New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-28
DIR. UAYES'S SPEECH,

ALBANY, Feb 27-The House reassembled
at IN, and took up Dr. Hayess concurrent resolutions
to amend The constitution rs TO make the canals free
Of tolls DR.. Hayes after the resolutions had been
read, made long and carefully prepared argument in
their favor At his request the resolutions were read by
the Clerk In the course OF his speech which followed
DR.. Hayes said:
hardly needfu for to say that these arc very
radical changes the Constitution They utterly Mt
variance with the meaning and intent of the original
trainers of that instrument. They provisions never
contemplated by those public SPIRITED men wiVse geDls
conceived and whose energy perfected the canal
system Of the State. The simple question with
them was that t1e canal should oy means ANS
formed nay all tho expenses Of their maintenance aud
from time TO time, accumulate suiclent revenues 10
dreamed by ths fathers of the canals that they
ever would, or ever could. be tax upon the properly
and OF the State. II was never dreamed that
the rvalres OF railroads would change tneIr relation TO
The c3n-se OF trade. Railroads were then unknown
IvEw-YORK'S DEBT TO THE CANALS.
In the first place, Mr. CnairmanssI start out with tho
bold assertion that NewYors State has less natural
ground for being the home Of prosperous people than
any equal amount Of territory within the Federal Union
What is there make her Rreati She produces nothing;
that is to say. tho products OF her soil than
sufficient sustain her population and yet sne has
within her borders or the three great cities OF
the world ami by great cities ! mean tnose
money makes, that represent tho various cOun-
tries which hold the leading place in the COM
hundred years she was but little moro than hamlet,
ana inferior to Newport T. l.. not ONLY in population.
not city the world claiming the hight To be so called
in commercial phrase nere unfortunately situated True
she has n magnificent balbur. There is none liner.
She stands upon island with navieable waters upon
every side. She has running by her magnificent river;
but -niiccu river and Hayigable waters and ine
harbOr do not AXE city. The hafDor would accom-
mostc all the ships OF all the world bur the ryer winch
pors INTO IL its vast volume Of water is the most worth
less river of magnitude on the race OF the earth
Great built mp because they drain to them by
,yls or pavft iu all
In point of fact, the Hudson River drains TO The sea
and TO the commerce Of the world absolutely nothing
There outlets from tine North American CONT
ncnt 10 the -ea-tnr Mississippi River and ST. Lawrence
Man has maze a thi,. 1t is the Ere Canal. Dy when
the whole line Of lakes has been made rihutary to
the Hudson River and given that river by artificial
Ihe Canal. The Hudson River Is but a magnificent
stream nl the cities bs its side would to he and,
Notwithstanding lis latchless har0or, Ncw-lorK Cly
wUu.d take place in history with Baby and Garth
age AID other commercial maFis of past ages
THE RAILROADS POwERLEss.
may here perhaps, be answered with the question.
Cannot the railroads Sew-York and come to her
asslsancel tell You they Will not and they cannot,
and make this declaration that there is not line OF
railroad transportation that is profitable anywhere
In the world which docs not follow more or less
directly the line of navigable waters. And ven
tire still further thai there is railroad
The world when pays any proht on its investment
that does not connect one pOiut on naygable water
VITA another nayigabe water. aud these points
within 200 miles OF each other. TIE newborn Central
The Ere Railroad built 10 Connec, Buffalo and the
lakes with New-Y0rk CIy. The distance too great
w nfg are nc no limit of and for Sro
was exceeded. The road has been bankrupt always,
and to-day a receivers hands The Erie canal maae
Buffalo and Lockport and Rochester and syracuse and
lea and schenectady. and Troy and Albany, and CIV
IN diversion o; trade by the great natural highway
ne Hudson. allowed cities to crow up beside IL;
here | viii boldly say that all there Is to make
NcH YORK aud great city conspicuous before the
world anu important IN S commercial relations Is the
smr fdci tlat 1t occupies the territory embraced 10y
the only break thai the great mountain cham
whicn stretches parallel with the north AMI east
from the CUT OF Mexico 10 the II. Lawrence, and to the
su further circumstance ;hat one man. aud his name
ClutDu, realized the faclembIaced tie opportunity,
and !Zcd the occasion.
WAFER CHANNELS THE HIGHWAYS OF COMMERCE.
Is not NewYork CITY to-day what she is because OF the
Ire Canal and could she not even now well afford TO
pay from her treasury every dollar Of the original
and every penny OF the annual expense OF its main
nance Aud here IS the essence of all that have
10 SAY upon this subject, and | only here desire
to emphasize what 1 have already observed,
that WItEout tho Eric Canal NcW-iork CITY.
with i-s splendid Earbor ana Its matches Iiver would
have substantial eNis ence, and Montreal and New
O.rans would ne tne clues OF the con ncnt Tat OF
Your railroads 10 the end Of tme-!hcy are nothing
There Is the face OF the whole earth city that
rlload built Cities ara the accidents Of COM
mcrcc aud commerce Is the accident OF water. True
IndanaI oils has grown through the agency Of rail-
COMMUNICATIONS, but there Is not another such in
stance history OF inland communication since rail
roads were invented Wat II the only means by which
commerce has ever prOspcrc'. ON the water you may
H thr wind, O. 1c,ven are. aud always Will be. me
cheap propelling power, and next to that We have
MSS the essential element Of commerce. steam
Is always costly IL never pays except Tor mere local
nence The n "a; products OF the earth that MAKE
upi traffic never In hurry: Pcrishable freights
20 by because they can Afford to pas eStrayagant
rtloVs for iTanspOrtruu. 80 tar aS commerce l.
concerned and the business interests OF this country
concerned. tlc Pacific Railroad Is useless structure
From tue ntNhgdDo waters OF tne H"'rthcnto 10 tnc
nayagihie OF the Missouri tie distance Is too
great and the Intervening space 10 pohtess TO maze
steam agent CONNER value. IL 10 well To recall
these facts. tuty bring n down 10 tle plain and
simpe consideration of tho question that commerce
means Warr aud that and transportation Is simple
incident. aud has very moderate llmll Nhe water Is
endless aud urnishc. the natural course and direction
II trade aud commerce Aud through tnis course of
rec nng have pursue ny way for no other purpose
than nat may here assert and do It Win the utmost
coendencc, tha' ~h"ever may be tAc cost OF tho New
York canal TIE state abundantly afford TO pay IT,
Aye even an nunJiediold
TIE COST AND TIE PROFIT OF THE CANALS.
Why, sr, what do the canals Of NewYOrk State cost
herl paltry little million OF dollars, less, for
their annual maintenance, not Onethrtieih part or the
taxes that annually levied for the support OF tho
cities of New-lork and Brooklyn, and yot neither
of them would havo existence to-day or have
world but for the Erie Canal which by dyertiug
trade from The land channels, gave Them prosperity aud
gathered about New-Yort har5Or TWO millions of people
fad the railroads anything o do with nj Not one par
ticc except as they were accessory to the general
movement OF trade tAat came wth te wafer tfanspOr
taon and right here II Is well for us TO understand that
lines OF traffic go parallel win eacn ote, and with the
rivers, aero then Railroads iniunertble IL is
true tie Mississippi RIVER but the c'ossng is "a
rImplo convenience Their profit hes IN the Crcum
stance that they drain down to the river the products o
the earth
COMMERCE WITHOUT SENTIMENT.
DO you suppose. sir that the people OF the West VIII
send their produce here through any sentiments They
mean business. aLd so do They will got to the sea-
board cheapest route II for us to invite them
They can get there by the Baltimore and ONO Railroad
300 miles nearer than by any other line OF
communication. Tile simple question Is. shall
mako 1t cheaper to come by our wayi We can and
,ra Isa Won Ne
and they will have II. The canals OF the safe
for the public benefit ard not for private gain. The
I1rhI nj ihIOnpu Ilt Inp IIgnI of th mIlOu