29G On the Inland Navigation 



execution of the canal, either pecuniary, or as a matter of re- 

 putation. Hence, although the original projector of the canal 

 was placed in the Board, he was deprived of all influence, and 

 the engineer who had explored the" route and planned the means 

 of execution was not employed. These violent measures de- 

 feated the object they were intended to subserve ; the public 

 had not confidence in the parties who had thus grasped the 

 whole controul, nor in the means, by which, deviating from 

 the original plan^ they proposed to execute it. Failing in their 

 hopes to make a bubble^ the speculators had the address to 

 withdraw their deposit from the funds of the company, and to 

 leave it with a capital reduced one-half, and the character of 

 an abortive ^'oj6. This, however, was not effected, but at the 

 risk of a criminal prosecution, on Avhich some of the parties 

 were convicted, but were saved from the punishment they so 

 richly deserved, by legal quibbles. 



Under such circumstances, it was hardly to be hoped that 

 the Morris Canal would be soon rendered a second time po- 

 pular. It cannot, however, be doubted, that had there been 

 an immediate return to the original principles, and plans, it 

 must speedily have recovered public confidence. A new sub- 

 scription was obtained for a part of the withdrawn capital, in 

 the hopes that this course would have been pursued. But 

 while the new officers have no doubt acted with honesty, they 

 have shown great want of knowledge and intelligence, and 

 have continued to entrust the construction of the canal to per- 

 sons incapable, themselves, of proposing any means of over- 

 coming the difficulties that oppose progress, of appreciating the 

 merit of the original plan, or of judging among the innumerable 

 fancies that a population teeming in notions exhibit to them. 

 Several inclined planes have been actually experimented upon 

 at a large expense, but all have proved abortive, and the ridi- 

 cule is enhanced, from the fact, that more than one of them 

 are upon principles that had been examined and reported 

 upon by the original engineer, and the persons called to inspect 

 his plans, and declared unfit for the purpose. At the present 

 moment, it is difficult to prophesy what will be the result ; 

 success is not entirely hopeless, much work having been well 

 done, and much capital been left; but still no great ex- 



