Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-24

'hied 10 tuc improvements oil Sr
roads. a grant has b,rn 0btain,t
from the president and directors Of
the Literary Fund, at the Instance Of
my colleague and myself, Of the priv.
ledge Of raising. BY lottery the sum
Of 5000 dollars, to pave be streets Of
our Metropolis, and among the sct,
of the General Assembly Of miaor
TO those witch | have
mentioned is one. incorporating tho
Goose Greek turnpike Company
This act illustrates "a valuable i'm.
provcment in our Legislation, on The
subject to which il related. 1t con.
sists of but a few lines, the defect. Of
which are supplied. by reference IA
another act prescribing general re-.
gulstions for the incorporation Of
Turnpike companies. Taken IA.
gether,they evince the practisability,
as well, as the expectancy which,
had long supposed to exist, OF &C.
commodating all our turnpike laws.
TO one simple system. so asto save.
hereafter, much valuable time to The
Legislature, and TO produce not ouly.
perfect uniformity in all our avs IN.
on this interesting branch of our 10.
ternal improvements; but a gradual
improvement Of their general policy.
Many other subjects have been
passed under review by the last gene.
raj Assembly in some of which, I
took considerable interest. or most
if not all Of them, the report Of our
proceedings, defective as they have
been, have afforded you, US much in.
formation. as the compass of q letter
would allow me to give you.
Ii was my intention. TO submit to
my constituents, whenever ] closed
my service. as their delegate in the
General Assembly. a history of the
laws enacted during the period. with.
in hich had been honorcd with
their confidence. At the close of tho
session Of 1915 aud 1916, the state Of
my health, which forbade MY trnder,
ing TO them, renewal of public ser.
vices, denied me also the ability 70
execute The above inlen ion; and
since this impeachment has been re.
moved, a very laborious sessios Of
the general Assembly has rot only
multiplied tho topics Of such his
tory, but denied me the leisure ne.
cessary to treat them, in a manner
worthy Of the public eye. At the
moment howeyer,in which j resolved
to defer tue execution OF this task.to
a more favorable period. The duty Of
performing il. is enjoined upon me.
by the recollection Of my long ab.
sence from the bosom Of M country,
and thu consequent suspension 0fM
personal intercourse with my con-
slituents. Ii is my pride, iadeed. L
my boast, to have enjoyed their coz
tidence, under the most unfavorabls
circumstances. | have ascribed il
TO their knowledge OF the fact. that
the health which | had wasted, either
in camp, or the Legislature, in the
last three years,has left me no other
alternative to preserve my life, than
long journeys, in those intervals Of
rest from my public lahours. which
] might otherwise lave enjoyed at
home 10 the midst OF friends, and
II in the course Of seven years,
during which their interests, and my
sense Of duty have not allowed
me TO be M idle or inactive member
Of the body, to which they deputed
ne. | have sometimes. nay often erred
conscious that my inicntiops lave
ever been pure, and my zeal for their
service. may I not indulge the hope.
that my services have exrenuated,
in their candid Judgment, those err
r0rs. which l had the wisdom to
avoid-lhat in reviewing a public
life of some duration. in The whole
course OF which, whether in the field
or The Legislature, in sickness. or in
health, every day, bu, one. ia. found
me at the post which my country
assigned. they may discover in the
fidelity aid consistency of my poor SER
vice, something TO mitigate their
censure Of its imperlections.
Whatever be the Judgment pros
nounced upon it, shalt not forget,
that ! have been indebted to tho
Of I,cudonn. far an on.