Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-18
NIMETEEMTH CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY IL. 1926.
In SENATE.

statement showing the number of cases, and thu
amount and circumstances thereof, in which oertih
Gates or deben,ures have been issued, under tn,
provisions Of An act authorizing the Secretary
OF the Treasury to direc; the completion of entries
for the benefit of drawback after the period Of 2t
days." passed March Sd. 1925. and the construc-
ton which has been given by the Department &c
the act aforesaid.
MIR Smith submitted the following motion 70,
considerations:
Resoiued, That the Committee of Commerce
be instructed to inquire into the expedency ol
providing by law, that on bosrd each vessel EN-
pIoyed an foreign commerce, and belonging to citi
zens OF the U. States, there shall be apprentice.
engaged in proportion to the tonnage Of such YES
sells.
Mr.. Rowan presented, from the Medical De-
parsment of the Columbian College, in the District
OF Columbia, remonstrance against the passage Of
bill now before the Senate, TO establish a Medi-
cal College in the City of Washington" which
remonsirance, together with the memorial of the
Physicians who prayed the establishment of Me-
dcai College, was ordered to be printed.
The Senate then proceeded, az in Committee oil
the Whole, to the consideration of the bill +" APP
propria'ing sum of money, SIS ,000) for The re-
pair of the Post Road betw cen Jackson and Colum-
bus, in the State of Mississippi
Mr. johnson, of Kentucky, Chairman ofthe
Committee on Post Office aud Post Roads,) eX-
planned the object of this bill, which appropriated
$4,000 for the repair of the Post Road, in the
Indian country, between Jackson and Columbus,
in the State OF Mississippi, TO be expended under
tho direction Of the Postmaster General. similar
bill had, he sad passed the Senate. during the last
session of Congress, but failed, for want OF time,
in the other House. The Committee who had re-
ported the bill, had received ample information,
from the Postmaster General, and from other quar-
tiers, OF the vast importance OF this Road, of its
being oat of order, and Of the necessity of the ap-
preparation at present asked for. The road runs
through the Indian lands, over which no State has
any control, therefore, would not involve any
Constitutional question. In its present state, the
Road is so bad tina, the communication is very pre-
carious, and sometimes impossible.
MIR. Chandler said, he should be unwilling to lay
out any money within the State of Mississippi, for
making post road, especially as the writer of a
statement, (read by the Secretary on which the
Committee seemed TO rely, doubtful whether
this was The best road that could be had. In the
State of Maine, when they made "a road passing
through lands owned by Indians they were under
the necessity of doing it themselves and he thought
the State OF Mississippi was as well able to maxi
its own roads as they were in the State Of Maine.
MIR. King, of Alabama, said, the State of Mis-
sisslppi had not the power TO make this Road
The road runs through the Indian country, over
which the State of Mississippi had no control.
The appropriation asked for, is not more than sufi-
cient 10 accomplish the desired purpose. They had
formerly made appropriation for the object con-
tempated by this bl-how that had been expend-
ed he could not say. The Committee had had the
subject under their consideration; they had com :
municated with the Postmaster General, and Mr..
X said he was not disposed to delay the passage
OF the bill, as, from the great confidence that was
placed in the Postmaster General, they might be
satisfied he would not require larger sum than
would be sufficient 10 put the road in proper
situation Tor the transportation of the mail.
MIR. Ellis, OF Mississippi said, fhe object propo-
sed was, that this route should be so improved a.
to enable the mail to be transported with safety
from Jackson to Columbus, in the State of Missis-
sippi, and this could not be effected unless this
appropriation was made. The water courses which
intersect this road in various directions, require
bridges, the swamps also require causeways, that
post carriages may pass in security. He knew
from experience of several years, that the mail
arrived at Natchez and New Orleans in very
wretched and torn condition; and merchants com
plain that their losses are immense, in consequence
of the negligence Of Government in this respect.
The gentleman from Maine had said, that because
this bill did not provide for opening roads in Maine,
that 1t should not be done in the present instance
but this road has already been opened by the Co
yernm mt Of The United States, and it is NOW pro-
be transported in covered carriagesto Natcbe1 and
New Orleans; this he thought was an object well
worthy he attention OF the Government, and
he hoped no opposition would be made 10 the pas
sage of the bill, as the question did not involve
the constitutional power of Congress in regard 10
roads, SC.
MIR. Chandler could not see why the constitu-
tional question would noi be brought up much in
this ease as in making any other road If the com
80 & r. r
on the subject, sufficient proof had not been pro-
duced to show that this road was the best possible
road that could be had; and he was not willing that
the United States should lay out any money on il
If any to be laid out, he admitted there wa:
no officer in whom he would place more confidence
than in the officer at the head Of the Post Office
Department. Let the State of Mississippi make
the road, and the United States would have nc
objection TO giving them all the authority they could
require.
Mr. johnson, of Kentucky, said this was no, :
road belonging to state, but was one in which
every part OF this Nation was interested in keep
ing open. All communication, by land, from Bos
ton, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, all tn,
great cities on the seaboard, and all the towns ant
villages in the country, North of the Southern
point of our Union, must pass on this route. i
was road opened by the United States, according
TO treaty stipulation with the Indians. and be
cause IL served 10 connect the United States toge
ther, they had appropriated seven eight thousand
dollars for the purpose Of opening it, aud th,
present appropriation required TO put it in STATE
Of repair.
MIR. Cobb was perfectly satisfied Of the expe-
5iency Of opening this road, If il were to be consi
dered merely a matter Of expedency- but h,
eoncurred in the opinion Of the gentleman from
Maine, that II the constitutional question no
involved in this bill, il would not be involved IL
any one Did the circumstance Of this road pass
ing through the Indian Territory, change the prin
ciple at all' In what way does t' Mr.. John