The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-01-31
s. De Gnaalrer.
RICHMOND. JANCARY 81. 1911.
TO TEE GENERAL AssKnBLY
OF VIRGINIA


considerable part OF my attention to the ST
tuatinn OF our public roads, and finding, Ito
my great ssrprise( that no attempt has been
made to improve the condition of them,
deem il duty / owe 10 the public and my
self, 10 use my best endeavnrs 10 procure
rom your honorable body. such alterations
in tho present regulations rs arc dee,ned ne-
cesar" for the better management IF OBJ
ject of such public utility. The present es-
adjustment OF our road system was adopted
when 1t was neCess' ry to promote western
settlements, and however we'll it might suit
tina, object, it will readily be perceived, from
the most superficial observation, that il is
Incompetent to answe ring the desired pur-
pose.
In order to put the roads in such a condi.
ton as to render them of more service than
they, are at present, the following alterati-
ons. it is believed, would tend greatly 10 eff
feet that purpose Let the management ot
our roads be under the jurisdiction ot the Fx-
ecUtive, or some power having Jurisdiction
over the whole state, as it is almos, i.npos
sibie there can be that union OF exc,tion in
the different county courts in this common
wealth, as is indespensibly necessary to eff
feet SO desirable an object. For the sake of
illustration, will suppose that The Execu-
tive are inve sted with the following power, :
tudI 10, WHSH tuCS DCiiCSCu Iudl a ROAD or
roads. would, if put in order be of great pub
lie utility they SHOULD appoint a surveyor
over such road, whose duty it should be at
such tunes he Executive might suppose
most convenient to he farmers, To order the
pr sent surveyors 20 meet him at such time
and place within their respective precincts,
as he should direct; attended by all the hands
which are under such surveyor e. Continue
working on such road Tor me week, unless
the road be sooner completed, and to CONT
nue. in rotation unit, the whole road is in IN .
der. 1t is impossible to put the road in or.
der at many places, unless they are eleva
ted IN the middle, so a. to permit he water
to run off freely. Ts fret this end i, is very
necessary TO use barshare plOughs and new
ground coulteTs, which implements answer
the purpose OF procuring ea'th to elevate
the middle, and at the same time to maze a
ditch on each side to convey the water #:
60 obtain which, it should be enacted that
every farmer having tour hands to work on
the road, should, ms cad Of sending them
all. furnish a plough and two horses and a
driver, or a Coulter, two horses or oxen and
driver, as the case Ito be judged OF by the
Master Surveyor) should reqlire.
have tried ploughs and coulters, and I
find that coulter will procure more earth
than ten men can with grabbing hoes, be-
sides the advantage of cutting a trench at
the same time. Ii should also be enacted
that every crop hand should work on the
road, as many negroe women can use hoe
as well as man, which is the only tool ne
cessary if the coulter is made use Of Eve
nv free white male over eighteen should
work, or pay reasonable sum in lieu there
of. Each deputy surveyor should keep
list of all the hands under him. and noe
down all del;nQuents in the same manner AS
Captains of Mia Compapies, aud return a
list nf their names TO the County courts in
which the said surveyor shall reside, once
or twice year, who should determine on
the reasonablenesS OF tbs excuse, nd if the
excuse is not sufficient to order he clerk
to furnish the sheriff With copy nf their
names; which penalty for non- attendance
should be collected and accounted for as the
county levies are. The deputy-snryevor
should be sworn officer. and should receive
a reasonable compensation for his services.
The naster-surveyor should also be sworn
officer and receive a liberal compensation
for his services. All fines incurred under this
regulation should be applied tow ards paying
the wages OF the surveyors and in case of
the insufhciency of such fines tn answer such
purpose, the residue should be paid by he
state or by a toll on persons using such road.
AS the taking the whole of the hands from
a farm is sometimes attended with conside-
rablc inconvenience to the farmer, II might
not be improper 20 order oht only half or
three fourths on the same day. Il is much
TO be lamenJed that your honorable BODY has
not appointed a committee to take into con-
sideratiou the improvement Of our roads !;
it is believed that many advantages might
arise from such course of proceeding
That great and good man, Jlmes Monroe,
while Governor of this commonwealth, IN
q mmunicatioD to the General Assembly,
very justly observes, that after vie wing the
lmpr"V emeDt N the navigation of Jlmes Ri
YER, the building the Armory and Pcnitenti-
airy, that the mind naturally looks up to cor
respondent improvements in the other
branches of our police, Colonel Monroe
lays particular stress on the bad conditions
of our public highways, and Justly observes,
that the building of bridges ought not to be
at the sole expence of the county in which
such bridge MAJ be built. The writer of this
address was much reics;ed to hear of the
election OF that gentleman TO the General
hsse mbly, from a hope that among the ma.
ny services hc would render the public, that
the situation of our public roads would be a
subject Of his particular attention. The
writer deems It unnecessary to enter into
all he details Of the foregoing regulations,
as the wisdom and patriotism of your honor
able body will readily perceive the necessa-
ry course of proceeding.
This being the first piece the writer has
ever written on any subject, and having re-
ceived but very moderate share of educa-
ton, he INDUCES the hope, that the merits
of this plan will not be Judged Of BIZ the el