Richmond Enquirer

FOR THE ENQUIRER

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

Report of the Committee of Roads & Internal Navigation.

In their Report to the Legislature, the committee state the total Canal Debt on Jan. 1st. 1830, of the State of New York, to be only $7,708,013. And that the nett surplus revenue of the canals for the last three years, which "could be applied to extinguish the debt" created by that state, being what remained after payment of interest on loans and all other expenses, to be as follows, viz:

For 1828 $134,202 65

1830 209,083 00

1829 349,691 00

The committee do not inform us upon what authority their statement is founded, whether from the Report of the N. York Canal Commissioners, or from mere private and unofficial information. There is, however, so wide a discrepancy between their statement and that which was appended by P. P. Barbour, Esq. to his speech delivered in Congress in March last, on the Buffalo & New Orleans Road Bill, and said to have been drawn from an official Report of the Canal Commissioners of New York, that much room is afforded for suspecting that the committee, by some means or other, have been led into error.

To afford an opportunity of comparison and satisfactory explanation, I send you herewith a copy of Mr. Barbour's statement:

"APPENDIX.

"Since delivering the foregoing Speech, a report of the Canal Commissioners of New York, in relation to their great Erie & Champlain Canals, has been received, from which the following facts and statements are derived:

"Whole amount expended in 1826, consisting of interest on the original cost, superintendence, repairs, &c. $1,121,383 96

Credit by whole revenue derived from canals during the same year, 715,945 89

Balance against canals $406,143 07

1827—Whole amount expended, as above, Whole revenue from canals 846,651 73 $993,436 59

Balance against canals $146,784 86

1828—Upon same principles, a balance of expenses over the revenue from the canals.

Balance against canals 892,369 81

1829—Upon same principles, as balance of expenses over and above the revenue for this year

Balance against canals $110,623 51

"It appears from that report, that the whole amount of the debt, which the commissioners thought justly chargeable to the canals at the close of the year 1826, was $16,272,316 76; and that this debt, instead of having been reduced by the tolls on the canals, has increased each year, so that on the 1st of January, 1830, it amounted to $11,393,796 22. Add the deficits for the four years, with interest on them, makes the whole debt chargeable to the canals on the 1st January, 1830, $12,237,399 70."

"The Report adds, that supposing the canals to have increased the duty on salt 33 1-3 per cent., and to have added two or three per cent. to the duties on sales at auction, still regarding them in the most favorable light in which any reasonable calculation can place them, the canals have done nothing towards the extinguishment of their debt, together with the moneys expended upon them for superintendence and repairs. That with respect to the tolls on the descending trade, they cannot be advantageously increased, and they only estimate every increase which can be made of the tolls on the ascending trade at $35,000."

March 2nd, 1831.

AN OBSERVER.