Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-08

what obstacles had prevented renlv hquiring
Gus call, OF the 10Th Of December ls,s P'evi-
hau waited with ilnpatience TO learn Tho I1e
why lhe reply TO that call had been deIa, Jason
more than twelve months. All that ,h'Iu lot
had received, in explanation, was a Cev louise
from the head OF the Engineer CORPS so,,;n woes
an answer had been prepared last session; but mat n
M; p 10 .ae numerous Sas ON the Department, had
- that 1t was intended to have submitteJ .S
statement at the commencement Of this soss;Nl WIG
but II had been unintentionally omitted
Mr.. w. said that he looked to the Head &C :,
department. and not TO any of his suborlina,a VIC
the answer TO the call, or for an apoiovv co. Ior
answering it; and he would have been v;Ii;N.t
accept OF any reasonable apology if the in.orSs ~
ton he sought had now boon communicated. 3D..
eVennow II Is not given-the House has ONLY ,ua
efal estimate 1.-THE probable cost of the whoi,
Wl'hout any specification as 10 the several items ~
Improvement 1t might be proper 10 state thai h.
mad mad personal conversation with the Head ~
me department on this subject, and had told hin
'hat the report did not comply with the cali hon;r
that that would have produced the desired eert. 70
had waited with patience for some further con-
rnlnlcaion, but, having received none. he ba1
ohered the present resolution. He was the more
induced 10 10 il, because, on recent occos;o,
the same department had been so very hasty in
us zeal 10 answer call, as 10 give partial an
swcr, TOR fear OF the delay of waiting two or three
weeks Tor documents which would have matte Ito
answer complete. Whether any extranao,,s rca-
thiS extraordinary prompitude, he could not SAY.
but II seemed to him extraordinary that the;o
should be SO much haste in the one case and go
much hardness in the other He was wiling.
however, TO accept OF any modification which ar,,
gentleman would propose, that might enable the
Head OF the Department 10 throw before thi,
House any private letter deposited in his Office
and relating to the public service.
debate OF some extent now arose, which was
cut short by the expiration of the hour allotted =
reports and resolutions.
MesSrs. Mercer, Clarke O! Kentucky. s. Woods
OF Ohio, replied, in viniication of the Department
stating III substance, that the information sought
by the gentleman from Kentucky was not in
possession of the Department, and could not there
iore have been given to the House. The estj-
mate oil the cost OF any work of Improvement
was the third practical step with regard to it, re-
cORn0iSSQnce and survey having necessaril,, 70
precede H. There were but few ofthe different
projects which had advanced thus far; and of All
those which had, the estimates were already in
possession of the House. Besides this, it was i'm
possible Tor the Department to know what pro-
portion oil the expense the Government intended
10 assume. II was no jus, ground of complaint A.
gainst the Department, that, in one case, it had
not furnished information which il did not posses.
nor, IN another, that it had answered, in part by
sucn information asi had, without waiting till more
could be procured
Mr.. lsacks thought that the Department ourlt
10 nave furnished, at least, probable estimate
and adverted to his own Disappointment in not ha
wing yet received asurvey OF the Muscle Shoals
MI Lea OF Tennessee, offered substitute for
MIR. Nicklilfe'S resolution, which he boped that
gentleman would accept as u modification IL was
an the following words:
= That the Secretary of War be directed 70 Law
before this House list OF Che several works Of IN
ternal improvement, comprising routes for roads
ana canals, attempts TO Improve the NAVIGATION of
rivers, creeks, lakes, and bays, and 10 protect
coasts and islands which have been further nro-
scented, undertaken, or projected by the Federal
Government, from the year 1921 so as 10 show Tho
number, kind, and locations Of those works. within
the several States and Territories; placing first
those which have been completed; secondly. those
when bave been surveyed, and the plans and es-
uia.es Ior which have been laid before Congress;
thlidlys those which have been surveyed and
the surveys and estimates for which have not been
submitted TO Congress- fourthly, those of which
surveys nave been commenced, but not finished:
clearly distinguishing every class, and exhibiting
the amounts expended on the ,yori:s
oil the hrst class, and the amounts estimated III,
me second. also, the time which will probabIv
be necessary for completing the works of the Sc
cond class; the plans and estimates for the third
and Tho surveys, plans, and estimates for tbc
fourth And, also, Is far as practicable he a.
mounts which have been expended in making tre
several surveys, plans, and estimates or NAV be
necessary Tor completing such as are unfinished
MI "iekIHe could cot comply with this re-
quest, because the substitute wholly ommittel
that feature in the resolution which had reference
20 he right OF this House to enforce reply TO is
own call lie wished 10 put stop 10 the practice
OF giving haii-aIswers 10 the calls of Congress
ne adVeTted again 10 the haste Of the Department
III answering the call, in relation 10 the breakin,r
ana creating Indian Chiefs, and intimatcd that IL
proceeded from desire to bring before the House
Il certain letter from distinguished individual.
MI. W GODS replied more particularly TO the lat
ter part Of MIR. Wicklihes remarks He did not
Wei know which Of the three gentlemen. who
mad been concerned in giving the call 10 which he
aHuuen lis hnal shape was entitled to claim It's
paternity; as Tor himself he had only endeayourcd
TO meet the wishes of gentlemen, by making its
provisions broader than at first proposed, and IL
as the gentleman said the resolution had been re-
v!ved, after lying so long the table the gentle
man Himself had shcwn quite much zeal as any
ono III waking up the sleeping child, for il had not
been dead, but only sleeping. Mr. w said no had
been solicited 10 bring UP the rcsclution-its sub
ject matter had not been first introduced by him,
and The inquiry about the passports had, he be-
licvcd, been engraitcd by the gentleman from
Georgia. lie thought the gentleman from XIV. was
not very con isteut, in first finding fault with the
Department, for tardiness, and then Gliding it (or
an instance OF promptitude. AS the resolution and
amendment were of considerable length andbe
wished TO have an opportunity of examining them,
he moved that, for the present they be laid upou
the table, and printed The motion was negatiyed.
and thc residue Of tie hour was oceupied in j
speech Of
Mr. Floyd Of Virginia, who adyoried TO The groa.
number and extent Of the contemplated projects
for internal improvement lie had forbornc TO
say much upon it, because there seemed de-
termination in Congress 70 push on the plan But
10 him i. seemed iraught with evil. lie dcprcca-
Ted ecnilamcns declining 70 think FOR themselves,
aud giving up every thing TO the judgment Of the
War Department, and adverted in illustration.
20 tie history Of the dry cock. He believed,if
the House had graGhed his WISH by compelling
tie Secretary Of - ar, to submit the instructions