The Arkansas advocate., 1836-02-12

have been well performed.
 I ne information concerning the discipline and naorate of the army is satisfactory. The officers are engaged in great diversity of du-
 ties, growing out of various acts of Congress,
 many of which have no direct connection with their professional ayocations. These duties
 are satisfactorily executed, and the expendi-
 lures to which they lead are generally made
 with fidelity, and accounted for with promp- titude.
 beg leave to ask your attention to the re-
 port ofthe Chief Engineer, in relation to the
 state of the corps under his command. The
 number of officers in that corps is not suff-
 cient for the performance of the various du-
 tles> committed to it. The consequence is,
 that Tn some instances the public works have
 been neglected or delayed, and and iIl ii others they have been prosecuted by those who had not
 the necessary professional skill and experi
 ence. Persons in civil life, possessed of com petent scientific knowledge, will not often
 enter into the temporary service of the Gov
 ernment for such compensation as is provided
 for the engineer officers. The progress of improvement through the country creates a
 demand for those qualifications which are re-
 qulred Tn the military and typographical en- glneer service and higher rate of eempen- ] satlon IS allowed than 1t has been the usage of thls Department to grant. A gradual and
 moderate addition to the corps offers the only
 remedy for this state of things, and am sat-
 lshed that considerations ofeconomy, as we'll
 as due regard to the proper execution ofa ! most important class of public works, calls
 for this arrangement.
 The same considerations apply in con-
 siderable degree to the typographical corns.
 and ask your favorable consideration for the
 measure recommended by the officer at the
 head of it. One of the plans suggested will
 accomplish the object without any addition to the public expenditures and will make ade- quate provisions for a branch of service con- nected with the defence of the country, and which has also the advantage offurnishing in- formation thrt may prove highly valuable to every portion ofthe community.
 Agreeably to provision in an act of the last session ofCongress, that part of the Cam- berland road between the town of Cumber-
 land and the Ohio river, has been surrendered
 to and accepted by the States through which 1 1t passes; and arrangements have been made ] by the authority of these States for the colec- tion ofsuch tolls as will keep : in proper re- 1 pair. The funds appropriated for the com 1 pletion of this road have been applied to it's attainment. The work, with the exception of some ofthe bridges and of few neeessa- 1 ry repairs, is nearly finished, and is passable in it's whole extent. All accounts concur in raprepresentlng 1t as constructed in the most Faithful manner. Captain Delatield, who has superintended the operations, and the officers engaged with him, are entitled to commen- daton for the zeal and professional ability they have displayed.
 The United States are exonerated from all future claims on account of this road, while competent provision has been made for its preservation.
 The progress in the other works of in- ternal improvements is shown III the report of the Chief Engineer. Among these, one of the most remarkable, as well from it's im- portance as from the unexpected facility with which 1t has so far been executed is the re- moval of the raft over Red river. An i'm mense body oftimber, extending one hundred and eleven miles along that stream, had cov- cred large portion lifts surface, and inter- rupted all communication.
 This has probably been collecting for ares; and dnot only was this great natural highway thus shut up by it, but fertile and extensive region along the river was inundated, and the whole country in it's vicinity subject to local diseases having their origin in this sub- mersion.
 This work has been in progress, upon the present system little more than two years, and the whole expenditure, including sum of B thousand dollars which was applied in pre- vious experiments that failed, has been about one hundred and thirty-fve thousand dollars. 1t is estimated that an additional appropria- ton of forty thousand seven hundred and fif- teen dollars will be required to complete 1t and which, with the sun of ten thousand dol lars now in the Treasury, will make for the whole cost one hundred and eighty five thou sand seven hundred and thirteen dollars. The river has been cleared for distance of eighty-eight miles and there yet remains twenty three miles of Instructions to remove. This portion K IS expected will be finished early in the next season, if the necessary ap- propriations are made in time.
 Before the present plan of effecting this work was adopted, there were various pro- iects suggested for its compl shmcnt, but the most sangune projector could not have anti cipated such great physical change as is al- ready taking place within the time and with the means that have been devoted to the work A loose estimate of the land which will be reclaimed and rendered valuable by this inn provement, which has been made by Colonel Brookes, formerly Indian Agent i'll Louisia- na, and intimately acquainted with the re- zion upon Red river, places 1t at upwards of a million of acres; and it will return many times the amount expended upon 1t. I have brought the subject to your view at this time not only on account of it's intr nsic importance, but from the encouragement 1t affords to the introduction and prosecution of