of the United States. 295 



will be regarded as a most important era in the history of 

 canal navigation, and especially in this country, to which they 

 are so peculiarly adapted." 



About the time of completing this Report, General Bernard 

 received from Count R^al a plan of an inclined plane proposed 

 for the Canal of Charleroi in France, by De Solages. The 

 principle was the same as the one under investigation, and 

 both engineers had set off from the same point : both had met 

 with the same difficulties ; but the means of removing them 

 were so different, and the effect of the American plan so much 

 superior, that it was not considered necessary even to modify 

 the Report. They were rather inclined to consider it as for- 

 tunate that it had not been previously known, as it would have 

 probably been adopted, and precluded the search which led 

 to a superior form. 



In addition to his Report upon the means of construction, 

 Clinton undertook to exhibit the advantages the State of Jersey 

 would derive from constructing the Morris Canal on its own 

 account. However powerful his reasoning was, it failed ii| 

 overcoming the apathy, or in neutralising the opposing in- 

 terests in that State. After an interval of two years of 

 earnest application to the Legislature, the friends of the 

 scheme were compelled to accept a charter for the formation 

 of a private company. 



When the books of this company were opened for subscrip- 

 tion, the public, fascinated with the boldness, the obvious ad- 

 vantages, the certainty of the scheme, sought for the stock 

 with more avidity than ever occurred in any former instance 

 in the United States. Seven times the required capital were 

 subscribed, and the commissioners actually held in their hands 

 in cash, nearly all the funds necessary for completing the 

 canal. These circumstances led to a desire to obtain an undue 

 advantage in the distribution of the stock, and a majority of 

 the commissioners was found to sanction such a selection of 

 names, as threw the whole controul into the hands of a party, 

 who had no other object in view than stock-jobbing. A Board 

 of Direction was elected, which could be managed in such a 

 way as to carry this object intp effect, and care was taken to 

 leave out, or overrule, all persons who had any interest in the 



