The Arkansas advocate., 1832-12-19

appropriation was expended in opening | and bridging? sit not, in the acccpt- alton oi the term, an United States post road, which cannot be altered except by the authority of Congress? such are the factss and believe then. to be
 unquestionablc, you have knowinel, violated the act of Congress, ard abus ed the trust rcposed in ou. You hore comnaenced opening c near rood sergfng i,l C direct fine ,fftons tie idroad, a,,d udefing se1efai miles to he dsstuaee. Had you beena trustee for an individual ansla,e actes. in like manner, ,ou would be am enable to the party injured, and a court of justice would punish you for the breach of faith. Whether the power to a hom you are accountable, will ap- ply the proper remedy for dirclcton of duty ih the present case, remains to he seen; perhaps tie sspersos,ai tics " which bind ,on 10 the President, fire eiprocal, may shield you. But, sir, let me entreat 2, ou, for really am not your enemy, 10 pause, solemnly pause, and say whether you have not usurred power that properly belongs 10 Con- gress, and whether you have not been guilty of a fragrant abuse of trust, in hasinga part Of the appropriation made for the .repair of thc Little I2och and and Memphis road' misapplted, with out eNpedieney 10 justify if. say, ex- Pedcney. for every disinterested man acquainted with the country, must ad- mil. that the Memphis road from Little Rock to the prairie, passes oil the most direct course and over ground equally as good, as can be found in tl,e country over which it passes, with the excep- tion of a few miles in the liver bottom, near the Arkansas; and an cxpendi- ture of 2O3tl dollars of the sum appro- priated, would nave made this tiIe best part of the road. From the exper- enecd llberality of Congress. and the growing importance Of our country, We may reasonably expect that 1t can be hut !. few years, until this road is tarn- ] piked by Congress or private compa ny; when that period arrives, no one can doubt bat the old scite will be the one adopted as tue most direct, and in that Case your read will be an useless expenditure of the public money. Sir, 10 test ti7e legality of your aet in open ing this road. pertnit me 10 suggest d case that might possibly occur, in wllicl. t might be necessary 10 tax your in- genuity to find out d remedy. This new road passes over the private lands of individuals: suppose some one ol those stubborn frecilolders should take it into his head, through enmty 10 you, or from some other cause, 10 enclose this road by fence? would the enclosure be considered a public nuisance, orwhere is the law by which you would punish lhe offender for so doing2 Would you apply to Congress
 for further power, or resort by petition to the county court of Pulaski, for the 1 appointment of commissioners to lay of and mark a county road on the scite of yours; or would you have recourse to 1 proclcaet;o,? The people rccollcct how happily you provided for the diff cu!ty occasioned by the laches of the Legislature, by that means. There is no probability that such case will oc- cur, yet fl Is within the reachof proba- bility; and as you have caused the ex- penditure of the public money, il be- hoyes you to point out the legal means ] by which the public will be secure in the free enjoyment of this new road.
 Your editorial expose says, "cxpe- rienee and observation must satisfy ev- cry impartial man, that the plan of let- ting out roads 10 the lowest bidders will rarely be productive of much good. .'- Experience, sir, if proves any thing, proves the reverse of this position to be true, CT why, ] would ask ; ou, is the 1 plan universally pursued in the differ ent States of the Union, and by the United States in grading and construct ing the Cumberland road, and in open l ing roads in the other Territories. and iii Arkansas, before ,ou was appoint. ed the supervisor? Competition has been found al all times, aud in every country, the best means Of reducing l the price of labor, and in no country has experience shown # 10 have had a better effect than in Arkansas. l dare say, sir, that you would have found, had you offered the repairs of tle road in sections 10 ti.e lowest bidders. men equally as responsible and as well qual- tied as those you haye selected, who would have done the work at such re- duced prices, that af.er paying their ! eyllensrs and labor. theN mipl.f nraha.