Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-11
THE CANAL AMENDMENT
The Proposed Changes Are Vir-
 tually Dead Now.
LONG DEBATE CLOSED AT LAST

The New York Constitutional Convention.
 In Committee of the Whole, Takes De
 cisive Actioa on the Management of Ca
 Educational Discussion Revived.
 ALBANY, Sept. 1.-The canal pruposi- tion Is virtually dead, having been nulli- fled by ;he amendment adopted by ths constitutional convention in committee of tho whole.
 At the afternoon session of the convcn- tion Mir. Roche took up tn" discussion of l the canal article. Hc said that the ex- l tremely conservative course of the canal | committee was a surprise and was in di- | rect opposition tO the will of tho people. who would certainly at tho polls vote for | improvement of the great waterways and | put them in n shapc to combat the Uppo- sitiOn of other interests. The canals of the state were the peoples greatest pride and had done mOrc to make New York ! state the greatest commercial center of 1 tho | nion than all its railroads or all its | other interests combined. If the state could afford to make and build the canals | at time when 1t had q heavy debt and was small in population. it could now. that it had no debt and had increased so l largely in population. afford to improve | them.
 He presented q proposition to havc a | commission. headed by tho state engineer | appointed la lnok over the ground and rc- port a plan. and then havC tho legislature and people approve or disappruvc it, and. if approved. tO allow the expenditure of mOnCy.
 Mir. Nichols of Steulcn was opposed to tho convention usurpin- legislative con trul The legislature had plenty of TOwcr now. and tho people could make their fiat by clcCtiu: d legislature that would cn- largo the canals He " ,< opposed to any interference with legislative COntrol ar is- suing mandatory orders The railroads.
 ho believed, wcrc taking the place of ca nals, and caution should bc exercised bc-
 forc tho cxpCnditurc uf vast sums of
 money was authorized
 NIT. MusrC spoke strongly for canal i'm
 pavement Tho p''opl" wanted it and
 should bc given the opportunity of voting
 for 1t.
 1 Quoted TildCn'~ Views Mir. Hin saIL people litt:c rCalized how
 the little strip "t wa,vr running, through
 the state put n check "n every raiIr0Id in the cIst- IL would pay the stATC to key in rgpair the canal, ii they Carrisd bat s brick year
 On muisvn "l Nr Conkinham i. was de
 cidvd [" c"Ut.uuc tha >r>s!vn until o'clock to give further time for discus sion ihCrc lviug a limit to Lc'rIte Un thi.
 subject
 Mir Bsrlow said that thO~c who hat
 quoted G,"ru t'"l,rnpr Tildcn had no taken th,,>.' a-sls-,> mast pertinent IT., } would nat rrPvAt the portions tn which h. referred lVCausc tho messages Of C;uycrnO
 Tild"n wcrc HC.,sSiI'lc aIl Eut Ina hnI in his possession some notes prS'parCi b,
 that guvCruor which had never hCen pub lishcd and from which he read portions. The idea of deepening two feet was no , practicable. Tho canals would nrvr regain the business they had lost. and i was wrong to saddle the burden of un necessary expense on tho taxpayers,
 Mir Baker of Oswcgo urged that tn r legislature bC allowed to use its own dis
 crctiun. If the canals were seven feet dCCp
 the bAats nuw ia use could carry n thir, moro. and transportation would then b
 cheaper.
 , Mir MCAli!lan offered m amcndmcn striking out that portion making the i'm position of n duty on merchandise coming from Canada discretionary with the leg I islaturc- He did not think the use of tn canals should bc in any way imPcdrd. l
 was Ia tho interest uf the state that tho, ' should not he ul'~trurtoi in any manner. l Mir, MoDunouGh thought the fedora Q 1 government should have control of Ih canals,
 Mr. IIot;cnr"th said the commercial su |, periOrity uf the stlto was due to the csuaIs
 .on~ Canal Anrndm~nt..
 In the absence of President Chuatc SCC ond NiCr President Steele called the cnn
 vcntinn Ia ur,lur in the evening. MT. Hot
 tCnroth continued his spCcch on the mi
 nority report "f the canal committee. Nh
 Durfcc called mp his amendment nroVid
 ing that tine canals may hs turned over [
 the United states government if n guaI . antCc la, obtained for their maintenance and the dOInG away Of all tolls | Mir. Cochran asked if that portion ( Y the bill allowing hn imposition of toll q , merchandise coming from Canada wa . not in conflict not only with ouT,trcatip,
 but with the national constitution.
 Mir Cody said it Was not The cUmriI