The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-03

'nete Is legal uiiucuity, repeal the
railroad act or the obnoxious sections.
Here, as | think, the argument should
stop, If the United States Congress has
not the power to authorize the bridge,
that is enough.
would not petition. demonstrate,
protestant. is the proper language for a
sovereign State. Congress will not turn
deaf ear-especially will Congress not
turn deaf ear to New Jersey.
What has she done that her wish as to
the care of her own territory should be
despised?
She took the initiatory steps which
brought about the Union. Shall 1t de-
stroy her rightfully sovereign will?
On her territory the war changed, and
from Trenton came the first CLEANS of the
sun of independence. In the war for the
Union, who more conservative, more
ready than she?
Must she cover before commercial
policy?
But the advocates of a bridge insist on
going farther. Why, they say, should
there not be bridge over the sound 7?
Who are they that ask this? 100 years
have gone before the need of such
bridge is felt. If this is so, what convul-
sion makes it now necessary
Does Staten Island herself ask ii ? No.
She has not the face.
New York has asked it, over and over
again, and been refused. Now, one ener-
getic man, full of speculation, asks. He
sees gigantic fortune in increasing the
value of Staten Island water front. He
makes it the interest of a railroad to come
nd q n ho ost 10 f,,n If
cries in favor of a bridge. New Jersey
does not wish it, because it tends to d.
minish the value of her lands, and thus to
decrease her taxable property.
Look at the census. Where gathers
the population and centers the value of
New Jersey lands ? Is 1t not on the terri
tory from her north boundary down
especially down to Elizabethport
Go back century and look at this tract
What was its worth 4? What its popula-
ton It was literal waste-mostly salt
meadows. Old Bergen extended all that
distance. There were no railroads, no
railroad termini.
New York had everything. The lordly
Hudson brought down the products of
northern counties to her. Then Clinton,
president genius, extended the Hudson to
Lake Erie, and made all the great lakes
debouche at New York bay. So time
rolled on. But bye and bye new avenue
and means of commerce opened-the rail.
road. At first only the New Jersey; then
another, the Erie; then another, the Cen.
trail; then another, the D., l.. and w.
Then with branches extending here and
there, bringing all the great West not to
New York direct, as the great West by
water commerce used to come, but CON-
pelling it to stop in Hudson county
smallest in territory, but already, under
all this, largest in population. Now com.
merce is nearly changed. OF old it was
by water only, then by water mostly, now
by railroad mostly. As art advances 1t
will be by railroad almost entirely, and
that means greater prosperity to the ter
ritory, not that it passes ovef, but where
it is compelled to stop.
| ask any one, suppose in the beginning
we had had no water front, what would
have been the value of all these lands on
the eastern boundary of New Jersey
Suppose Staten Island bad been then
Joined to, would not the railroads have
gone across and gotten as near as they
could to Sandy Hook? Would not the
steamship lines have gone theree Nay,
If this scheme prevails let the city of New
York, which now helps its protector, be-
ware.
Had the Hudson river debouched at
Elizabethport, would New York be what
she is?
Well. If. even now. n new Hudson riv.
or. as Il were. ia created bv land carriage
through numbers Of railroads coming. moi
from the North only. but from every
Quarter of tho comnass. finding a commer.
cial depot and harbor on tho safe road
stead on the east side of Staten island. on
the west of the Narrows. ia II not possible
that even New York NAV be shorn n
her GRANDEUR
Can anv one doubt or fail To see that n
is being the seaboard State-iust where
the chief city of the Union. product q
river commerce. stands-wben the necess
tiles of rapid transit have changed. ant
are changing. the methods of transporta
ton from water to rail. that has given al
this portion of New Jersey its great com
paratiye value. increased our preatnes,
and the amount of our taxable property
And can any one fail to see that if we
cease to be the seaboard State. If great
seaboard nearer the ocean is brought into
market. the value of our taxable propertv
is to diminish
One single bridge will make all this
difference. But let one be built and more
will be sure to come. The vast outlays
already made by the great Companies will
keen them where thew are. no doubt-.
and. no doubt, till the splendor of this
scheme Ia fully deyeloped. IT, indeed. New
York shall or can lose her strength mas.
senper travel will remain where Il IL. Bnt
the advantage of neiehborhood 70 the
ocean. combined with safety In the road.
stead will bring freight depots over 10
the eastern shore of Staten Island. n
will bring steamship lines there. II will
bring coal depots there. Baltimore and
Ohio will have on Staten Island the best
coal denot for coasting trade of aII-and
almost as good as any for New York
trade. Then Lehigh Valley, already
tempted, may leave the shore of New
Jersey, and by bridge, or by this bridge
cross over to the east side. Then will the
Central, instead of its present coal docks
at Bergen Point, do the same. In word,
the seaboard advantage Of New Jersey
will be gone or greatly impaired be
transferred to the shores Of Staten Island.