Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-26
REPORT

PUBLIC ROADS * CANALS,
MApE IN PURSUANCE or
RESOLUTION Of SEN4TE or MfRes 2.
(Con98ued.
An annual appropriations of two million,
lot dollars, would accomplish all those
grea' objects IN Ten y-ays, add may with
out Inconvenience, be supplied iD TINE of
psAce, by The skating re,cnues afd re-
sources CT he United States. This may
be exemrii6ed in several ways.
The annual appropriation on account OF
The principal and interest OF the public
deD,,. has, during the last six years, a.
mounted 10 eight millions Of dollars. AZ.
Ter ihe present year, or Ut iarihest, after
'he ensuing year, the sum which, ON
account oil the irredeemable nature of tie
remaining debt, may be applied TO thar
obJech canaot IN any one year exceed s..
600 oco dollars, leaving therefore from
that source alone, an annual surplus of
100000 dollars, applicable TO any other
object.
From the lst January, 1909, to the ist
January, 1909, period OF eight years, the
United States shall have d,schar eed about
50 millions of The principal oil the old
debt, or deduc,ing the Louisiana debt,
incurred during The same period, and not
YET discharged, about % millions of dol,
| !ars.-- They may with equal facility, ap.
ply IN period Of ien years, sum of
90 m,lbous OF dollars, To interna, improve.
meas,
The snnuai permanent revenue of the
United States calcula cd on q state of ge.
neral psace, and on the most mods tate
estimate, was ,tn 4 repor made to COM
gress on lhe OH day Of - cembeF, 1906,
computed ioG the years 1909. 1915, at "a
misl,ons al do.laJs. The annual expenses
on the peace establishment, AID including
! The 4,6oo,ooo iia,s, ON account oil tho
debt, and 100000 dollars fO c0plingenI
| c,es, do not exceed eigh; ~ !cns and q
half Of dollars. To provide Tor the pro.
lection and defence OF the country, is un.
doubtedly the object TO which lhe resour.
ces ofthc United S,a.es, must, in The ftst
instance be aprhed, aud 10 the exclusion
of all others, ii the times. shall REQUIRE il.
But il is believed, that in times oil peace,
| (and To such period only ace these ,e.
marks applicability the surplus VIII be ana
ply sufficient 10 defIay the expenses Of all
the preparatory measures OF permanent
nature which prudence may s0gyes., aud
To- pay the sum dca,iasu Tor internal i'm.
| rrovements. Three million annually aDA
led dung tho same pes Cd of ten years,
would arm every man in the II. States,
I'LL the public al senais and mag azincs, e.
rect every battery AID iortilca,ion which
could be manned, and even, II thought e.
i'gIble, build navy. That the whols
1 surplus would be inadequate 10 the supA
port OF any considerable increase Of .be
iand or naval 'ofce kept in actual setyice
IN time OF pc &C, will be readily Admitted.
hui such system is rot con empls,ed
it ever adopted, the objects of this report
must probably be abandoned. For il Ina.
not heretofore been found an easy task
or any government TO ind0lge in THAI
species OF expenses, which leaving no
trace behind j., adds nothing to the real
strength OF the country, and at the sama
time 10 provide for either its permanent
ldeience or improvement.
IL must not be omitted that the facility
LOT communications, constitutes, parlrcu-
Ilafly in the United States, an important
branch OF national defence. Their exten.
slVe territory opposes powerful obstacle
/
other hand, the number of regular forces.
Which may be raised, necessarily limited
)by lie population, will Tor many yea be
inconsiderabe when compzred @ith tha.
extent of territory - hat d fec cannot
otherwise be supplied than by those great
national improve mcnts, which will sfTofd
the means OF a rapid concentration Of
that regular force, aud Of formidable boz
10y OF MALTA, on any given ponL
Amongst the resources Of the union,
there is ono witch from is ia ure seems
mofe particularly applicable TO Internal
Improvements Exclu,wely OF Louisiana,
the general government possesses, in
trust for the people oil the United States,
about one huudrsd millions Of acres ft
Tor cultivation, north Of the river Ohio,
and near Fly m Hons south OF the siate
Iof TenDessee. For the disposition of
those lands plan has been pdopted, cal.
culated 10 enable every industrious cur
10 become ireeholder, to secure indispu.
table titles TO The purchasers TO Obtain
lnatioaal revenue, md sb1V ali n s,,,,s