The Arkansas advocate., 1832-06-20

crowded 1t out. 1t has been left at tht end of every session with the heaps anc
 masses of unfinished business: to pre- vent a similar fate attending 1t, l desire
 to fasten 1t to this bill. l have taker this step with the approbation of the Chairman ol the Committee on Interna
 Improvement; he is now in his place
 and will support this motion. hope the Committee will not be led away bs appeals to their fears for the fate of this
 blIl;-l hope they will not be stinted by
 avarlce, but that they will look 1t this subject impartially, and act liberally. gRemember, Mir. Chairman, that this road is the only direct communication
 we have with the States: we are now cut of from the Confederacy, and have ino direct intercourse with the citizens East of the Mississippi except by this 8road. Bear in mind that you own snearly all the lands through which this road passes: that we in Arkansas are few in numbers, and have not the means sto make it ourselves. Do not forget that your Indian policy has placed us in critical situation. 5You have loea-
 ted, against our consent, nearly all your .savages upon our frontier: these sava- .ges go to their new homes with excited and unfriendly feelings towards us- you, yourselves, have auned them completely with warlike weapons of every descriPtioa-you have placed
 among them blacksmiths to keep their arms in order. These sayages, thus armed, and with such feelings, are nu- merous and skilful enough, without aid
 from the United States, to massacre or to drive East of the Mississippi, eve .ry man, woman, and child in our Ter
 ritory. With this knowledge before
 you, are you disposed to leave us 10 our
 fate, unaided and unprotected by this
 Government? Donotconsole yourselves
 with the belief, that we shall always have peace upon that frontier-we have no right to calculate upon such state of things. Your citizens of Arkansas will do their duty, bat they arc unable ito contend against impossibiities.- Open this road, and we shall then have
 nothing to fear. When in danger, aid
 we can ask and receive from this side of the Mississippi. As things now are, however much disposed you might be ito give it, it twould be out ofyourpower.
 But we are told. there has been no estansofc for this road; that the Secreta-
 ry of War was not asked for this appro- prlaton. Are your glvings and with holdings always governed by estimates from tine Department? This road has
 been sur1cyed and located, and is now
 unfinished, and practical men, members lof the Arkansas Legislature, have told you, that it willrequire $20,0O0 to con- lplete it. The Committee on Internal Improvement, who have examined this subject, will tell you that S20,000 is necessary. What further estimates do you want? Suppose you should appro- priate twice the amount necessary: all the overplus, when the work was fin. ished, would of course, revert to the Treasury. But it seems that the state
 nent ofthc Committee who hare had
 charge of this subject, is not to be re- lied upon-that l must call upon Sec
 retary Cass for an estimate. Suppose
 l should do so, what would be the course
 he would pursue? He would send for
 me, or some other gentleman from Ar
 Eapcoe ebo,,, Il a o C. I,;e II o,,.1- and request an opinion upon it. He
 would say, "You, gentleman, know
 more about this road than l do; the
 House, however, have passed you by, and have called upon me for an esti-
 mate, and that estimate 1 am bound to
 fufnlsh." We would say S205000 is necessary. He would then be cooked
 and primed for his report. It would
 bemade out, sent to the Speaker, and
 then we would be informed, that the
 Secretary of War had had the resolu-
 ton of this House under consideration.
 and, from the best information he could
 obtain, he would suppose S2O,OOO ne- cessary for the completion of the work referred to in the aforesaid resolution. The object would then be considered Legitimate, and, without any further op- position, would be incorporated in the provisions of this bill. This mode of proceeding l am not up to yet-it may be ofservice to me hereafter.
 proposed an amendment yesterday,
 to this bill, by inserting fifteen thou
 sand dollars to improve the navigation