, 1876-03-27
GOV. TILDEN'S MESSAGE on THE
ERIE CANAL,

ERIE CANAL.
Necessity OF Deepening tho yVntGr-
Why to Seven Ecct- Benefits IL
Would Confer unnn Consumers, For |
1rnrsicrs. and Tsontnicn-An Exist |
Ing Available FUND OF 81 ,B0i 900.
ALBANY. March 4.-Thc following message
mas scut to tho Legislature to-day.
STATE or NEW Yonk, EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
ALBANY, blarch n, 1s7G.-1o tbs Legtslulure !;
The 1csu1tB OF Tho Investigations ordoroI at tho
Last sosson into tho Work GU tho Erle aud othet
cas'als pprporting to be improvements, and
known IN tLe Language, Of our legislation %
to you. Tl,oy eB!ab:isl these CONCLUSIONS
Flrst-Tho expenditures for thoso purposes
during tho last 6yo years were d!roct(v about
eli.0U1,030. and Indirectly About 49, 0,00)-
amounting to nelvly sl5,o3u.o10. This 10 IN
addition to vast HUM oxpoudol in former
years..
:ecoHd-I1lo mans Of tho work for which those
expenditures were made was OF 10 roal utility 70
tho public. Tho uaate III construction. Which
furnished 5olm 10 contractors. but wns Of no
va!uo to tile S1tc lih1 boon ovou tRrgoF than tue
iilici. and ftandulDnt Kaiila.
1ntra-Moat Of tito contracts wera ohsafaad
by tAo ayate,u of unba'aucod bids aud oshor dis
honest doylccH
Foura.-atuch Of tho work wns exccuted Ia
violation OF tho contracts. apd Ia wor'hoss.
The advantages to tho Suits Of the Investigations
haro not teon limited u the discovery Of tho
particular irauls nor even to tho dosttUctiLn
Uf q Hystom involving vast annual loss to tho
ta1-pRyors. demota!!Zsilg to tho public service.
aud corruptiug to a'1 govermensa! !lfc.
Incidentally. III arrestlng these. practices, n
which = real important and yaluablo IMPROVE
ment cNn bo oitected III tue main trunks Of
the Canals. On tho hrst Of lhBt month theEo ro-
mained IS nearly 40 can nscors.tn. Of tta
fandh applicahls..to extraordinary ropaitn aud new
work; uuappsoprjated to spocl1e Objects 4;33.-
U0o; existing appropriations for objects not
undor contract, *jGD,UOu estimated al nocsa-
nary to Bc'ts existing eoutra,ts-Edo Cnna',
e347.00o: Champlatu Canal, $3.50, coo; ouelda
Lake Caual+ sG,oo0; balance after eott!ing con-
tracts Us proposed. 5ao3, 900; sum available for
nov work on Chann!nin Canal enlargement,
100000; Onelda Lakc, sil.oo0i to4al sl,6oa.-
respectfully recommend tho enactment Of
laws providing for tho following measures:
Firyt-Emrowcr nn1 dirool!ns tho Chntl
Duard to clusa al! exia.inG contracts for exttaor
diuary repairs, except IN thoue special cases
where. iu tho Judgment Of tho Board, 1t oatlno!
DO do1c without detr1lnont To the interests OF the
Htatc, and lepcaliug all existing appropriations
for extraordinary repairs.
Seconl-.tppropratinE not o1ceaainy si9o,o2o
to Buch payments as 1nny be just an! nee .ssasy
such appropriation nilali beco.no croctuai ii, re-
apect to payments on any coutfactunsil the same
shaI! bs ccr.tued by tho State Euetuoer IN writ
Ing to tho Canal Hoar.l, uud afterwatd duly ap-
proved by tho Canal board mud providing fur:
appropriation shall oparata or be
construed 10 ynlllato or rccosizo any con-
tract tainted with tho illoKallty or fsaul or to
waive my dciensc Of tho State III gospo,. 10 my
contract Or any rtght Of action II the stato
or required by tbs ssmo; and lihewIsc appro-
priattng, not exceeding al0o,o0o, for tho pur-
poso Of protecting or finishing such work as in
tho Judgment Of tho Canal Board tho interests
Of tho State may require to bo 10 protected or
hniatel.
lhird-Appropriat!ng not exceeding e400, ,0o0.
70 bo o1Dondea. with tho approva! Ut tile Btatu
EnglneoE, bud Andcr tho direction OF tho Canal
Of tho Eric Canal. with view OF giving sepeit
feet depth Of water 30 far aa may b0 practicable
Ut the opouing Of navigation In the praaant
year. .....
survey and measurement Of tue waterway Of
tho Erie Canal, for tha putpoao OF dotcrminiug
ita roal condition aud tho p!acea whore II upe-
cially re1u'ros Improvement and appropEiattng
from the residue Of fu'',ls hitherto applicable 10
extraordinary repatra Ut tho Erie 0Aua Which
are now or may como into tho Treasury, uoluding
nIouoya which may 10 withhold by tho State Oh
oAAting collttacts. or recovered by the State III
respect TO such contracta Or work under them,
such suus nB may be necessary 10 improve tho
waterway Of tho Eric Canal h depth Of TX OF
u teat at such places AZ may BE- found most nsa
fpI or most economical.
fourtA-Arprops.asiag saeh proportion Of tl,o
for the Cha.nplalu Cana! a. may bs nucessary to
improve the waterway Of that canal.
E1nh--DiEectlng tho CanAl beard. at tho com
mc,,ceUout OF tho hnxt session OF tls Lsgiaia.
! turc, 10 report what, II any, specific improve.
ments other than hc1otofora mentioned are Or
| bential to tho iutoEosta nj tho state.
Ths advantages OF improving tho waterway
| Of the Eyia CAnal we're discussed by mo In thc
sunual mcasaeo et 1875, aud again In tic annual
March IT, 1875. while showing tho enormous out.
! Iay ou tho canals for alleged improvements
questioning the utility Of mort OF the now oon'
struct!on. exposing Tue fraudulent devices By
tnyeatis sation ~ 70 tue quality Of the work
] stil inslstod Oh tho iMnouso henailts
ii comparatively small cost. OF lnp1ov.
Ing tue waterway III tue following Ian
guxgs " III my Judgment far more Important
Infringement at llo ErIs Canal would bo effect
ed by = thorough systo1n OF ordinary repaird
which should eve tho waterway its proper aud
lawful d,lpousiols, and BY psoB1oahsye!Y doepen.
iug It, whoreyor reasonably ptactcshlo. from
Ga i foaL - the object you'd bo n,efoiy, ~ CD
shlo tno submerged section Ut tho boat to move
In 4 larger area Of wntes. 30 that the displaced
t4ud could pass tho boat IN larger sPaos. j
would not be necessary to alter tue culVotts o.
other structures, or TO cavTy tue Walls OF tns
| cAnAl bcOR tn9 uFoaeHs OAssot',' s1u '.to oouon
would be realxod in Zach portion Of tue cana
iuproyea without Eetorauca 10 anY other past ol
| lid chaDnoI which should romaln unchanged II
fAc.llsatiug tho movement Of tho boAs ant
qutekouiuH its speed. 1t would lucrsaso uit
s,pe.Iut Of sosylcS rendered in Giyon tune. ant
would thereby diminish eiery elsmant " nc
ooss OF transportation. II would beneht th'
boktuep AnL catflarB moro even than cant
AlsAol remission Of tols. II would bo ct laor
roai vilslty to navigation than tYo OF ton timer
il cost expended III tho avo1aGa manner OF 70
callod improvements on tho public works. Du
il il too simple, ton practically uaefu. ~ cnlls
tho imAgiuatlnn Of projectors who seok tho fan,
| NJ .nauSinnAnk oanattunkfnru. and Of Tia ANN