Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-23

sec"ud. An object, also, Ut the corps, Was
assigned, to The execution Of the act for the
Improvement Of the navigation Of the Ohio, sU
FAR ms IL authorized an experiment In he made
! in removing the sand bars, which ohstructed
the Ma, igaliou Of that rNer. Tar officer was
prepared 10 make the experiment, but the
river remained too full duii,g the fall for "a
fair trial. Under the other provisions Of the
act directing measures Z" be taken tO remove
The snags. >awyers, and planters, which OBJ
ST uct the navigation OF the Ohio and Missis
s'ppi, a coniiact has been. med, With gen
'lenian experienced in their na. isalion, To free
beth ofthose rivers from all such distractions.
in conformity with the pru,i sions of the act,
for the sum If $50. 900 10 he paid IN the ex.eu
iion of the work. In the contract It is sipula-
ted, that il shall be executed under the SUI
prriniendencr and inspection of au officer OF
| the Corps If Engineers
In order Ia carry into effect the act Of Con-
gress, Of the 30th April last. authorizing the
President " tn cause the necessary surveys,
plans. and estimates, Ia be made of the reutrs
ut such roads and canals, as he may deem Of
national importance in a commercial ur mill
tary point of view, Or necessary To the trans
portation Of the public MALTA board was
constituted, consisting Of General Bernard and
Colonel Toiter, Of the Engineer Corps, and
john L. Sullivan, an experienced civil Engi-
nrer. II became necessary in giving orders
| To the board. nnder the act, TO determine what
routes for roads aud canals were of na'iunaI
importance" in the views contemplated by
The act, as such only rs the President might
deem to be ofihat description we're au,hori-
z-d to BIZ examined and surveyed. In dpcid.
ing this point. j. became necessary tn advert
| TO our political system. in its distribution Of
| powers and duties between the general and
the state Governments. In thus regarding
our system, it was conceived that all ofihose
routes Of roads and canals, which might be-
fairly considered as falling within the province
ofany particular state, however useful they
might be in a commercial or political view,
or, to The transportation Of the mail, were ex-
cluGed from the provisions Of the act. Tn.
states have important duties To ne, form n
facilitating, by means Of roads and cinais,
commercial aud political intercourse among
their citizens !; and within the spheres of these
duties, they are more competent To act than
the General Cover nnrnt ; and there can be
no rational dount, but that, as the population
and capital of The several states increase, these
powerful means of developing their resources
will receive from their respective Legislatures
due attention. But as numerous as this class
of improvement is, and important as il may
he to the General Government, in the dis
charge of the various duties confded by the
constitution to IL, there are other improve
ments not comprehendcd i'm il, of "A more
general character, which are more essentially
connected with the performances If its duties.
While they are less intimately connected with
those belonging to the state governments and
less within their power Of execution II is
believed that this class, and this ONLY, was
comprehended in the provisions of the act
In projecting the surveys in this view Of the
subject, the mhole union must be considered
as one, and the attention directed, not to those
roads and canals which may facilitate inter-
| coarse between parts Of the same state. but
to those which may bind all OF the parts toge
Their, and the whole with the centre, thereby
Facilitating commerce and intercourse among
the states, and enabling the government to
| disseminate promptly, through the mail in
| formation To every part. and TO extend pro-
lection To the wh"lc.-By extending thuse
principles, the line Of communication by roads
| and canals, through The states, the General
Government, insttad If interfering with the
Stale governments within their proper spheres
of action, will afford tpartcuarly to those
states situated ia the intcrior,) The only means
OF protecting Improvements Of similar des-
| crptiun, which properly belong 10 them.
These principles being fixed, it only re-
manned to apply them IL our actual geoyra-
pIcal position, TO determine what particular
yuules were Of" national iopoJtance." and
which accordingly the board should be di
rrcitd to examine in order 10 cause SURVEYS.
plans, and estimates, to be prepared as direr-
| ted by the act.
The first and most important, was conceiy-
| ed To be the route for canal extending from
the seat of government, by the Potomac to
the Ohio river, and thence 10 Lake Erie and
accordingly, as soon as the board was orgsni-
zed, It was ordered iu Examine and canse This
important route to be Surveyed. DIR. William
Howard and James Shiivrr, hoili of whom
were well acquainted with the localities of the
route, were assucated as assistants with tie
board. Two Typographical brigades (alI that
Gould be spared from the survey of the coast.
for the purpose of foriifcaion,) and one
brigade Of surveyors, under Mr.. Shriyer
were placed under the order of the board.
| The examination Of the route was comule-
ted in September, but the survey will not hp
finished I'LL next season. That part of il, how
ever, which Is most interesting, the scctioa of
The summit level Ofthe Allegheny, including
| its eastern slope, IS completed, which. il Is
hoped, will enable the hoard 10 determine
during the present winter. on the praciicab,i;v
Of the project. Should it prove practicable
IFS execution would be- Of incalcuIahle advaot.
age to the country. II would bind together.
by the strongest bond of common interest and
security, very large portion Of this Union
but, ~ order fully 10 realise it's Z" importance
in national point ofview," it will be necessa.
~ TO advert To some of the more striking geo
srapbical features of our country.
The United States may be considered in n
geographical point of view, as consisting of
THREE distinct parts; Of which the portion px-
tending along The shores of the Atlantic, and
back " the Allegheny mountains, constitutes
one that lying on the Lakes and the 81.