that New York was both Atlantic and western, and the only state in which an indissoluble union of interest between the great sections of the confederacy could be formed and perpetuated; that she would justly be considered an enemy to the human race, if she did not exert for this purpose the high faculties which the Almighty had put into her hands; and lastly, that the enterprise, as to the countries which it would connect, and as to the consequences which it would produce, was without a parallel in the history of mankind. While, they remarked, the chiefs of powerful monarchies had projected or executed designs which had attracted the admiration of the world, it remained for a free state to create a new era in history, and to erect a work more stupendous, more magnificent, and more beneficial, than any hitherto achieved by the human race.

Two vacancies had occurred in the canal commission; Robert R. Livingston having died in 1815, which event was followed by the lamented death of Robert Fulton, whereby the friends of internal improvement were deprived of the further co-operation of one, whose services in perfecting steam navigation had conferred such signal benefits on the human race. The board of commissioners was now composed of Gouverneur Morris, Stephen Van Rensselaer, De Witt Clinton, Simeon De Witt, William North, Thomas Eddy, Peter B. Porter, and Charles D. Cooper. They submitted a report, from which Mr. Morris withheld his signature, for the reason, as was said, that his idea of a uniform declivity from Lake Erie to the Hudson, was abandoned.* They expressed a confident belief that the public mind was now prepared for a commencement of the Erie canal; announced that they had assurances that a loan of one million of dollars, at an interest of six per cent., could be obtained, and subsequent sums as fast as should be required; suggested the expediency of constructing first the middle section, extending from Rome to the Seneca river, because it would yield a large revenue, and trade might be thereby diverted from the valley of the St. Lawrence, and again urged the simultaneous prosecution of the Champlain canal.

The joint committee on canals, at this session, consisted of William Ross, George Tibbits, Philetus Swift, and Peter R. Livingston, of the senate; and Jacob R. Van Rensselaer,

*Colden's Memoir.

Thomas J. Oakley, William Thompson, James Lynch, Benjamin Mooers, Myron Holley, William D. Ford, and George Warner, of the assembly. Mr. Van Rensselaer, from that committee, introduced a bill providing for the immediate commencement of both canals, and pledging ample funds for that purpose. The bill, after a discussion of four weeks, passed the assembly by the decisive vote of ninety-one to eighteen. Those who voted in the affirmative, were Aaron Adams, Truman Adams, Joshua Ballard, Asa C. Barney, Joseph Bayley, John H. Beach, William C. Bouck, Isaac Brayton, Philip Brasher, John Brown, junior, Thomas Brown, Oliver Brown, William Campbell, Israel Chapin, Jonathan Childs, Nathan Christie, Abel Cole, George Cramer, Silas Crippen, David Dill, William A. Duer, Henry Fellows, William D. Ford, Michael Freligh, James Ganson, Isaac Gere, Job Greene, David E. Gregory, George Hall, Nathan Hall, junior, Nicoll Halsey, William Hamilton, Michael Harris, Isaac Hayes, Nathaniel P. Hill, Peter A. Hilton, Henry Hopkins, Eliphalet S. Jackson, Peter A. Jay, Oliver Judd, Alexander Kelsey, Nathan Kimball, Herman Knickerbacker, Edward W. Laight, Jacob L. Larzelere, Thomas Lawyer, Henry Leavenworth, Henry B. Lee, Henry Livingston, James Lynch, Samuel I. M'Chestney, John M'Fadden, Arunah Metcalf, Elijah Miles, Green Miller, Samuel Milliman, Benjamin Mooers, Andrew Morris, Roderick Morrison, Thomas J. Oakley, Elias Osborn, John I. Ostrander, James Palmer, William Parks, Timothy H. Porter, James Powers, Edmund G. Rawson, John Reid, Jacob Roggen, Abraham Rose, David Russell, Reuben Sanford, John Schoolcraft, Barnabas Smith, Jesse Smith, Joseph Smith, Roger Sprague, James Stevenson, Selah Strong, Thomas C. Taylor, William Thompson, Jacob R. Van Rensselaer, George Warner, Elizur Webster, Dirck Westbrook, Roswell Weston, John Whiting, Mason Whiting, Nathan Williams, Isaac Wilson, and Augustus Wyncoop. Those who voted in the negative were Gamaliel H. Barstow, James Burt, Phineas Carl, Stephen Carman, Richard Cowson, Chillus Doty, Zechariah Hoffman, Benjamin Isaacs, William Jones, Daniel Kissam, Abraham Miller, William Munroe, William Requa, Amos Stebbins, Richard Van Horne, Harmanus A. Van Slyck, John B. Van Wyck, William Woodward.

When the bill reached the senate, Martin Van Buren proposed an amendment to limit the powers of the commissioners to the

consideration and adoption of measures requisite to facilitate the preparations for constructing the canals, the employment of engineers to explore and examine the routes; to making application to sister states and territories for aid, and to proprietors of land, corporations, and citizens, for grants of land, or donations of money; and to general inquiries concerning finances. This amendment prevailed, by a vote of twenty to nine, and the bill passed the senate, after being further amended so as to constitute Stephen Van Rensselaer, De Witt Clinton, Samuel Young, Joseph Ellicott, and Myron Holley, commissioners, and to appropriate twenty thousand dollars for the purposes contemplated. As thus amended, the bill received the votes of David Allen, Russel Atwater, Jacob Barker, Stephen Bates, Bennet Bicknell, Francis A. Bloodgood, Moses I. Cantine, Archibald S. Clark, Lucas Elmendorf, Chauncey Loomis, Peter H. Radcliff, William Ross, Henry Seymour, Samuel Stewart, Philetus Swift, Martin Van Buren, Abraham Van Vechten, Samuel Verbryck, and Gerrit Wendell. Those who voted against the bill were James Cochran, Darius Crosby, Jonathan Dayton, Perley Keyes, Peter R. Livingston, and David Ogden. The bill received the concurrence of the assembly, and became a law, after an ineffectual effort to induce the senate to recede from their amendments.

The commissioners selected De Witt Clinton to be their president, and appointed Samuel Young their secretary, and Myron Holley their treasurer; divided the canal route into three sections, middle, eastern, and western, and appointed engineers for each section. In 1817, they made a detailed report of the survey. They estimated the cost of the Erie canal at four millions five hundred and seventy-one thousand, eight hundred and thirteen dollars, and showed that its entire length would be three hundred and fifty-three miles; that the surface of Lake Erie was five hundred and sixty-four feet higher than the Hudson, and one hundred and forty-five feet higher than Rome; and that the aggregate rise and fall would be six hundred and sixty-one feet, which would require the construction of seventy-seven locks. The dimensions of the canal, as established, were forty feet width at the surface, twenty-eight feet at the bottom, and four feet depth.

The commissioners, although they spoke discouragingly, did not yet relinquish the hope of aid from the federal government,

and from sister states; and they recorded the enlightened and generous resolution of Ohio, to aid as far as her resources would justify, in the construction of a work, the advantages of which to herself and to the Union she so clearly discerned. The commissioners further reported, that although they had not accurate information, they had no doubt that loans of money sufficient for the construction of the work could be obtained, and that ample funds could be commanded for the payment of interest and the extinguishment of the debt, without taxation.

The commissioners, at the same session, submitted a further report, showing that the estimated cost of the Champlain canal was eight hundred and seventy-one thousand dollars, and recommending its immediate construction. The joint legislative committee on the canals consisted of Peter R. Livingston, George Tibbits, and Philetus Swift, of the senate; and William D. Ford, Nathaniel Pendleton, Jonathan Child, Henry Eckford, and Gideon Wilcoxson, of the assembly. Mr. Ford made an elaborate report in favor of the immediate commencement and vigorous prosecution of both works; submitted a scheme of finance, which formed the basis of the plan ultimately adopted, and brought in a bill entitled, "An Act concerning Navigable Communications between the Great Western and Northern Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean." This bill, which, after a very full discussion in both houses, became a law, provided for an immediate commencement of the canals; and thus, after a struggle of ten years, the ascendency of the policy of internal improvement was complete.

The sentiments of subdued confidence on the part of the legislature, in finally adopting that policy, were thus expressed in the preamble to the law: "Whereas, navigable communications between Lakes Erie and Champlain, and the Atlantic ocean, by means of canals connected with the Hudson river, will promote agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, mitigate the calamities of war, and enhance the blessings of peace, consolidate the Union, and advance the prosperity and elevate the character of the United States: And whereas, it is the incumbent duty of the people of this state, to avail themselves of the means which the Almighty has placed in their hands for the production of such signal, extensive, and lasting benefits to the human race: Now, therefore, in full confidence that the Congress of the United States, and the states equally interested with this state in the

commencement, prosecution, and completion of those important works, will contribute their full proportion to the expense; and in order that adequate funds may be provided, and properly arranged and managed, for the prosecution and completion of all the navigable communications contemplated by this act." The act constituted a canal fund to consist of such appropriations, grants, and donations, as might be made by the legislature, by the federal government, by states, and by corporations, companies, and individuals, and placed it under the management of a board of commissioners of the canal fund, "to be composed of the lieutenant-governor, comptroller, secretary of state, attorney-general, surveyor-general, and treasurer." The board was authorized to borrow moneys on the public credit, at an interest not exceeding six per centum, and not exceeding in one year a sum which, together with the income of the fund, should amount to four hundred thousand dollars. For the moneys to be borrowed, the comptroller was to issue transferable stock. Stephen Van Rensselaer, De Witt Clinton, Samuel Young, Joseph Ellicott, and Myron Holley, were reappointed commissioners, under the denomination of canal commissioners. The comptroller was directed to pay to them the moneys to be borrowed, and the income of the canal fund, reserving always sufficient to pay the interest on loans. The canal commissioners were empowered to establish and collect reasonable tolls whenever any portion of the work should be completed. The fee-simple of the canals was to be vested in the people, provision being made to indemnify the proprietors of lands. The commissioners were also to take measures for vesting in the people the title of the property of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, paying that association for the same out of the canal fund. A duty of twelve and a half cents per bushel on all salt to be manufactured in the then western district of the state, a tax on steamboat passengers, the unappropriated proceeds of all lotteries, the net proceeds from the property and tolls of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, the net revenues of the canals, all grants and donations, and all duties upon sales at auction-after deducting existing appropriations of thirty-three thousand five hundred dollarswere pledged for the prosecution of the works and the payment of the interest, and the final redemption of the stock to be issued for that purpose.