Selections: Three Millions Of Dollars Lost: From The Liberty...

It was (mr ntentiou to present facts respceting iliis District not ge nu rally known, but whicli ought to b'i undersrood bv tinto who pny tlie tases. Prior to i 62'.) the plan had been iliscus80(1 óf uniiing by a canal tho vators of the Clicsapenke Bey wiih the Ohio rivir at Pittsbufgh, but then l wns srnoüsljr undemkcn. It was to pase through tlie District, nnd (he highest ndfíintages wereontlcipatétf to iis three principa] Hties, Wnshinpioii, Georgetown nnd AIc.-im ihii. Tliey lnoked upon the successful vnwr prise of New York, rmd fortiot that the elmiiis o slivery were upon themselve? ns n co:nmunity, os woll ns upon tlie shive. Virginia and Mnryland botli enterod inio iIir meosu're, and ihe fátter staíe subscribed $500.000 at ono time to tlie stock. The general government wás drawn, with adroitnpss, s-op ly step into the selienie. Tlie corpornie ciiies tíi the District could tint legnlty subscribe to the project without nuthority írom Congcess; but Burfposlngj ns it w u!d scem. that its sonction could inore certninly lie obtnined nfter hnving subscribed thnn befor. iIk y "fí'n-i.illy subscribed- Vnshi naton .si .0í)!),00," Alcxindrin !25Ö.ÖO0, Hnd Gedfgetotfn ñ-Jód.Oí)!). v.Sre9 '1!l(' olíeááy tnken stock to tho amount oí si ,i)(M). 0(;0 in tlie canal, nnd now tlie cities enlled on Congre?s W legalíz thesubscnption vvhich thcy Ind innde. whi 'u vrie done !y the aci (A Mny 24. J8W. T bis net nlso gnve ihem puwer tonegotiatca lnn, to tnx the cilics for the intorest, nnd the entirc property oí tbe' cities vas made liable to be sold by order oí tho Presiden I to pay t fie interest atn! principal shóuld ihey not be otherwise duly met. This. howcver. w.is merely a.pecious pretence to drnw the :ovorrinicüt into ihe mensure., (or no one could supposc thnt such a course wotild ever he odopted. - Th ree nidlions and n hnllhad already been s!scribod'elsewhírej Ihe work wa gome ol'it alrendy under contract, nnd lwo thousand laborori weveemiiloved in its ncnspeiifinr:The next object wms to obPiin the jtl .600.000 liirui. whkh he cnics wcre míthímzad to offifci. Application w;is made to Messrs. Ji-irin, Hroihei?, nnd Cc. in LoTjdoo, and iIr. l'ii.sh. Sceret.'iiy of' the Tuwsury, vvrrfta soportal lonj nnd plans, ble letters, (not official, but with ilic ;pprln tien of the President) 10 persnridü them to L'innt fhe loör. He rcpreseipcd to tliom tlu; impor'.ince of the work, the perfeirt aliiliiy of ilxèkfóa to pay. lic represen ie,! their popt;l itio:i. (not snyitii liow innny of ftfenr'eré sfeveai) liu! raiuo of iheir prupcity. ilicir prosperitv; ihat the roveinmei.'t wns hotinrl to sec it pnM. nnd ibr t had ;i Hen üpön ftll tlïeit pröpb.-ty - ili'it if:il! other nieilio;!.s f.iilcil t lic i:'ivcniiiicni couhl md wo ii ld !)c fumnil in honor ■( puyittkems-clcra.;" fiii'l ;Iiis w;is no d)u!)t the wr.y n':i!ly iit'cnded. Stinnii .r. l -t. ,- ■ i ;, Üongres; rol. 2. 7'lie linriuL's óh'rnihed the moUty in [follnnd, tóok the loan, rml the vrork went oh. But ín W?36 the reclines oí Congres 'i mged Teápeeiifjg the entorpris.e, nnd éspi he patiicifihtion of ihe góveriiniptit in it. thg imés efionged. the tnteresi wns not p.ml. nnd ilia reditors enlled on the Trensury DcpnrtmetlL - I'he President was unwillin' o put UI the propny of the District under the h;inimer, nnd the ubjëdt w:is lirouirlit hy petition of the citics heorc Conrcss. and wáár efe rred roa eornmittee of vliich Jolin Tyler wns chninnan. lic reported bal the memorialists were "desittute of reliöf," ind werc on the 'Serge of irretrievablo bankrupty-" To rxposc the. errors into wliich they may mve fallen would bc lo inflict woimd? where r(iief is prnyed for." The committee did "int 'cria it nc ssnrij u enter vpon fic mtrils of the laiii urged on Conres9," hut recommended a ill tor the relief of tlie cilics, cliicfly on theímu id ofwh.r. L'ovi-iiiiiH ut li 'd alnwly ihccnn.il. that thi-y liad been led lo ubiiiin tioioan fisom the'ehcourageihenk tbus fecörvetl, ihot ihc work was uow --o! iiomi n vnluu only" an I rae obandoned; knú thai ta onforce the-clnim of' riie L'ovonimeiHori the property ofihc Distiicl tfoulii lio ruinóos io i .e chics. The trutli is. íds:u:h1 of Ealng led, ih,. cui,- led iho Bvornrnent into thia ilisásirdua ineasure, Cor ihey subscribcd to u Itrng before ev n ■ se t'or ihe rÍL'lu ilms io lo. Ai I vi tirriclimcnt nml rofiírm" vi.-rc rm:;in n be cursor iír! pcopii'. -the Hi'port states ihai a private lener, wliicli i- now wu vvrit'i n bv ihe Sccn'!;irv ofthe Trosury to th dtrectly gledging ihe gavertunent. Tlic amoum ai'xlainsropoited wus ns fói WASHINGTON. Whole debt, ñI.7GÓ,9S7 U7 Exclusive oí (uo bilis which amonnt to . 50,000 Interest due, 70.000 Total èl685,087.97 GF.ORGETOU a. n,,!!.i,v! lonn. $250.00?) Sundiy other debts, ' (;,.-,. l,f -43 Aiuuial in'.ereat. í!. '.'..)- - - Toml ñ-í:S). 137 37 ADEXANDRIA. Entircdebt, s 177,7;::.::; Grnnd totnl. $'.793,22.3J The bilí reponed w:s paased, nnd ihe Princiwri of tho forergn-de!t, aantuied !y the gbvernniriitainoiiiiind to 1 .TilUtuO. which' ■ s'.imtos n (üiit of ouilnntionnl debt. Tho nf(;rc.t is nbiint 7ij.( 0 I. na mny bo secrj by ihe rcpnrts of thc Secrctury 6flKa Treasur, whidi 11 ihr: uve yenrti p;ist, lins nrnounicd to $3W,00ü. And so moustrods wns the exíra wnsie ofihemoney wlncli the íice l;i!or ofllio country hns now to replace. that día comthittea refused even to lift tho veil iJiat concoaled them. As refisrrbfl ib above, the irnvemmont íiái ií subscribed $Jf,Q0O,OQ0j whjcfa was n!l óngutphcd villi ihe rest; nul tho wholo cinnl beiug n. nv ibandoned thc proposiiiin wn? tunde d Coiigress Inst yonr to rei urn the sitares I lány, whjcri, íf wé recolleci r'glitly; whs done. This wc cal] building cañáis Tur" siavelioíders, nd {rsing the fice laborera ofthe couiítry 1 he biHs.