sea by way of New Orleans. goes directly |
or indirectly TO the credit of New York, |
while that which is exported through Mon
treal can by no possibility benefit New
York at all. Such view may determine
New York to cast her twe1ty-eight votes in
favor of the Mississippi Improvements. for
half loaf is better than no bread, and
mouthful superior to starvation. That
there g a commercial coalition between
Milwaukee, Chicago, Toledo, Detroit and
all the country which supplies these ports,
together with the consumers of New Eng
gland on the one part, and tie Canadian
river and city interests on the other, there
can be 10 doubt. The agreement to press
upon Congress a renewal of the reciprocity
treaty, and the general cordi.lity between
those interests proves the facts. 1t is by no