Not discouraged by the sneers and sarcasms cast up- | a model, and may be termed the beginning from which on him, he persisted in the undertaking, and at last suc- all originated. ceeded, in disposing of two loads, for the cost of transportation-and the remaining seven he gave to persons who promised to try to use it, and lost all the coal and charges. Messrs. Mellon and Bishop, at the earnest solicitation of Col. Shoemaker, were induced to make trial of it in their rolling mill in Delaware county, and finding it to answer fully the character given it by Colonel Shoemaker, noticed its usefulness in the Philadelphia pa. pers; and from that period, we may date the triumph of reason, aided by perseverance, over prejudice. In the year 1813, several small openings were made in different parts of the county, by sinking shafts; and the coal, taken out, was vended to the smiths and others in the neighborhood, at twenty-five cents per bushel, or three dollars and fifty cents per ton, at the pit's mouth. These shafts were sunk but a few feet, in the crop of the vein; and the coal, raised by means of the common windlass and buckets, and so soon as they attained a depth where the water became troublesome, (which seldom exceeded thirty feet,) the shaft was abandoned, and another sunk; and the same process undergone. In the year 1823, an improvement was made in the mode of working, by substituting horse power and the gin, for the windlass heretofore used, by which they were enabled to clear the water from the shafts with greater facility, and to sink farther on the veins. But, with this, (as it was then conceived great improvement) they were only enabled to run down the vein for a short distance, and the coal in point of comparison was inferior, as experience has since taught, that the crop is not equal to the coal that is taken out lower, and when the roof and floor have attained the regularity and hardness, so necessary to ensure good coal. No. 19. Queries addressed to the Committee of the Conyngham 1. What is the extent of the coal region in the counties of Northampton and Luzerne, whose natural market is by the Lehigh? 2.-What number of mines has been opened, and has it been satisfactorily ascertained that the quantity of coal on the Lehigh, (exclusive of the Mauch Chunk coal) is sufficient to justify the construction of canals or rail roads from the mines to the river? 3. What has been the effect of the acts and operations of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation company upon the enterprise and exertions of the owners of these coal beds? 4.-Have the contemplated improvements, to connect the Susquehanna with the Lehigh, been in your opinion, prevented or retarded by these acts? If so, state fully the facts upon which that opinion is based. 5.-State generally the resources of the country bordering upon the Lehigh, and the probable effects of a free navigation of that river upon the future prosperity of the community at large. No. 20. Report of the Committee of the People of Nescopeck Valley, upon the subject of the Lehigh Navigation and the Coal Trade. To the Committee of the Senate of Pennsylvania, appointed at the last session to investigate the state of the coal trade, &c. The undersigned, a committee appointed by the citi zens of the valley of the Nescopeck, at a meeting held At the period alluded to, rail roads were unknown in Conyngham, on the fourth of July last, beg leave to amongst us, and the mode of transporting was by com-submit the following statement, in reply to the quemon wagons, over roads at all times bad, and through a ries proposed to them by the Senate committee. country, where, from its mountainous character, the Before proceeding to answer the queries submitted to horse was able to perform but little, in comparison to us, it may not be amiss to call the attention of the comwhat can be done on a plain and level country. mittee to a branch of the subject not specially alluded to, we mean the unconstitutionality of the law, under which the Lehigh Coal and Navigation, exercise their Yet, with all these difficulties the work was continued, In all governments, incorporations have hitherto been regarded with jealousy by the people, as institutions of a dangerous tendency, and likely to produce unfavourable results upon the well-being of the community where they exist. As far back as 1814, drifts had been run on the heads of veins, in several places, and the coal brought from them in wheelbarrows; but it was not until 1827, that In England it is a settled rule of law, that no incor the rail road was introduced into drifts,and from that pe-poration can exist, except by act of parliament, the riod to the present, drifts have been the universal mode. king's patent, or by prescription, which presupposes a Improvements have been making from that to the pre- previous grant. In this country they are entirely the sent time, and it is believed they have attained that de- creatures of legislative enactment, and consequently gree of perfection, which has so long been desired, and can exercise no power, but such as are specially grantsuch, as to enable the miner to work on the best and ed by the act creating them. They take nothing by cheapest plan. implication, nor does the fact of their creation give them any powers under the common law; and hence, no rights can vest in them, but such as the Legislature may constitutionally transfer. The introduction of rail roads into this county forms an important era in the history of this district, and deserves the attention of all who are engaged, or in any manner interested in mining; as by their introduction, those distant beds of coal, that a few years since were believed to be too remote to admit of being worked, but were held as a reserve for a future generation, and were supposed to be unavailing, until all those beds lying on the canal were exhausted, and which are now brought into active use, and the whole region forming a district, averaging eighteen miles in length from east to west, and in breadth from north to south, four miles is traversed or intersected by rail roads, and is rendered capable of being worked. Previous to the erection of any of the public rail roads, our enterprising fellow citizen, Abraham Pott, constructed a rail road from his mines east of Port Carbon to that place, making a half mile. This served as In England, where the doctrine of parliamentary omnipotence is acknowledged, corporations are dissolved, whenever their existence is found to be prejudicial to the interests of the country, and we find that in the reign of Henry VIII. the monasteries were dissolved by act of parliament, upon the ground of their being inju rious to the country. If then in England the question of expediency was made to bear upon this matter with such force surely in this country, where privileged or ders are opposed by the spirit of our constitution, the Legislature would not hesitate for a moment, to repeal a law which in its effect is oppresive upon a large portion of the citizens of Pennsylvania, and it is not saying too much when we make the assertion, that our representatives are bound by every principal of patriotism to revoke all such grants as have been inadvertently made, and restore to the citizen those immunities of which he has been unjustly deprived. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation company owes its existence, and its important powers and privileges to the acts of assembly, passed in 1818 and 1822, which acts, we believe, are probably unconstitutional, and such as the Legislature had no power to enact. Our reasons for this opinion are, First. It is not competent for any government, (nor is such power claimed at this day by the greatest despotism in Europe) to take the property of any of its subjects and grant it to others, except for some great national purpose, and then only, by making ample compensation to the party injured. Legislature could not have changed the course of its waters from the Delaware to the Susquehanna, and such an attempt would be considered as a high handed act of despotism, and a direct violation of the law of nations. Yet under the law of 1818 and 1822, the navigation of the river is effectually closed against all but the Lehigh coal and navigation company, and its consequences are more prejudicial, to the public good than the case above stated could possibly be. In that case it is probable that as many would be benefitted by the change as if the river continued to flow into the Delaware, but as it now is, the natural navigation is destroyed, and the canal is made by the proscriptive policy of the company a mere appendage to their mining operations, and so far from its being a public highway as was probably intendIf this proposition is true in the despotic governments ed by the Legislature, it is avowedly but a private road, of the world, for a still stronger reason, the principle and only used for the purpose of passing the company's must prevail in republican Pennsylvania; and it is ex- coal to market. We say avowedly, because we are able pressed in the strongest language in the constitution of to prove conclusively that the company charge their the United States, which declares "that no state shall present prohibitory tolls on anthracite coal for the sole pass any law impairing contracts," and "private pro- purpose of monopolising the trade and excluding the perty shall not be taken for public use without just com- second coal field from competition with their own. pensation;" and yet strange as it may seem, we find the Thirdly. The law of 1822 is unconstitutional, (if un Legislature in 1818, sanctioning a contrary doctrine, and derstood according to the company's construction of it,) in the face of the great charter of our liberties, wrest-because it declares that the said company may "puring from the citizen his private property, and transfer chase, have, hold, receive, possess, enjoy and retain to ring it to three men, who certainly had no peculiar themselves and their successors, lands, tenements, hereclaims upon the bounty of the government above their ditaments, rents, goods, chattels and effects, of whatsoevfellow citizens. er kind, nature or quality, not exceeding in the whole ONE MILLION OF DOLLARS. The Lehigh river is a public highway, and has been so, since its first discovery. It needed not the sanction of human laws to make it so; its claims to this character rested upon the immutable decrees of the Governor of the Universe. The whole world had an interest in its waters, and those whose lands joined it, had the use of its waters, not only as a natural right, but by an express, or an implied grant from the state, which is to be found in every patent ever issued by the commonwealth. When they purchased their lands, they also purchased the water power found thereon, and had an undoubted right to the enjoyment of it, provided, the navigation of the river was not obstructed thereby, or the rights of their neighbours infringed. For this property the purchaser had paid the state a valuable consideration, and the faith of the government was pledg-market to suit their views at all times. They cannot be ed to protect them in the full enjoyment of their acquisitions; yet after all this, they see with surprise and indignation, a weak and improvident Legislature seize their possessions, and hand them over unceremoniously to enrich the coffers of a legalised aristocracy. The construction given to this section of the law by the company if correct, (which we shall deny in its proper place,) would render it so palpably unjust and unequal in its operations upon the people, as would make it odious in the most despotic government in the world and in this country we trust it will meet with the steady opposition of every man who values the blessings of civil and religious liberty. By this law a privileged order is created who are completely without the operation of the laws of the land. Under this section a company of merchants and traders are organized, who are not personally responsible for their acts. With a capital of ONE MILLION they may control and monopolize the commerce of half the state. They can command the indicted for their acts or punished for frauds in the most common affairs of life. The company have in fact but an ideal existence as to all moral purposes. Without a soul or any thing tangible upon which moral obligation can rest, it is emphatically above all law, and although its agents might sometimes be made reponsible for their misdeeds, the company would stride like a collussus over the temple of justice, regardless alike of the laws of God, or the rights of man. Had it been necesary for any great public benefit, that White, Hauto and Hazard, should become the owners of all the water power upon the Lehigh, it would have been some excuse for such a measure. But the public interest did not require, that the constitution Where we would ask the committee are we to look should be trampled upon, and the private rights of for a constitutional provision, which gives the Legisla the citizen violated, in order to construct the Lehigh ture power to grant such privilege to a company of men canal. The canal could be made without robbing one who are only known by an impression of ornamental man to enrich another. But say the Lehigh company, copper upon a piece of wax; and what would be said to the water power of the river was given to us, as pay- an association of capitalists who should make an appliment for making the canal. This cannot be true; be cation for like powers at this day. We apprehend they cause the state gave the company the privilege of pay- would be ridiculed from the Legislative halls as men ing itself for any moneys it might expend for that pur-demented, or treated with that scorn which belongs pose, in the tolls upon the canal, when it should be completed. But if this assertion is true, it would only show, that the Legislature had violated another fundamental doctrine of our government, and an express provision of our bill of rights which declares that "taxes shall be equal;" if however property can be thus taken without legal assessment to construct public works, the burden of the measure is thrown upon a few for the benefit of all. only to those who would build their fortunes upon the ruins of our republican institutions. The undersigned are not disposed to deny that the Legislature might lawfully pass any acts having for their object the improvement of the river Lehigh for the use of the public, but we deny that the act of 1818 and 1822, have in their practical application had this effect, on the contrary, they are but a shelter and protection to a few individuals in appropriating to their exclusive use and Second. The whole country had a qualified property benefit the property of the public as well as the properin the waters of the Lehigh, and therefore the govern-ty of individuals. The river Lehigh is not now a pubment had no authority to obstruct its free navigation. All might freely use it, and no power on earth could appropriate its advantages exclusively to itself. The lic highway, which every citizen may use, but only a private road from the Mauch Chunk coal mines to the Delaware river. If then the Legislature have power to pass laws like those complained of, the citizens of Pennsylvania have no protection above the boors of Germany, and are at the mercy of, and subject to the caprice of a despotic government, which may at its pleasure take from the citizen his property and divide it as the spoil of an enemy among those who happen to be more in favor. You must be satisfied, gentlemen, that no such power exists in Pennsylvania, and that the people when they framed the constitution, never dreamed that any such should be exerted. What then is the constitutional pretext for taking private property for the use of corporations? There is no possible justification for such grants except that in the provision the work shall be constructed for public use. The letter and theory of the constitution unite in perfect harmony, in sustaining the great principle of doing justice to individuals and at the same time promoting the general good. When the property of an individual is required for public benefits, the community, i. e. every individual who chooses shall have an equivalent for what he pays, the right of using the property so disposed of. Can any thing be more clear and undeniable. In applying these principles to the present case let it not be said that every individual who chooses may use the Lehigh canal, for if the toll demanded for the use of it be more than the value of his product after it has passed over, the right is not less a mockery of all the rights of the community than such a doctrine would be of the constitution. With the foregoing brief view of our constitutional objections we will proceed to answer your several queries, reserving the further consideration of this point to be resumed hereafter. the Berwick turnpike. This mine has been worked You will observe gentlemen, that the abode description embraces only the outer portion of the region, and within these lines we have not a doubt, but that a closely connected formation exists covering the whole area. It is worthy of remark that the region is distinctly bounded on the northwest and southeast by the red shale formation, and not a vestige of it is to be found in the intermediate space, and when we add the fact, that every attempt to discover coal in this region has proved successful, we have the fullest assurance there is coal enough in this region to warrant the construction of rail roads and canals to an indefinite extent. 1 The three following queries will next claim our attention: In answering these queries it will be necessary to inquire what have been these acts on the part of the company; and in order to give you a full understanding of the subject, we shall be under the necessity of taking a brief view of the history of this company from its first organization to the present time. We propose to consider your two first queries together.-1 and 2. The coal region which must find its In the year 1818, the general assembly passed an act, natural market by the Lehigh is of great extent, and entitled, "An act to improve the navigation of the river may be safely set down as embracing an area of at least Lehigh." By this act Messrs White, Hauto, and Hazard, one hundred square miles. Its south eastern boundary under certain regulations were authorized to make cer is marked by the Red Shale formation at Spring mountain improvements in the navigation of the river, and as tain, and its northern and western limits are distinctly a compensation for their expenditures, they were audrawn by the Red Shale formation at the summit of thorized to charge tolls, &c. By this act they were not Buck mountain. Its extent from northeast to southwest made a corporation, they had not even perpetual sucis about fifteen miles, and its breadth from southeast to cession, or a common seal, but were simply partners in northwest, from seven to eight miles. Beginning at its trade by the terms of their association. They were ineastern extremity near the river Lehigh, you discover dividually responsible for the obligations of the firm. anthracite coal in great abundance, sufficient to warrant Subsequent to this grant, this Firm, mortgaged or a rail road to the river. In pursuing a southwestern pledged all their privileges in the navigation to a cer direction from this point, strong indication of the exis-tain association in Philadelphia, called the Lehigh navi. tence of the mineral present themselves until you reach gation company, and had also pledged the real estate the Beaver meadow mines, which we believe you have of the firm to another association in that city, called the examined for yourselves and it is therefore unnecessary Lehigh company. These two companies amalgamated, for us to speak of its great extent. Coal is also believ- and under an arrangement with White, Hauto, and ed to exist in the immediate neighborhood of these Hazard, an application was made to the Legislature for mines, and the formation is continued in the same direc- an act of incorporation, which was passed in 1822. By tion until you reach the lands of Jacob Alter, Esq. who this act all the privileges, which had been previously has opened a mine, and his experiments show conclu- granted to White, Hauto, and Hazard were vested in sively the existence of an immense body of coal at this these two associations, under their corporate name, viz: place, which is unquestionably connected with the "The Lehigh coal and navigation company,” and at the Beaver Meadow formation. This is probably the south same time the property pledged as aforesaid was also corner of this extensive region unless it connect itself vested in the said company. The senate committee will with the Schuylkill and Mahanoy deposits which is not observe that this company took nothing in relation to improbable. the navigation, but what had been before granted to White, Hauto, and Hazard, by the act of 1818. They acquired nothing in addition to the priviliges of White, Hauto, and Hazard, except the stockholders were not individually responsible for the acts of the company, and such corporate powers as were specially granted them by the act aforesaid. By a careful examination of this act, it will be seen that the sole object of the Legislature was to "improve the navigation of the river Lehigh,” and in the language of the preamble to the law, it was the manifest interest of the commonwealth to promote by all proper means an object so important to the state." This then was the cause, which moved the Legislature to grant this company certain privileges, one of which was, to assess tolls upon the navigation, as a From Alter's mines, the same indications continue to present themselves in a westerly direction, until you reach the Black creek of the Nescopeck. Here, at the south base of Buck mountain a mine was opened some years since by Redmond Conyngham, Esq, who sent a few tons to the city of New York, with a view to excite the attention of that city to the feasibility of a plan to supply the inhabitants with fuel from this region. The subsequent development at Carbondale, and the pro scriptive policy of the Lehigh company cut off all prospect from that quarter, and the mine has not since been worked. From Conyngham's bed you pursue the range in a northeasterly direction, until you reach Turnbull's mill, a short distance from Mr. Casper Horn's on means whereby they might remunerate themselves for company to permit any boatmen to take in a quantity of monies expended in the construction of their canal, and plaister for him which he had purchased in Philadel. for this purpose alone was this privilege granted; and phia for the Nescopeck valley market. We will not say as to the company's right to make a canal, the Legisla-that the measure was dictated by a desire to keep the ture only made them the mere trustees of the state in revenue of the Delaware division as low as possible or regard to its use. It could never have been the design because they dealt in the article at their store in Mauch of the general assembly to give this company the sole Chunk, but will leave it for your own investigation. and exclusive use of the canal, but on the contrary the Whether the prohibition is still continued we are not whole act proves beyond controversy, that it was intend-informed. If these facts are true, and that they are so, ed as a public highway for all the world, and to this end alone were all the provisions of the act directed. we pledge ourselves to prove, it may be asked what effect has this system thus pursued by the company upon the public generally. We answer, If this be the true construction of this law, we would respectfully ask the honorable committee, how the com- First. The contemplated improvements between pany can be justified in their high-handed measure, the two rivers have hitherto been effectually prevented, hitherto pursued in relation to the tolls upon the canal, because no man would be foolish enough to invest money as we have before remarked. The canal is closed in canal or rail road stock while a company governed against all but the Lehigh company-the tolls are charg- by such a system held in their possession and under their ed not for revenue purposes, but as the company have sole control the outlet of the country to market. The often declared, for the purpose of preventing any coal owners of coal beds, could not work their mines because going to market but their own-is not this a perversion the onerous tolls would enhance the price of the comof the design of the Legislature? Is the object of the modity in market so that it could not compete with the law attained? Has not the consideration which induced coal from the Schuylkill or the company's coal from the the contract between the state and company completely Mauch Chunk mines. We need only to refer you to the failed? In vain has the property of individuals been Schuylkill to show what this country might have been wrested from them; in vain has the water of one of the had the company pursued a liberal policy and have finest streams of Pennsylvania been given away, if this made their canal a public highway according to the company can thus violate every principle, which govern | spirit and meaning of their contract with the Commoncontracts between man and man; and in vain has the wealth. Another evil resulting to the state and espeblood of our fathers been shed if such a trampling upon cially to the city of Philadelphia by reason of this polithe rights of a community can be tolerated in Pennsyl-cy is this: It is a fact within the knowledge of this comvania. mittee that the merchants of Wilkesbarre, have, and are deserting the Philadelphia market and have actually made large purchases in the city of New York the present fall, because as they say they can send their goods cheaper and with much less embarrassment by the Hudson and Delaware canal and Carbondale, than by the Delware and Mauch Chunk canal. Is the state to look on quietly and see her own canal become worthless, the trade departing from her metropolis on account of this withering policy? We trust not. We hope that there is sufficient intelligence in Pennsylvania to arrest the evil; and how shall it be done? Permit us to suggest a remedy. Independent of the high tolls charged on anthracite coal, we would direct the committee to the examination of certain other acts of the company, which we believe are wholly unauthorized by law, among which, may be enumerated, the high toll on lumber, the toll on empty boats, their building houses to rent, buying and selling goods, and dealing generally as merchants; charging toll on passengers, per capita, &c. &c. We stated in the outset that the law of 1822 and 1818 was unconstitutional and we firmly believe so; our reasons are before you, and we trust they will be duly considered. We also believe that the acts of the company amount to a forfeiture of their chartered powers and will bring them specially within the operation of the 20th section of the act of 1818. We say then here is a remedy ample and full, let these acts be repealed, either for the "misuse and abuse" or on account of their unconstitutionality. And let a modified charter be granted in which the rights of all concerned shall be strictly guarded. If however, the legislature should deem it inexpedient to resort to such measures, we have another remedy which we think could meet with no reasonable objection. That it is unlawful to charge toll on empty boats, we need only refer to the law itself, and that they have done so is proved by their table of tolls and the confession of the acting manager in his pamphlet addressed to the Senate committee last winter, in which he attempts to justify the measure by quoting the Schuylkill law, and saying, it is "only neighbor like." The company will probably justify their acts in merchandising and building houses under the first section of the act of 1822, before referred to. But we contend that this section must have reference to the subject matter of the law, and it was never intended by the Legislature to make the company, merchants or landlords, any further than was necessary to enable it to construct the canal. They could not have intended to permit to build up large towns and thereby control the community by means of their relation as landlord and tenants, and yet under this very section we find this company selling goods to the amount of thousands per annum, monopolizing the trade of the country to the total exclusion of individual It certainly would not be unreasonable that the Lehigh traders, and we have proofs that the company have company should pay the same toll on the Delaware diprohibited in their town of Mauch Chunk, the establish-vision which they charge others on their canal, it would ment of stores and all other branches of business in which whey were themselves engaged, and we are informed that upon this subject they were so cautious as to introduce restrictive clauses in the leases to their tenents whereby they were restrained from business 'without the special license of the company first had and obtained. We beg leave to state another fact connected with this branch of the subject, in which we apprehend the Commonwealth are largely interested. The company at one time (about one year ago,) prohibited their boats from taking in any back loading from Philadelphia to Easton, though they were permitted to do so at any point on their own canal, and one member of this committee found the truth of the above assertion in the great inconvenience he suffered by the refusal of the only be measuring to them again such mete as they measure unto others. Therefore if the tolls upon the Delaware were fixed at the same rate as upon the Lehigh, it would be putting it upon the company to assess their own tolls on both canals, and if their rates were low, so would be the Delaware; if high “ the sin would lay at their own door." Let it not be said that the company would take the bed of the river in that case; they can not do it, and beside the state has the control of the outlet at Easton and might use it effectually in the assessment of such tolls as would make it a matter of choice to pursue the canal to Bristol. And now gentlemen permit us to ask your attention to our answer to your 5th query. Independent of the inexhaustible coal mines, the pine forests bordering upon 'the Lehigh might be made the source of wealth which you will receive herewith to show, that the company could not refuse to take back freight as that is specially provided for in the first article, which says "the boats, during the contract are to be confined exclusively to the business of the company except for buck freights," and by the third article of the contract the back freight is not to interrupt the regular trips of the boats." are now of no earthly benefit. A free navigation of the plaister or merchandize to be sent on the company's Lehigh would enable the owners of these wilds, to turn wharf in Philadelphia, to be loaded into boats, as it was them into fruitful fields, thousand of acres would be re- found to interfere too much with their coal business, claimed from its present unproductive state, and where advised him to apply for the use of E. Haine's (the adnow is only heard the howl of the wolf and the screach joining) wharf which he obtained, and actually sent his of the panther, busy towns, and cultivated farms would merchandize from there in the company's boats." We resoon be seen to spring up, sustaining an active and in-fer to our "printed regulations for boating coal" which dustrious population. By a free navigation of the Lehigh, the rapid settlement of the whole country from the Schuylkill county line to the Easton and Wilkesbarre turnpike would be ensured, the trade of all northern Pennsylvania would be secured to the city of Philadelphia. The Nescopeck canal would be made, thereby opening a direct water communication to western New York, Ohio and Michigan. A home market for the surplus production of the Susquehanna valley would be found at the distance of twenty miles, in the Buck Mountain and Beaver Meadow coal region. These are a few of the benefits to be derived from a free naviga tion of the river Lehigh, and if some measures are not taken to remove the evil complained of, it needs not the spirit of prophecy to foretell that in a few short years, Philadelphia will find herself deprived of the trade of all northern Pennsylvania; she will find herself at the mercy of an incorporated company for her supply of fuel, the price of which may be raised upon her citizens at pleasure. This country so rich in mineral wealth will continue to be a wilderness, the state canal from Easton to Bristol may or may not derive a small revenue from the Mauch Chunk monopoly, and finally if this incubus is not dislodged from its present position we may anti-ges of the men at a stipulated price or rent. So with cipate at no distant day that the political influence it will be able to exercise by means of its wealth and situation may prove destructive to our liberties. The company have been accused of monopolizing, and not permitting any person to keep store at Mauch Chunk, of building houses to rent, of buying and selling goods as merchants, &c. The facts are these: Previous to the company making their establishment at Mauch Chunk, a number of abortive attempts had been made to improve the navigation of the Lehigh, under various laws of the commonwealth. The undertaking of the company was expected to share the same fate, and even after the Lehigh navigation was completed, the Delaware canal was looked upon as a failure. Under these circumstances, nobody would purchase lots in the wilderness, as the town of Mauch Chunk then was; the hands employed by the company must have houses to live in, and there was no alternative, but for the company to build them and make the house a part of the wa the store, which it became necessary for the company to establish, in order that the hands might be supplied with necessary articles at fair prices, without being subjected to the expense of going from four to six miles to the stores in the country. But, no obligation was ever imposed upon the hands to purchase at the company's store. In the same manner the company were obliged to build shops and furnish the tools, necessary for the manufacture of every thing required by their business, and employ workmen by the month, or send eighty miles to Philadelphia for every thing they wanted. But, upon the Delaware canal being proved to form with the Lehigh canal a practicable connection between Mauch Chunk and tide, the situation of that place became entirely changed; there was then no difficulty in finding purchasers for lots, and houses, stores and taverns, besides various manufactories have been established there by individuals on lots, purchased by them free from all Extracts from the answers of the Lehigh Coal and restrictions. The Mauch Chunk newspapers, which Navigation Company. The Lehigh coal and navigation company, having given as full answers as was in their power to the queries of the committee of Senate, now beg leave to add, that they understand the opponents of the company from the Conyngham convention, propose to make their replies to the queries of the Senate committee, the vehicle to bear their oft refuted charges against the company, to the new members of the Legislature. The company regret, that their opponents should take this unfair course after avoiding the meeting, which they themselves requested of your committee, for the special purpose of "hearing charges against the Lehigh company." Had they kept the appointment, it would have been easy for the company to have refuted all their charges, as at Mauch Chunk they had all the necessary documents for the purpose. They must now advert, by anticipation, to such charges as they suppose will be preferred against them, that the "bane and antidote" may go together. you will receive herewith will confirm this representation, by the advertisement of town lots for sale in Mauch Chunk, and the advertisements of the various storekeepers, mechanics, tavernkeepers, &c. located there since this change. The company, by being surrounded by civilization, were enabled to relinquish all the various operations, which they were obliged in the wilderness state to carry on, and now have every thing done on contract by individuals as in other towns. The Mauch Chunk newspapers will also give a list of tolls established on the Lehigh, which on the average will be found as low, or perhaps lower than those of any other canal, made by an incorporated company. This toll list will conclusively show that Philadelphia is not losing the trade of the Wyoming valley in consequence of "exorbitant tolls,' as has been charged against the company, though it would have been nearer the truth had that result been placed to account of hauling nearly double the distance, over a rough mountainous turnpike from the Lehigh to Wilkesbarre, that is travelled on a descending road from Carbondale to the same point. One serious charge was made that the company refused to permit Jacob Drumheller to send his plaister by But the main difficulty is the "enormous toll" as our their boats. He was told, in reply to his application, opponents style it, on coal. The company have no that the company had no authority over the boats for doubt charged a higher rate on this article than has usuback loads, that he must make his bargain with the boat-ally been charged for the same distance on other canals, men, for the freight, that the company could not admit but it will be recollected, that coal is the only article to |