Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-04-27
THURSDAY, APRIL 81, 1926.

In The House Of Representatives, on the 25th
instant, Mr.. MERCER offered the following re-
solutions; which, on his motion, were laia on
the table, and ordered to be printed
Resolutions to prouiae Fund for Internal I'm proreme"'
and Rules for us application.
|. Resolved That il is expedient 10 SET aPaf'
from the public revenue a fund Tor lnternai I'M
provement, and to devise system OF ruieS 'or
rs imnartial and iudicious application, to such
{, roads. railways, and canals, as may be deemed
nv CONGRESS within the scope OF its cons:ltu-
tional power. =
9 R,solyed, That this Fund shall consist oil
the norton of the revenue Of each year which
shall remain not otherwise appropriated, alter
providing for the civil, diplomatic, and mlscel-
laneous, the military and naval expenses OF the
YEAR the annual sinking fund OF ten millions OF
dollars for the extnguishment Of the public
debt; and after deducting from the nett revenue
of the current and the unexpended balance oil
,h. nrecedinp year- dollars, for unforeseen
contingencies 3
8. Reso!red, That, TO aid the Judgment OF
CONGRESS in the selection of tit objects Tor In
ternal Improvement, and to secure, in due time,
y lust regard for all, system be devised Tor the
collection of appropriate information; and the
application of the fund, which shall embrace
the following regulations, together with such
others as Congress may hereafter superaGd:
I. That The number Of the United States Err
gireers be augmented, and arranged IN i%o dis
iinct corps, to be denominated, respectively, the
corps of military, and the ccIps of civil Engi-
neers: that the latter lie divided into two corps,
one whereof shall be denominated the topogra-
phical-civil Engineers: that every graduate ca
Diet, on leaving the Military Academy OF west
Point. be allowed the choice, so far as may be
compatible with the public interest, of entering
the CORPS of military or Of civil Engineers; and
that the last be recruited from time to time, as
occasion,may offer, by the appointment OF prac-
teal and civil Engineers Of established reputa.
ton.
III. That the corps of topographical-oivli En-
sineers be employed in exploring and emoody-
mo all such information as may serve to ascer-
tain. define. and illustrate the natural surface OF
,he United States, and their susceptibility oil
Improvement, bv artificial roads, railways and
canals. of general importance TO the Union, from
their tendency to facilitate the safe and speedy
transportation oil the mail, to promote the extern
sion of the domestic and foreign commerce &
IN nroyide for the common defence oithe United
States.
III That the residue Of the corps of civil en-
pineers be engaged in forming estimates OF the
probable cost Of every such work, in superin-
tending. under the orders Of the Department of
War. the conduct of such works shall have
been begun, in reporting to the Department
their gradual progress, the peculiar difficulties,
if anv, encountered in the execution, the man.
ner in which those difficulties may have been
seyerally overcome; and the actual, compared
with the estimated cost OF such elementary part
s, ,ha-n h
stracts shall be compiled, and transmitted TO the
Congress Of the United States, al or near the
commencement Of every annual session. These
compilations shall be made under the auspices
Of the Department of War, by board, consist
inp of not less than three civil engineers, who
shall subioin to them general history of the
distribution and operations OF the corps OF civil
engineers during the preceding year, accom-
nanied by such reflections as may serve to de-
tect existing errors in the design OF execution
of any work; to suggest suitable corrections
thereof, and to guard against their recurrence
w. That along with every enumeration OF
the population Of the United States, there shall
he collected, under instructions from the Urea
surv Department to the agents deputed TO make
the same. the necessary tables for exhibiting In
tabular form, the distribution of the people, &C
cordine to their occupations, in the several
States and Territories, and IN their respective
subdivisions into incorporated town, cities, and
counties or districts. That those tables shall
comprehend, especially, description OF the ar
ti6cial roads, RAILWAYS and canals, already exc
cuted, or in progress within the United States
and the territories thereof denoting the rail
ways, the number Of lines Of parallel rails, and
their horizontal inclination; of the canals, their
breadth, depth Of water, and lockage; and Of
all those public works, their denomination,
length, actual cost, and annual profit; with the
tonnage, or number, and computed value of the
various commodities transported thereon with
in the two years next preceding the period of
INQUIRY; and that those statistical tables be pub
lshed co,emporaneously with each census
v. That, during the first Congress assembled
under any new census, or as soon thereafter as
practicable, the fund for Internal Improvement
of the ensuing ten years shall be appropriated
by anticipation to such roads, railways, and
canals, as the wisdom Of Congress may deem
within the pale of its constitutional authority,
and worthy Of public aid.
vi. That in those appropriations, prefer
ence, where practicable, shall be given to the
execution of every such work by the instrumen