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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

THE system of Internal Improvement, in which New York has taken the lead, forms an important portion of her history. It is interesting to trace the progress of the first of these mighty enterprises, which, in its completion, excited the astonishment and admiration of the whole confederacy, and even of the states of Europe.

In 1784, Christopher Colles proposed to the legislature to improve the navigation of the Mohawk. In 1785, he received $125, to make investigations relative to this enterprise. He again came before the legislature in 1786, but became discouraged from want of success.

The subject was referred to by Governor Clinton, in his speech to the legislature, at the opening of the session of 1791; and an act passed concerning roads and inland navigation, di recting the commissioners of the land office, to cause the lands between the Mohawk and Wood creek, in Herkimer county, and between the Hudson river and Wood creek, in Washington county, to be explored, and the probable expense of canals, between these points, estimated.

The commissioners reported in 1792, and Governor Clinton communicated their report, by a message, in which he considered the practicability of effecting the object of the legislature, at a moderate expense, as ascertained.

Mr. Adgate, Mr. Williams, Mr. Livingston and Mr. Barker, were the most efficient advocates of this measure in the legislature. Mr. Elkanah Watson also wrote a number of essays on the subject, and, this year, the Western and the Northern Inland Lock Navigation Companies were chartered. General Schuyler, Thomas Eddy, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Barent Bleecker, Elkanah Watson, and Robert Bowne, were among their most efficient advocates.

In 1796, the Western Company completed a canal, two and three fourth miles long, at Little Falls, and another, one and one quarter miles long, at German Flats; and, in 1797, a canal from the Mohawk to Wood creek, one and three-fourth miles long, in all, less than seven miles, with nine locks.

In 1796, finding a reconstruction of their work necessary, they employed Mr. Weston, an English engineer; and when their canal would admit a passage from Schenectady to the Oneida lake, they had expended nearly $450,000. The tolls, however, were so high, that few used their canal. The Niagara

company was incorporated in 1798, to make a navigable communication between Lakes Erie and Ontario. It, however, never went into operation..

The distinguished Governeur Morris seems first to have conceived the idea of a continuous canal between the Hudson and Lake Erie. He alluded to it, in a letter to a friend, in 1800, and communicated it to the late Simeon De Witts, the surveyor general, in 1803. His plan, however, was, to have the canal constructed with a uniform declivity of six inches to a mile, and without locks, except on the slope of the Hudson. This plan afterwards proved impracticable.

In 1807-8, Jesse Hawley, Esq., wrote a series of essays, which were published in the Genesee Messenger, urging the importance of such a canal, and its immediate construction.

In 1808, Joshua Forman presented to the legislature, his memorable resolution, in which, after reciting in the preamble the various reasons for such a step, he proposes the appointment of a joint committee, to take into consideration the propriety of exploring and causing to be surveyed, the most eligible and direct route for a canal, to connect the waters of the Hudson and Lake Erie, to the end that Congress may be enabled to appropriate the necessary sum for the construction of such a work.

This resolution passed, but so little idea had the legislature of the sum requisite for such a survey, that they appropriated only $600 for the purpose. The committee appointed were, Thomas R. Gold, William W. Gilbert, Obadiah German, and James L. Hogeboom, on the part of the house, and John Taylor, John Nicholas, and Jonathan Ward, on the part of the senate. James Geddes, Esq., at that time a land surveyor, made the exploration and survey, under the direction of the surveyor general, and, in 1809, reported in favor of such a

route.

In 1810, on motion of Jonas Platt, Esq., Governeur Morris, De Witt Clinton, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Simeon De Witt, William North, Thomas Eddy, and Peter B. Porter, were appointed commissioners, to explore the whole route for inland navigation, from the Hudson river to Lake Ontario and Lake

Erie.

De Witt Clinton, at that time a member of the senate, was induced to lend a favorable ear to this great project, by the representations of Mr. Platt and Mr. Eddy, the latter of whom appears first to have advised this plan of action.

The commissioners reported, in 1811, in favor of a canal, and estimated its cost at $5,000,000. They recommended that the construction of it should be offered to the national government. The same year a bill was passed, giving power to the com

missioners, (to whom were added Robert Fulton and R. R. Livingston), to consider all matters relative to the inland navigation of the state; to make application to the general government, and to any of the states or territories, for aid or coöperation; to ascertain on what terms loans could be obtained, and at what price the rights of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company could be purchased.

The general government having declined to offer aid in the enterprise, and the adjacent states and territories affording only their good wishes, the commissioners in 1812, proposed that the state should construct the canal without foreign assistance; and a bill was passed, directing them to procure loans and grants of land on the proposed route, but forbidding them to commence the canal.

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During the period from 1812 to 1815, the war with Great Britain diverted all thoughts from this enterprise, to the more urgent one of defending their own firesides from ruthless invasion; but, when peace returned, again this great undertaking engaged the hearts of community. The Holland Land Company had granted to the commissioners more than 100,000 acres of land; and individuals some 7000 or 8000 more, towards the completion of the work.

In 1815, those opposed to the canal were so far in the majority, as to obtain the repeal of the act authorizing the commissioners to borrow $5,000,000.

This was, for the time, a virtual abandonment of the canal policy; but, with the peace, the hopes and energies of its friends revived, and, in 1816, D. D. Tompkins, then governor, recommended the consideration of the enterprise to the legislature, while a host of petitions, ably drawn up, and numerously signed, were brought before that body, praying them to proceed in this great enterprise. Among the most forcible of these, was the petition from New York, drawn up by De Witt Clinton.

The report of the canal commissioners was full of interest. They recommended the construction of the middle section first, as it would be a source of profit, and would divert the trade from the St. Lawrence.

A bill was proposed to commence the canal immediately, but was modified in the senate, and finally passed, giving the commissioners power to take the preliminary measures, such as causing a thorough survey and estimate of the expense of the route to be made, employing engineers, making further efforts to obtain aid, either from the general, or state governments, and arranging for loans and grants of land.

In 1817, a bill was passed, authorizing the immediate construction of these works; although in view of their magnitude, alternate emotions of hope and fear predominated in the minds of the legislature. There were some who opposed the passage of the bill. Under the new act, Stephen Van Rensselaer, DeWitt Clinton, Samuel Young, Joseph Ellicott, and Myron Holley, were appointed commissioners.

So much distrust in regard to the result of the enterprise was felt, by those living remote from the line of the canals, that they insisted on the introduction of a clause in the bill, levying a tax of $250,000, upon the lands contiguous to them. This, however, was never collected, as the means provided by the commissioners, proved amply sufficient, without resorting to direct taxation.

The ground was first broken for the Erie canal, on the 4th of July, 1817, at Rome, with appropriate ceremonies. De Witt Clinton, then governor of the state, was present, and took part in the services on this interesting occasion.

In 1818, the governor congratulated the legislature on the progress of the enterprise, and urged them to persevere in its prosecution. Laws were passed, during the session of this year, authorizing the construction of the Chittenango canal, and a navigable feeder to the Erie canal; also, the examination of Buffalo creek, with a view to the construction of an artificial harbor on the western terminus of the canal.

An act was likewise passed, improving the financial scheme of the previous year, and authorizing the commissioners to obtain a further loan of one million of dollars.

In 1819, measures were taken for the commencement of the Oswego canal. In October, of the same year, that portion of the Erie canal extending from Utica to Rome, was opened for navigation; and the Champlain canal admitted the passage of boats. From this period all open opposition to the enterprise ceased.

In 1820, the property, right and title of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company was transferred to the state, for the sum of $150,828. Messrs. Young, Holley, Seymour, and Bouck, were designated as acting canal commissioners, and received a salary for their services; while the remainder of the commissioners received no salary, and retained only advisory powers.

An act was passed in 1822, directing the construction of a navigable canal, to connect the Erie canal with the Onondaga lake and Seneca river. This, in connection with the act of 1819, completed the plan of what was afterwards known as the Oswego canal.

In July, 1823, the Erie canal was navigable from Schenectady to Rochester. The price of wheat, west of the Seneca river, in consequence of the facilities afforded by the canal, had already advanced fifty per cent.

In 1824, the Champlain canal was reported as finished. Acts were passed, authorizing further loans for the completion of the Erie canal; for the constructionof a canal to connect Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence, and for fixing the termini of the Erie canal, at Albany and Buffalo.

Just at the close of the session, by a most ungenerous party manœuvre, De Witt Clinton was removed from the office of canal commissioner. This was a short lived triumph, however, as in the succeeding autumn, he was elected governor, by a large majority, and of course became one of the canal commissioners, ex officic.

In 1825, Governor Clinton congratulated the legislature on the prospect of the speedy completion of the Erie canal, and proposed the extension of the system of internal improvements, to render the Susquehanna, the Delaware, and other rivers in the state, navigable, thus affording facilities for bringing into market, the agricultural wealth of the state.

The canal was completed in October, 1826, and on the 4th of November, the first canal boat from Lake Erie, having reached New York, the occasion was celebrated with rejoicings, such, perhaps, as have seldom been equaled in this or any other state of the union.

The different trades and professions of the city, each with suitable badges and banners, joined in the long procession; an immense squadron of ships, steamers, barques, &c., assembled in the bay, to witness the ceremony of the wedding of Lake Erie with the Atlantic; and amid numerous ceremonies, and eloquent orations, the glad shouts of the people went up, as with one voice. Medals were struck, commemorative of the interesting event, and forwarded to the soldiers and officers of the revolution, and to distinguished men, in our own, and other lands.

The whole cost of the Erie and Champlain canals was $9,130,000; the canal debt, at their completion, was $7,738,000; and its interest $413,000. The income arising from tolls, the year after the completion of the canals, was estimated at $750,000, exceeding, very considerably, the interest of the debt. In 1835, the debt of the canal was extinguished, mainly from the tolls.

The year 1826 was the commencement of the railroad policy in the state. In that year, Stephen Van Rensselaer and others received a charter for the construction of a railroad from Albany to Schenectady, with the right of enjoying the profits of the enterprise for fifty years.

The state reserved to itself, however, the power of purchasing the road, by paying to the company the excess of the cost, with interest thereon, over the profits of the work. This feature has been incorporated in all railroad charters since granted.

In 1827, the legislature made an appropriation in aid of the Delaware and Hudson canal, and determined on the most feasible route for connecting the Erie canal and Susquehanna river.

An act was passed in 1832, chartering a company, to construct a railroad to connect the Hudson with Lake Erie, running through the lower tier of counties; and in 1836, a loan of the public credit to the amount of $3,000,000, was granted to the company.

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