The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-03-03
THE STATEN ISLAND BRIDGE.
Mastery Presentation of the Subject by
Senator Brinkerhoff, of Hudson.

Below is given the able argument of Senator
bridging of the Arthur Kill, during the dis
cussion in the Senate:
Mr.. President-When / came to the Senate
chamber this morning it was not my purpose
to discuss the subject under consideration, but
as the Senator from Essex has called upon me
to reply to his argument regarding the cousti-
tutiona power in Congress to regulate inter
state commerce. l feel justified in taking some
of your time for that purpose. The Senators
from Cumberland county and Essex county
have seen fit to charge unjust motives to the
advocates of this bill-which imputations and
iusiuuations are as uncalled for as they are
unkind. | do not ask any Senator to bear any
part of the responsibilities which l
assume for my action or vote upon
this bill-that vote which will be given,
as l hope the Senators from those two
counties will vote, with a conscientious
desire to do right. No living man knows or has
right at this moment to know what my
views are upon the subject matter of this bill
or how shall vote. This is subject which
appeals to State pride, and presents as the
foundation of and for that appeal the use
which foreign corporation seeks to make of
our territory without a corresponding benefit
to our State. In the many arguments made
by me in this Senate upon the subject of rail-
road corporations / have at no time denied or
doubted that railroads were one of the factors
of our growth. advantage and prosperity as a
State. Ny insistment has been against their
discriminating demands, aud have advocated
and shall continue to advocate the creation
and preservation of equal rights to railroad
companies and individuals. Typographical
situation of this State, with its great water
boundaries has established our importance
and created section of it the chief depot and
outlet for the travel and freight of this coun-
try. This State by its liberal general railroad
a.. i ~n.I- ft,t 1tSitf
of land for their corporate purposes and pro-
tecs them in the object of their creation,
but when those corporations, emholdened
with wealth and influence, seek to offend and
bid defiance to this State it is time that the
hberality of the State is curbed and the often
ders Taught that the State is owned and con-
trolled by individuals formed into society for
their common good and protection and not
railroad companies and foreign spectators
alone. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company comes into this State because of
necessity. and by the first outlet 1t escapes and
places its terminal improvements on an isolated
spot in the State of New York, distant six
miles by water from the place it seeks to reach.
If there was, or is, necessity for such evasion,
fair dealing and justice would demand our
assent but this seeming disrespect and insult
demands our opposition in the name and cause
of protection. If their purpose is to reach
New York City bv way of Staten Island with
its passenger traffic object. Other localities
in this State present advantages far superior to
Staten Island for that purpose. If their object
is to take their freight to Staten Island in the
name of the State of New Jersey, protest
Shall we permit that company to erect
depots, freight houses, warehouses and other
terminal improvements on Staten Island and
add thereto not less than two million dollars
of taxable property, when by fair dealing the
county of Hudson or the county of Union
should receive that advantage? Do you pro-
pose to allow that company to use the advan-
tages of our general railroad law, Law its tracks
through our State to enrich Staten Island, and
not pay one dollar of tax to the municipalities
through which those tracks are to be laid
The Arthur Kill Sound is public navigable
highway and navigation should remain as
now, wholly upobstructed. bridge across
that stream would retard and embarrass COM
merce render navigation nconvenient and
abridge the rights of those accustomed to use
it. Let them show greater necessity for
bridge than the convenience and safety of the
thousands of sailing craft which daily ply on
the ground. Let us regard the eighteen mil
lions of tonnage which annually use that
stream. Let ms jeslously regard and protect
our valuable water front--a water front which
has become valuable because we are a sea-
board State, water front which has added up
wards of three million dollars to our State
School fund and of which amount Hudson
county has contributed in excess of two mil
lions seven hundred thousand dollars; there
still remains in my county untold acres Of I'M
developed water front Do Won propose to
build up the shore front of Staten Island to
the injury OF those uudeyeloped shore fronts
of Hudson county from the Central ferry to
Constable Hook? The Senator from Essex
contends that there is not sufficient depth of
water at that point but does he forget that the
Central Railroad Company, the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company and the Erie Company
made lands from the flats, from the river beds,
which reclaimed lands are the most valuable
in our city? Cannot the Baltimore and Ohio
Company obtain grant from the Riparian
Commissioners and reclaim the lands under
water to the exterior line for solid filling estab-
lished by that commission? Do you propose to
permit the shore front of Union county to be
transferred to the State of New York d? Do
you suppose that would vote in the interest
of bridge from jersey City to New York for