Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell’s replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1984. The production of this volume was supported in part by the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Xerox Corporation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1994.MEMORIAL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF TROY, ON THE SUBJECT OF A BRIDGE ACROSS THE HUDSON AT ALBANY! With an Appendix. TROY, N. Y.: N. TUTTLE, PRINTER, CCXXV. RIVER-STREET. 1841.3 MEMORIAL. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New- York, in Senate and Assembly convened: The Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of Troy, ask leave respectfully to address your Honorable Body, on a subject deeply interesting to the citizens of Troy, and to the country and state at large. Your memorialists have seen the application by way of memorial, signed by citizens of Albany, and other memo- rials signed by citizens of other counties, and brought ap- parently before your honorable body at the instance of Al- bany, praying “ that a law may be passed, authorising an Association or Joint Stock Company to erect a Bridge over the Hudson river, between its eastern bank and the city of Albany, with power to collect such reasonable tolls as will compensate for the use and risk of the capital in- vested.J? The grounds upon which this application is made, are the inconveniences experienced by the travel in general passing the river, “ the certainty of rail-roads being con- structed which will connect that city with the cities of New-York and Boston ; the absurdity of those roads ter- minating on the bank of the river with a populous city on the other side.” And they state, that “ in other states the comparatively trifling inconvenience to those navigating rivers with sloops and other vessels, have been held as fur- nishing no substantial objections to measures calculated to promote the greatest good to the greatest number; THE CLAMORS OF RIYALSHIP HAVE BEEN DIS- REGARDED, AND THE LARGEST RIVERS HAVE BEEN BRIDGED, SO AS TO SECURE AT ALL TIMES THE SAFE AND SPEEDY AP- PROACH TO THE WANTS OF BUSINESS.” Your memorialists ask leave respectfully to represent,4 that although the policy of erecting a Bridge across the ri- ver at some place within the bounds of Albany, for the accommodation of the land travel and rail-road ears, may at first sight appear plausible, it is notwithstanding a mea- sure which, if carried into effect, must unavoidably bring with it mischiefs, evils, embarrassments, losses and dam- ages, far exceeding and overbalancing any benefits ex- pected from a Bridge, and altogether ruinous to your me- morialists and to the citizens and trade of Troy. Your memorialists consider it to be true, and susceptible of proof, that bridges erected across navigable waters, however favorable the position, or conveniently construct- ed for the passage of vessels, do, notwithstanding, cause such embarrassments, dangers, delays and injuries to the channel, as do in the long run, if not immediately, discour- age, prevent and do away about all the navigation above them. (See Appendix A.) Draw-Bridges built in still-water harbors, across some intervening channel, and when there is but very little navi- gation above them, may be endured, and may be of more benefit to the general travel than damage to the naviga^- tion. But the Bridge prayed for at Albany, presents an entirely different case. It is to be built across the Hudson river, where great freshets are frequent, giving to the wa- ters at such times an almost irresistible velocity, not only in the direct course, but cross currents, which may prevent a vessel from reaching the intended draw or any particular passage, by which they are now not unfrequently thrown ashore ; and in case of a bridge, may be thrown against it, or drawn under or through it, to their utter destruction. A like casuality would be almost certain to befall a vessel in its down-stream course, in time of freshets, by the happen^ ing of an unfavorable flaw of wind, or a sudden calm ; by either of which causes a vessel may be prevented from reaching the exact position of the draw, and by the strong down-stream current she may be precipitated against the Bridge, or driven under or through it. By these and many other unforeseen causes, the bridge or the vessel, or both, may be broken, the vessel and cargo sunk, and the lives of the crew and passengers lost. Should, however, damages and losses of this serious char- acter but seldom happen, still delays, to the great prejudice of the trade, must unavoidably occur at every passage of the5 draw. It cannot be expected that the draw will at all times and at every hour and moment of time, as well by night as by day, be in readiness to pass a vessel. How- ever strict the provisions of the law granting the charter may be, or however conveniently the draw may be made, or however pure the intention of the owners of the Bridge, still there must be delays. The vessel must leave her pro- per course to get at the draw, which must occasion delay. She must put herself in trim and position for passing the draw, which will cause delay. The draw may be to be opened, which will cause delay. The draw may be out of order, which will cause delay. Carriages may be passing over the draw, and cause delay: or, the draw-ten- der may be asleep, and probably will be asleep often, when vessels arrive at night, which may cause serious delay. It is not in the nature of things that there shall not be delays, accidents and damages. And no one can so well appre- ciate the damages caused by delays, as the man who, to pass a shoal above, must be upon it while the tide serves ; or to get up, must improve every moment of fair wind while it lasts, or whose small earnings are to be diminished, or his family distressed, or his debts be left unpaid, in con- sequence of this unwarrantable obstruction. A heavy steam-boat with her wheels, occupies much space, and to pass the draw, must stop her steam and move with greater caution and slow. A steam towing-boat, with a towed freight-boat on each side of 150 to 600 tons each, occupies still more space, and must approach the bridge or draw, with still greater solicitude and caution. A sloop with a cumbrous deck load of lumber, will be in like predicament; and should no accident happen, delay, loss of time, and additional premiums of insurance, are inevitable. It will be seen by the affidavit of the tenders of the rail- road bridge at Troy, Joel I. Holmes and Orange F. El- liot, (see Appendix A.,) that the time occupied in passing a vessel through the draw, is from 10 minutes to 1 hour, ac- cording to the size of the vessel, and as freshets or fair or foul weather prevail. That from the 1st to the 16th day of October last, in a very favorable time as to the weather and height of the water, the exact time was noted by them, and found to be on an average 17 minutes 31 seconds, and the average time occupied in passing a vessel at all times6 of weather and water, is 25 minutes, according to the best of their judgment and belief. The following table has been prepared to show, in as short and condensed a manner as practicable, the number and kinds of vessels actually owned and sailing from Troy, including three sloops owned at Waterford, and five sloops with three towed boats owned at Lansingburgh, with their tonnage, the number of trips, and the number of passages made by each vessel up and down the river, and the num- ber of passings which there must be through the draw in a season of 8J months, or 259 days; also, the gross earn- ings of each class of vessels, allowing them to go loaded, or with the average number of passengers; also, the earn- ings, allowing them to go three-fourths loaded, which is considered to be a very large allowance beyond the fact,7 W O O CD O W CO Q ^ i> C?5 O (M H 05 ' d O *8 O fe O S ' J PQ <1 H 32 ^ cj ° .2 cd of ^ 6 6 6 6 S -g 05 d d d d .9 % VO GO > cd ^ O d d 05 05 00 GO) » m Ej ^ •5 2 s ° * d H® q Mi® ^ i> d rH cq rH cq CM of cdT of o Cd d CO (M 05 o rH o H m m m GO d vq; cT CM O GO GO 05 w CO CD d d 1> e§ HHO ^ of g S 0 O ^ ^ CD aref rH CO i> 1> CO 5h <=> HOOO^O O CO CD Cd lo Cd Cd^d rH CO I>~ d~ Of rH cd - o o pD £ ^ cd 0 d bod cd m 2 d n5 S Pn cd : ^ » d Ch cd O q d ® .2 bp^ 2(3 0 > d »c o d Cd GO CD 0 bo cd S3 S3 O Eh si .SP *0 i2 0 o 8 JM GO 42 32 ^ $ a. d 32 a 0 .as S >> H« d S’2 0 d £*■» £*"■» O O o cd d EH i Cd 0 . bo rS ^ 13 ^ o P3 0 bo cd SI S3 O 0 d . w m r"“' S3 fk s ?>o ® bo o cd ^ ^ 5 CJ> d 32 0 I ”§§.Sf bod 2 ,p-< 0 cd D-d 4-^3 so h cd % bod ~ ■ cd m g — •' SI, 0 -S3 ?H 3 ^ » a 3 0 d 4-» sT o 32 , cd 0 32 bo S3 " 0 d 0 bo a S3 SI o 32 0 —' d S3 ^ 2 a O ' 32 cd 0 . . 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Now it is probable that we shall have but very few if any foreign vessels resorting to this place after this draw bridge obstruction shall be thrown in their way, of which it has been ascertained from the best attainable data, that we had in the last season no less than 11,690 tons. If they should however still continue to come, we should have to add a correspondent proportion of time which the draw will have to be kept open to let them through; but as it is we make no calculations for them further than to say, that those foreign vessels, together with the 86 in Troy and above it, are moved by sails and almost exclusively engaged in the transportation of lumber to the numerous landings along the Hudson, and to New-York, Newark, and other places in New-Jersey, Long-Island, the entire shore of Connecticut, and other places on Connecticut River, and as far south as Richmond, in Virginia, bring- ing coal to Troy, and returning with lumber, iron manu- factures, spikes, nails, &c.; and in the transporting coal from Philadelphia, from whence and from other places there was brought the past season to Troy, and for the use of the Troy Iron and Nail Factory the current year, of coal, Scotch pig and bar iron, fire-brick, clay and sand, including 6,000 tons in part of these back freights of com- mon pig iron and manufactured iron spikes and nails, 36,730 tons. As it may be alleged that the Troy steam passenger boats go no further north than Albany, it is proper to re- mark, that if in the press of competition some time since, arrangements were made with the Albany steam passen-9 ger boat owners, that the Troy boats should stop at Alba- ny. The time for which that arrangement was made has now expired. And that by agreements with owners of other boats, not only all the Troy boats, but others, so as to make Out regular day and night lines, will hereafter come to, and go from Troy. It may be proper, also, to remark, that the accounts which we see published in the newspapers of the number and tonnage of the Albany vessels, taken from their dock master’s register, includes, as we are informed, as well the number of vessels owned at Albany, as those of the city of Troy, and the villages of Lansingburgh and Waterford, where it is true our vessels occasionally all of them touch or stop, as well as at all the other places and landings on the river; including also in their dock master’s list, all the foreign vessels which come to or stop at their wharves, and probably at every time of their stopping. This mode of calculating the tonnage of Albany, it will be seen, is calculated to make erroneous impressions, and requires in- vestigation. The number of vessels of the city of Troy and villages above it, with their owners’ names, will be found in the Appendix marked B. And as it may be alleged again, that the steam passen- ger boats, if they should come to Troy, may pass between the piers and under the Bridge, it may be proper to say, that this would be impracticable without taking down their chimnies or smoke-pipes and building them up again at every passage, as the chimnies or smoke-pipes of the Troy and New-York passenger boats, owned at Troy, and those of Albany which have run with them, rise 60 feet above the water iine, and allowing only 16 feet for freshets, makes it that the Bridge, to let them pass under it, must be built more than 76 feet above the water line; being a height which it is presumed no bridge will ever be thought of being built. The reason why sloops and vessels with sails are prefer- red, and always will be employed in the transportation of lumber, is that, except at the port of New-York, lumber is wanted only in small parcels, and has to be taken up the creeks and inlets in New-Jersey, on Long-Island, and elsewhere, in vessels moved by sails, in vessels bringing10 coal and other commodities from Virginia, and from other small places. And it is well known that all those vessels prosecute their voyages in every hour and moment of the night as well as by day, in every part of the river from Troy to New York, and that the profits.and success of the vessels moved by wind, depends materially upon their improving every moment of free wind; and the profits and success of both sail and steam-boats depend upon their vigilant observ- ance of the tides, more especially in getting over the shoals, as well between Troy and Albany as below. The slug- gard, who sleeps while the winds are propitious, is soon broken down and driven from the trade. The difficulties, delays and dangers to the vessels of Troy, in passing the Bridge at every hour and moment of the night as well as day, and which they must do or give up the trade, may not be apparent to landmen, or professional men, or men of science, without practice. By such men these difficul- ties cannot be appreciated, however clear and demonstra- ble their theories may be to themselves. Without actual practice they would find that they knew but little or no- thing about it. They calculate on fair winds and fair weather and daylight, which may not one half of the time be the case ; the wind may be such that a vessel may lay and keep her course up and down the river, when it would not be possible for her to reach the draw, and not reaching it, her continuous course is arrested, and days may be lost, by which, instead of saving or making by his trip, the owner would find that he has lost, and his family suffers. It not unfrequently happens, that vessels leaving New- York on each of the different days of the week, are, by the winds which prevail, thrown into clusters, and many of them arrive at Albany or Troy at very nearly the same time. Twenty or more of them may arrive and claim to be let through the Bridge at the same time ; and this may happen as well in the night as in the day. In such case, altercations and accidents may be expected. At all events, delays to all of them must be unavoidable, and the fair wind which brought them to the bridge, may not hold to take them to Troy, by which several days may be lost, and serious damages sustained. See Appendix E., where the11 delays are calculated when 20 of them arrive and claim to pass the Bridge at the same time. The Hudson river, at the site of this contemplated Bridge, as every where else, is certain to be annually cov- ered with ice, which, from long experience, is found on its breaking up to have formed shoals where there had been deep water ; and who, at all acquainted with this river, will say this is not likely to happen and the place of the draw become dry land, and the deep water, if any is left, be thrown on the opposite side, or in the middle of the riv- er ? or who will say that the Bridge shall not be broken down, as the rail-road bridge across the Connecticut river at Springfield, has been this winter broken down, which for a long time or forever, may render the site of the Bridge impassable for vessels ; or, as was the decided opi- nion and conviction of the corporation and citizens of Al- bany, set forth in their remonstrance against a Bridge at Albany, in 1814, (see “ Assembly Journal” of that year, in Appendix* C.,) that the ice arrested by the piers of the Bridge must of course pile and dam up the river, until the entire valley above should be flooded, and the water forced round one or the other ends of this ice dam, shall pros- trate every thing in its way, and if the Bridge should be placed at Albany, take away every thing east of Pearl- street. Every one at all acquainted with this river, knows that those ice dams frequently occur, by which the channel is changed. A dam of that kind was last winter piled up across the Hudson, not half a mile above the State Dam, at the upper end of this city, which forced the entire water of the river at right angles against the alluvial land oppo- site, and made a deep channel of some 50 rods through it, until arrested by the high rock bank of Green Island, which turned it down stream again. Such ice dams are of frequent occurrence among the islands above and near Albany, where the current, from its having more breadth, is somewhat less strong. (See Appendix D. for effect up- on the channel.) A Bridge once built across the river at Albany, is not to be considered as a temporary measure, but as a perpetual obstruction always to remain, and will no doubt soon bring before the Legislature applications for numerous other 12 Bridges; probably at Kinderhook, Coxsaekie, Hudson, Catskill and at every other place on the River where indi- vidual interests or visionary speculators may calculate to derive advantages from them, until one of the finest rivers in the world shall be obstructed from end to end with Bridges, and its navigation shall become incumbered and endangered to excess. Against, however, the erection of such Bridges below Albany, the citizens of Albany it is presumed may be calculated upon for making their unani- mous and decided protest. It is well known that a spirited competition between the cities of Troy, including villages above, and Albany, in trade and the transportation common to both, is steadily maintained; and the existing advantages, disadvantages and facilities arising from position and ease of navigation, are such as to be likely to continue that competition and the places in their relative standings. But if the trade and transportation of Troy is to be obstructed and embarrassed to the extent which the Bridge prayed for is certain to create, all competition between the places must soon cease. Our neighbors of Albany will then be relieved from their apprehensions of interference from Troy, and the com- munity thereafter lose the benefits resulting from this com- petition. To put down and out of their way, the trade and trans- portation of Troy, may not have been the leading object of the petitioners for the Bridge at Albany; but if such had been their direct intention, they could hardly have fall- en upon a more certain plan for carrying that intention into effect, than the construction of this barrier Bridge. Troy can then no longer do the transportation business, at the prices charged at Albany. Foreign vessels will no longer resort to our landings; the charges of the places, respectively, for transportation or passage must always be the same, and such as will enable them, respectively, to continue the business and live. By throwing unnatural obstructions in the way of one of them, such as shall ne- cessarily make the charges of that place higher than the other, and the customers of the higher charging place will leave it, when it must go down, and give way to its more favored competitor. The petitioners pray to be authorized to build their13 Bridge across the Hudson from the eastern shore to the city of Albany, leaving themselves at liberty to place the Bridge near the north line of the city, above all their wharves, basin and landings, and where their own vessels would not be in the least incommoded by having to pass through the draw, while they subject the vessels and trade of Troy to all its evils. Now if the petitioners had no other object in view than to facilitate the travel and, unwilling to prostrate a rival, intended in a spirit of fairness to put the two places more nearly upon an equality as to injuries, would they not have proposed to build their Bridge one mile below the city, through which their own vessels would have to pass equally with those of Troy ? By their omission to select that as the site, is it not apparent that to aid the eastern travel is but a minor object of their ap- plication ? It would, however, if placed there, be of much less detriment to the vessels of Albany% than to those of Troy; as they could easily be hauled by hand to their usual landings, while those of Troy, having passed the draw, would have to get under way again. But Troy and the villages above can never suffer an obstruction of that serious magnitude to be put in the river below them, on any terms., The ostensible inducements for the erection of a Bridge have already been stated, to wit: the inconveniences ex- perienced by the general land travel and intercourse with the country east, together with the cars of the rail-roads now constructing from Boston and New-York. Were these the leading inducements, your memorialists believe it to be most evident that no Bridge would ever be built. Albany has at command other and more efficient or cheap means for facilitating her intercourse with the country east, and even for getting over the rail-road cars, than that of a Bridge. It has the monopoly and exclusive right of fer- riage to and from the city—from which it derives a net re- venue. If to facilitate intercourse is their main inducement, they would have begun by relinquishing their monopoly of ferriage, or by lowering the tolls, or making their ferry free, or taking no more tolls than would support the ferry. The old lower ferry at Albany is the great crossing place; the great roads all lead directly to it, and is the place where the petitioners say the rail-roads terminate. And even a14 free bridge placed where, if not controlled, they would no doubt place it, near the north line of the city, or one mile or more north of the ferry, would have no sensible effect on the passing or income of the ferry. The travel across ^ the rail-road bridge at Troy, which has been in operation several years, and the travel obstructed but in a compa- ratively trifling degree by opening its draw for the passage of the few vessels which require it, has not sensibly dimin- ished the income of Jhe old ferries. And the bridge does not get one third of me passing ; an amount not exceeding the increased travel since the bridge was built. But a Bridge, if it should be built even along side of the old ferry at Albany, which must, as we shall shew, keep open its draw during at least ten hours every day, and if passed by all the vessels going to Albany, would occupy the entire 24 hours, could take none or next to none of the travel from the ferry ; and even if the draw should be kept open for the passage of vessels but eight out of the twenty-four hours, the delays and discouragements to the passage of carriages and teams from waiting for the draw to be put down, would prevent them from attempting to cross the bridge, and con- fine them exclusively to the ferry, even as the tolls of the ferry now are ; but much more so if the tolls should be abated on the ferry, as they long since ought to have been, and long since would have been, if to facilitate the travel and intercourse had been the only or leading object. Albany, therefore, if authorized to. build the Bridge, will not dispense with her ferry for a moment, If the vessels of the trading towns above do not become discouraged, and are not driven off, as is most probable; if they continue to run as heretofore, the draw must, in such case, be kept open so much of the time as to prevent ordinary travel, and greatly delay the passing of the rail road cars, unless the navigation be arrested. Shall this navigation, so long fostered and protected by former legislatures and recently by the National Govern- ment, until it has drawn to these marts, which it has created, millions of capital from other states and attracted portions of their enterprising population, be how suddenly obstruct- ed ? Shall it be done at the instance of a city, which is needlessly apprehensive of the effects of a generous rivalry, sharing, as she has done, even more largely than your me*15 Wiorialists, in the munificence of both state and national legislation, and at this very moment in the most prosper- ous career to greatness ? To facilitate foreign commerce, Troy was long since made a port of delivery of the United States, which to- gether with the Hudson River below it, has been consid- ered and treated by that Government as being within its jurisdiction and control, to the extent of all their other highways and ports of delivery. That Government, again* in order to render access to and from this port of delivery more easy, and within .a few years past have expended large sums of money in improving the navigation of the river between Troy and Albany; and it is confidently ex- pected still further appropriations will be made until they have made the navigation as perfect as need be. And your memorialists submit, whether this circumstance alone should not restrain the State Government from embarrassing those operations of the General Govern- ment by throwing this unnatural obstruction in the way; presenting the strange anomaly, that while the General Government are expending large sums of money in clearing the river from every obstruction, the State Gov- ernment are authorizing the expenditures of like large sums for its embarrassment. The General Government may well consider, that if the navigation of the Hudson River between Troy and Albany is not, by the State Govern- ment, held to be of sufficient importance to prevent a sta- tionary embarrassment, like this Bridge, from being thrown across it, that it may not be of sufficient consequence to warrant their outlays to improve it, or to continue Troy as one of its ports of delivery; and by such means, forever prevent the favorable interposition of the General Govern- ment in a matter so vitally important, not only to Troy, but to the whole state and country at large. Although the applicants for the Bridge at Albany have not, in their memorial, brought forward the Bridge built some years since by the Rensselaer and Saratoga Rail Road Company across the Hudson from Troy to Green Island ; yet it is so frequently cited and argued in out-door conver- sations by them and in the public papers, and probably to members of the Legislature, as a precedent for erecting the Bridge prayed for at Albany, as to render some brief notice of it proper by your memorialists.16 And of this Bridge we have to say, that it was placed above the uppermost point of all the natural sloop navi- gation of the Hudson; and the narrow channel, over which the draw of the Bridge is placed, was blasted out of slate rock, and dredged close in to the east shore some dis- tance further up at the expense of the lot owners. This Bridge belongs to the Rensselaer and Saratoga Rail-Road Company—a corporation obtained from the Legislature in 1832, on application from citizens of Saratoga. A majo- rity of the commissioners for distribution of its stock, tv ere residents of that County, and the elections of directors are required to be held there. A majority of the directors, who at that time resided in Troy, uniformly and strenuous- ly resisted the construction of a Bridge at Troy. They struggled to the last to prevent it. They insisted that the passage of the River should be made at the old Water- ford Bridge. Several meetings and ballotings were held by the directors; and so inflexible were a majority of the Troy directors, that their opposition was continued, al- though the directors residing in New-York and represent- ing a large amount of stock, declared their purpose of for- feiting the stock, and thus, as it was evident, defeat the road, unless this point was yielded. Upon the final decis- ion, the location was fixed by the vote of all the directors residing out of Troy and of but two who were citizens— whilst four of the Troy directors continued to oppose it. The Bridge was, therefore, not placed within the limits of Troy at the instance of the citizens of Troy, or of their di- rectors in the road; but in opposition to both. It was not opposed, by the citizens of Troy or their directors, howev- er, from fears of injuries which might result to the natural sloop navigation below it, but from their views of its un- constitutionality, and apprehensions that at some future time it might be brought forward as it now is, and pressed as a precedent for the erection of Bridges across the River below Troy, to its incalculable injury. Indeed, the voice of the corporation, and nearly all the citizens of Troy, has at all times, and on all occasions been opposed to the erection of bridges across any of the navi- gable waters of the Hudson, natural or artificial. On the petition of Lewis Burtis and others, for a Bridge across the Hudson at some distance north of the Rail Road Compa-17 ny’s Bridge in this city, at the session of 1831, one year be- fore the Rensselaer and Saratoga Rail Road Company was incorporated, the corporation of Troy strenuously remon- strated against it, as will be seen by reference to the Jour- nals of the House of that year, as they also have on all occasions done against the construction of Bridges either at Albany or this place. The building of the Bridge prayed for at Albany, as a question between the two cities, Troy and Albany, must greatly embarrass if not destroy the one (Troy,) and in like degree elevate and advance the other (Albany.) The two places depend for means of subsistence upon doing the same or like business for the country—that is, upon buying, selling, storing, or transporting the same or like commodities. All that kind of business, which a large ex- tent of the same country requires to be done, has hereto- fore been done, and would continue to be done, by one or the other of those cities; and from the proximity of the two places, it makes but little difference to the country which of them does it. But if a measure shall be adopted by the Legislature which shall prevent any, or a large part of this business being done by Albany, it will as a matter of course, be done at Troy, West Troy, and villages above; and in like manner, if obstructions or obstacles shall be thrown in the way of its being done at Troy, West Troy, and villages above, it most certainly must go to, and be done by Albany. Now the quantity of this kind of busi- ness, including manufactures, is found to be sufficient for the maintenance of about 30,000 people in Troy, West Troy, and villages above, and of about a like number at Albany—allowing that some 3 to 5,000 of the population of Albany derive their support directly or indirectly from the patronage of the State, that is by its being made the seat of government, with the state buildings, state officers, the legislature, and the higher courts of justice, and their respective dependencies. And the necessary houses, stores, wharves, vessels, and moneyed capitals, have ac- cordingly—and in confidence that no obstacles (and espe- cially by act of the legislature) would be thrown in the way of this kind of business being continued to be done by the places respectively—been built, located, and fixed at the respective places as suited the convenience of the 318 country and cities respectively. Now if it shall be the policy of the state to take from the Troys, and villages above, the whole or any considerable proportion of this kind of business which they have up to this time done in common with Albany, or to throw embarrassments in the way of the Troys, and villages above, which shall prevent its being so done, then it will take from them, (if not the whole,) in the long run, if not immediately, a correspon- dent proportion of their population, houses, stores, wharves* vessels and capital, and add them to Albany—rendering the real estate of Troy about valueless, and doubling the va- lue of the like kind of property at Albany; or extend the limits of Albany, to be forthwith occupied by buildings* wharves, &c., &c., and add tenfold to the value of the va- cant land above, below, and back of it. Now is it, or can, it be believed, that this is to be the policy of a wise, benig- nant and paternal government ? And so widely different are all the facts and circum- stances bearing upon the Bridge at Troy, from those bear- ing upon the Bridge proposed to be built at Albany, the small number of vessels owned or passing above it, and its artificial instead of natural navigation as at Albany, that your memorialists feel confident the petitioners will search in vain for arguments to support their application, drawn from the construction of the Bridge at Troy. The applicants for the Bridge state, as inducements for authorising them to build it, “ That in other States the comparative trifling inconvenience to those navigating ri- vers with sloops and other vesels, have been held as furnish- ing no substantial objections to measures calculated to pro- mote the greatest good to the greatest number; and the clamors of rivalship have been disregarded, and the largest rivers have been bridged so as to secure at all times the safe and speedy approach to the wants of business.” Your memorialists have sought in vain for facts to war- rant these broad assertions, if intended to present a fair precedent for this application. We are aware that instances exist, where draw bridges have been built over waters which have been navigated by a very few vessels. But even in these cases, such bridges have entirely ruined or effectually checked the growth of all places above as marts of commerce, and put a stop to19 all profitable navigation above them. Your memorialists appeal to facts to sustain them, when they assert that nei- ther in this or any commercial country, can an instance be produced, where a large navigable river, which in floods swells to the height of 20 feet above its low water line, has been bridged below cities and towns of more than 30,000 inhabitants created by its commerce, and mainly depend- ent upon that commerce for their subsistence. What would the citizens of Providence say to the Ston- ington and Boston Rail Road Company’s building a bridge across the Providence River below that city, where, if they have a larger number of tons of vessels, the passing through the draw of a Bridge would not be one quarter part the number of times, owing to their long voyages, and requir- ing to be let through the draw but a few times in each year ? Or what would the citizens of Philadelphia, of Bor den- town, Trenton, &c., &c., say to a bridge being thrown across the Delaware at New Castle, where all the shipping of those cities would not have to pass the draw of a bridge the nearly 10,000 times which our vessels must pass the draw at Albany ? Or the citizens navigating above Phila- delphia, with their trifling navigation compared to ours, say to the building of a draw bridge across the Delaware oppo- site Philadelphia to accommodate the land travel, and Cam- den and Amboy rail road cars, which cross that river at that place in a steam ferry boat ? Or the citizens of Hartford say to a bridge crossing the Connecticut River at Middletown, where the vessels having to pass the draw would not be one in a hundred to those of Troy ? Or even the citizens of Al- bany say to the building a bridge across the Hudson at Catskill to accommodate the land travel, mails, and rail road cars of the Catskill and Canajoharie Rail Road ? They would no doubt (if milder arguments did not prevail) rise in mass, and call on Troy to assist them, and put a stop to the building, promptly and by such means as should be neces- sary to effect the object. Would the remonstrances of the cities above specified, against such outrages upon their rights by bridging them in, be branded as the “ clamors of rivalship” on the pre- text that a “ speedy approach to the wants of business” demanded this facility for the more rapid flight of the 1o