Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-12


hoped IT would not now he abandoned. aiEa
Mr. CAMPBELL Of Ohio, thought the same
reasons that had induced the government TO
build the road, would now influence them to
preserve it. Eetnd recently travelled it, and
he found that the first part made wanted but
little repair. That portion of it which was
more recently Constructed naturally required
attention. The hills slide down, and the road
Is filed up, so that repairs are necessary. Mr.
c. cOntended that che road was valuable to the
United States, inasmuch as it rendered the
public lands more accessible ; and the people
of the West had right toEexpect'th this small
appropriation for such an object. IL large
appropriations WAS asked for, it would he per-
haps expedlent to pause. But the small sum
OF 5000 Is all that is now required, and pr0ba-
by not even so large sum as that will be
necessary in future years, after the road shall
have been thoroughly completed.
Mr.. MAnhARr was also opposed Ia the mo-
ton TO strike out this clause Of the section
The facts, he observed, were familiar to the
house. The government had expended
s. ,8O0,0 900 On this road, and the policy of that
expenditure had been repeatedly confirmed.
Ii WAS now out of repair, and there were no
means provided to maintain it. The 6rst
question then Was, whether it was AN object
Insufficient consideration to authorize this APP
preparation ? 1t was admitted to be the
great chain TO bind the East and West toge-
ther, and for the accomplishment Of that OBJ
ject much depended on the facility of COM
inunication. The house had been called on in
this very bill to appropriate the sum Of $4,000
| tn pay John Trumbuli for national painting.
They had done it, And was it not an object
at least as national and important to preserve
| the great avenue TO the West? We annually
] appropriate thousands, said Mr. NJ. for the
completion of this stupendous pile, 1.-THE Capt.
| toll And is not the Cumberland road as valiia-
bic IA monument of national policy and munii-
| cencc? When we appropriate so much 10
| construct the road, he thought it worth while
to contribute pltiancc 10 save il. The peo-
pie in that region, Mr.. NJ. commended, had cal
culated, and prudenily calculated, that the
government would not be mt SD much expense
to construct the road, and then abandon it,
He thought twas now ungcncrous, il not I'M
just, To disappoint their expectations. The
road from Philadelphia to PittshurG was q
great thorOughfarc Tor the state of Pennsylya-
MIA; and II was not surprising, therefore, that
! the people nfthat stale should not view this road
with an eye of cOmplaccncy. 1t was correct. II
was NATURAL for them In regard primarily their
own interests. But, the nation had decided
in favor Of the Cumberland road, and h.
thought it was expedient that Congress should
not now depart from that decision.
Mr.. FARRELLy replied, and commended that
! the road was not in itself of so great inpor.
| lance, nor of such utility to the West as had
been represented. He also stated that lac had
no confidence in The superintendent of III,
road but, il the sum now asked FIR should
be granted, it would probably bs s1uaadrrrd a.
! the former appropriations had been, AM, tina
1t was Inadequate Ia the Accomplishment O.
| the object in view, of cifcciually fcpairiny /;
road io0 miles long. He further commended
| Thai this road was not national ia its character
] more than any other road that was used hytht
public. 4a -.
Mr.. STEWART rose to reply to the gentle.
man last M, and 10 disclose some facts that were
within his personal knowledge aud observation
This road, he observed was c"pple,ed the last sum
mer Every Congress for the last 10 or ~ wears in
fuenced by liberal and enlightened policy, hat
appropriated money for lis constructions u was nov
asked, merely TO apply To the reparaon of the roa,
an nneHpcndcd balance which had previously beer
appropriated for lis complexion, and triiing sum Il
erect bridge. il was expcctcd, with This sum
10 make durable repairs of stone, b to remove oh
siruciions, and put II in paSsable repair, until Con
greSS should make SOME permanent provision th,
subject In some places the hills had s!ipped an,
filled tic road in Others the road has given wa,
and precipitaed so 10 become almost impossible
The consequence has lyeen, that the public traye
u had bern sad 10y hiscoIl.sgur, (M Farrcy) iha
the people ing ON The road should repair IT, Blu
IL would br iecollecied thar this road was made owe
n mountainous, and 10 considerable extent, an un
inIaWcd country. 4 considerable part Of IL passe.
through Pennsylynnia, which, asa state is known Il
nc hostile to it. The gentleman (AIr FL has slate,
that II is destructive 10 PENNSYLVANIA, she ha
S60O,0OO OF stock in her own road, running from
IPhiladephia tO PShuir vet, hc saws, that il ht
road could naf support lfsrii il org 10 he ciycI
back tn the state Of PENNSYLVANIA this hv the gen
tieman s shelving, would be TO give the lamb 10 th,
Keeping ot The wolf. Such course could moi he re
qnred nor justified. This was u national toad I
was built for National purpose and im ~ spirii q.
national munificeDce. And the important question
before How, is, whether the whole object for which
the expense was incurred shall BE lost. for want o
y iri1e tn repair and preserve it, We have beer
told, however, sud MI. s. thai the money heretofore
appropriated, has been improperly expended. Fol
The sake OF argument, be- u so aud what then J.
that reason for abandoning the road Large sums
aso have been appropriated Tor the erecion Of ihs
spacious building in which sit. But shall stoy
the work, because !, may be suggested that some
OF the agents employed had been unfliihfu rt
their trust Should we reiinaish the complexion n
| this siupcndous fabric, and leave IL rouless, mere
| y BECAUSE there may have been extrayagance ant
want ol ECONOMY in tue application Of the public
| moneys But the gentleman (Mr FarrellyI SAYS
that this road is not important. On this subject, l.,
| (hlr. would advert to some facts Thar woul shew
the incorrcclncss Of The remark. On this road mos
OF the goods with which the western states ne snp
Piled from those gu the Atlantic, carried aud On
'is road The produce Of the west is transported 10
the east. In few Of the western counties of Penn
sylvana. there had been manufactured, in n single
year. 81 900 barrels Of -four aud 10000 barrels of
wl skev, w OK rosi before lhsroad was constructed
ut per barrel 10 transport il TO Baltimore or tbs
e'y now car I'd Tor 81 80; & while we appropri; /.
IN Hon fur The benefit ofliie m, reliant who exporls H.
| 10y supporting navles, lighthouses foreign agents.
and ministers, will you do nothing TO aid the farmer
TO carry his pro,Incc 10 your shores We can no
longer compete with own wcstern neiglibors in
the market of New Orleans. We compelled 10
turn TO the east In Pttsburg there has been paid
IN single year Two millions Of dollars for Transport
taion but the cairage hat then cost from figi to
ten dollars per- cwt from Baltimore TO Wheeling is
now reduced 10 two dollars and City cents Az least