29¢ . Com mmn,c.atfi.,ons.

made totlze represeiziatiiies of the people in relation to the proposed en-
lM'gcm«enl of the Erie canal,” in 1836, which few would thenilisten to.

‘At page 14, the writer says, “VVe cannot avoid expressing our Lelief,
that if the enlugcment is pe'I‘sist£_!Cl in, as conternplated, a retictioniwill
sooner or Liter ensue, highly prejudicial to those who may have assumed
the responsibility of the improvement. The voice of our legislutuie may
not be echoed by another. There is no guarantee that the tones of acqui-
escence, or approval, but lately heard on this subject, will find III], agreea-
ble response from other lips, The spirit of inquiry will be awulcened.—-
'1‘he meritsoirl demerits of this great and moiiit=ntous subject, will he in.
vestigaited, and lllllt ss we ml$.l..ll{t‘ the ltlttlllg't'11Ct?,€tI1(l spirit of the age, it
must re suit in consequences, ’l0lLl6}bi all will it-is/i, /will been ovoi.:led.” How

true to the letter. ‘A i _ pi  ~ V
In prt-sentingthe foregoing facts, we aim at the public \\'eal. We desire

to substitute riiilivoys in aid of canals, porticiil:-irly in latitude 43. Our

0l!jr'Ct is to elicit discussion, and to assist in dispelling criors product-id by

Officlill reports, iiicomparing canals with milivays. These l‘Pr0T2S_l1fl\'e
in‘p:irt bventlie means toentnil on us the Genes-see valley -and Black river
canals, as “gentlemen paupers,” to the tune of $400,000 per onniim, and
this too, where a vote of the people would now prefer r:iilrouds,the R. R.
would pay an interest on their‘ cost, and he in use the G‘l'llll‘€~_\‘(‘.tlT. The re-
ports alluded to, issued with the son:-tioii of Cttngross. and our oiin Canal
Board, 1835, C21l’l‘lt'Cl the above natnied canals, the Chenarigo canal, and the
greatest of all legislative lollies, "l/re t”.Itl"l’I'g'("I71£’.’/ll." A wail: that no
party. or Eiigiiieers will now oivuor be responsible‘ for its completion» in
twelve years tor $35,000,000.‘ ' t ' ‘ '
'1‘iieenlaii'genici'it of the lateral canals must follow the Erie. Under
this View we cannot bitter closeihese i'em:irl<s than by quoting lromt
No. 4. of it series of nl-le ess.-iys pllbllsllrtl in the Riiilroiid Joiirnol,
with the SlgIl.‘.lllTl" of ‘- FULTON.” The .\*ritei' s i_vs. “  all the ?'l.\‘077I17"y
projects of ’l.0}Ll(:/L U18 Stale of New York has //8l.”}’l rl7'o,n-‘71, by l.’.e influence
of ’ll..'LiDl.\'8 co-unselx, I/to a'n.lcu'gemz'o,l of tire If-r.e canal, is //H! most 'L"lS()'I‘l.-
(try, and the sooner she ~ma.l'es //acleto relracc liar s.'cp.v, [lie l)cl'er.. T/I6
Stale it ali-ea. lg in for ob::ul $50,000,000, for canals alrme. »u.°iIlr.oul oven.
at i'm.sona-b/e prospect‘ of being able ’lt‘ll/Iflul at resorl.ra la..ml1Io*/2; to pay the
interest on that amount. Is ll not lime to prtumin. this course of extrav-
agance ?”. ' V - t t ‘
‘Vt: answer a_ve——-let the presvnt legisl. tore ¢>xTamim= into the iiwrits of
well COl'lSi.l‘lICttd l‘t1ll\\'€t.\'S,8Il(Llitl](:?ll‘ capo ity ti ('m'I'y all classes ()l»p170'
41009. and WE venture nothing in stating our orinion», that p the Erie crstial,
with its origirial size of 4_ feet by 40, (it is now filletlup with b':iis and die»
posits to 3 feet water.) with double locks to Monte-ziirnii, will be adequate
for the trade on it, For thencxt 'h‘alfcentnry; from the fact, that the piiclcets
and pxckgz line boats, will be discontinued so soon as the line of'_.ra§.lr«oadt
if Cfifilhlfited 10 BuHal0- This Willitaké place‘ as so“onias.‘pe»“miissiton islgivv