1856.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.            521

terest in the canal, the remonstrance against this road would not
be listened to for one moment. Does the additional fact that the
State has been so unwise as to invest its means in the canal, make
it any the less a monopoly, or furnish any additional reason con-
sistent with the Bill of Rights why this railroad should not be
chartered? We think not. We do not think, however, that the
canal company have any just grounds of apprehension that its
ability to pay the State's interest will be impaired. The canal
is connected with the canals of Pennsylvania, and transports
very little freight beyond what is supplied by those canals. It is
not supplied through the railroad system of that State. Whatever
is now freighted on the railroads passes on to find a market at
Philadelphia, over the Columbia road and is not transhipped .to
the canal.

A railroad connection with Pennsylvania, by the route pro-
posed, it is conceived will not divert the trade from the canals,
but rather from the railroads of that State, and the construction
of this railroad by encouraging capitalists to invest their means
in opening additional mines in the coal fields, by giving still
greater facilities of transportation, will create a business that
now has not an existence. This will be found to be true also,
as to the heavy articles of lime, state, &c, lying on the route
of the proposed road.

The experience of the Schylkill Navigation and Reading1.
Railroad Companies we believe will show that we are correct in
these views; these companies being taxed to their full capacity to
meet the demands of the trade which has been opened by their
construction. The Canal Company also urge as a reason why
this charter should not be granted, that citizens of Pennsylvania
and other States will take advantage of it, and that a large por-
tion of the trade will pass beyond the limits of the State. This
objection comes, it seems to us, with an exceedingly bad grace
from the "Tide water Canal Company," two-thirds of whose trade
is transported through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to.
Philadelphia.                                                                             

It should also be remembered that by connecting with the Phil-
adelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, it will form con-
nection with the proposed series of improvements on the Eastern
Shore, and that in this way, all that important geographical divi-
sion of our State, will derive an advantage by the construction of
the Columbia and Port Deposite Railroad.

If the charter should .not be granted at this session we fear the
State will lose the opportunity of bringing this valuable trade
within her borders. Acts of incorporation have already been
passed by the States of Pennsylvania and Delaware for the con-
struction of a Railroad direct from Columbia to New Cattle in,