New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-26
THE CANAL RING.
THE GREAT DEBATE ENDED.

COMMITTEE To INVESTIGATE THE GENERAL SUB
JEcr OF CANAL MANAGEMENT. AND A COMMITS
SION TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR PRO-
vIDED FoR-THE VICTORY A BARREN ONE FOR
THE RING-DETAILs OF THE DISCUSSION.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
ALBANY, March 25.-Tbe great debate on the
Canal Ring, which will be remembered for
many a long year in Albany which filed the town
with anxious contractors and brought on the
Canal Ring all the horrors of the damned in
advance, is ended and it is hard to say which side
has won. If there has been a victory for the Ring
they owe it to their quiet and persistent mauipua-
ton of the House during the last two days. At the
close of a three hours session tonight the longest
evening sitting of the Winter, the House adopted
Mr. Waehner's amendment providing for the APP
polntment Of the Committee by the Speaker. The
Speakers popularity on the floor and the singular
announcement which he had made to the House that
ho should consider it personal insult if he was de-
prived Of the right to appoint the Committee made
the conclusion inevitable The House also adopted
Mr. Faulkner's resolution, which Mr. Waehner's
amendment affected, providing for the appointment
. of o committee to investigate the general
management of the canals. 1t also adopted Mr..
Schuylers resolution, given below, authorizing the
Governor to appoint a commission for the same pur-
pose, and in addition to this approved resolution
of Mr. Waehner directing the Judiciary Committee
to report bill empowering the Governor to appoint
commission, and granting that commission all
the necessary powers send for persons and papers,
Sec
BARREN VICTORY FOR THE RING.
So far as the adoption of the plan for Legisla
tive investigation goes this is a Canal Ring victory
for it has evidently been their desire all through to
be investigated by a Legislative Committee that
was limited to the space of 50 days in which to do
lis work. SO far as the approval of the scheme of
commission goes it is a victory for the Governor
and indeed tlc Canal Ring saw that they could not
prevent this. and so made a show of yielding
gracefully and voluntarily what they could not
withhold. Blu: it is evident that whatever triumph
the Ring has gained is but barren one. The Gov
eruor is to have his commission provided OF course
that the Senate concur and that is q victory for the
honest men of al parties. The Legislative
Committee may cover the Canal Ring
all over with whtewash if it chooses
without in the least meading the looks Of that dark
compexioucd organization, but it will require a
high degree Of courage to do with the Governors
investigation staring them in the face. Both in
vcsticaons NAV be searching and impartial, but in
any event one Of them will be watched with interest
and received with respect. All Of the votes
rya roce, and practically unanimous.
TIE LEADING SPEECHES.
The leading speeches in both Houses Of the Legis-
lature during the morning tended to the benefit of
the contractors. Ex-Lieut Gov. Alvords careful and
detailed argument occupied itself chiefly with
side of this many-sided subject which
deserves fall and prominent considera-
ton. He analysed several prominent
contracts showing that the successive steps to n-
crease the cost of the work were the result of
o~ssiye acts Of the Legislature awards of the
Canal Board. lie showed that the contract system
was full of imperfections and weaknesses and gates
TO fraud and that these opportunities for theft had
been increased by the acts of lawmakers and officials
everywhere. He took especial pains TO show that
the Increase in the cost the original estimate of
cost Of all public and private works the origi-
nal estimate. lie condemned the existing system as
vicious aud cOrruptng, and cited instances to show
that his course had been a consistent condemnation
of the system during his whole public
career. Mr. Avords speech. however, would
have been better rounded if he had taken the op-
portunity TO dcnounce as they deserve the men who
have bribed the Legislature and manipulated Canal
Boards into the passage of the bills and granting of
the awards of which he complained; who have cor
ruPted and 6rowbeaten engineers into completely
with their thefts and who have debauched politics
in the interior of the Empire State The impression
left on the mind by Mr. Alvords speech was that the
contractors were rather shrewd gOodnatured fellows
who thought it a good joke to take playful advan-
tage of verdant young engineers placed in charge of
the work which they were doing, and tended to
represent them in the light of men who hardly
thought it worth while to resist the conspiracy in
which the Legislature. the Canal Board. and the en-
giueers engaged to put money in their pockets
Senator Lanings speech in the Senate was more
pronounced in favor of the contractors and sought
70 cast discredt upon the figures of the Governor
as given in his message. Mr.. Alvord. however was
explicit in his condemnation of the system and all
the evils that bad grown out of it.
These were the two marked speeches of the day.
and beyond these there was not much that
instructive or entertaining in the debate, unless
both of these adectves may be held TO apply to the
L. L