Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-11-27

despatch. -sf
| % Office South East corner of From, and
Princess streets. and opposite Bank of The State.
auspices. And regretted to learn from n. a
debates in that baby, that the project had suf.
fered prejudice from the last report in regard
| to it, by some member of the Engineer Cons
OF the United States This report has MOI
been seen by me, but will claim You examina-
ton, with view to further action on the sub. II
ject. III
In conformity to the Resolution of the last u
Session, the Mortgages held by the State, on II
the Clubfoot and Harlow's Greek Canal, con-
Meeting Neuse River with Beaufort Harbor, Il
were E iofeclosed; and a sale being decreed, the
IIohc treasurer, at my request, attended and /
bid in the Canal for the State. II win now
deyoive On you. to give directions for the fu- /
ture disposal of it. Boats of light draught ]
4 yet pass through it, and although the locks are
decayed, presume, for reasonable expenGli-
ture, It may be made passabe for sea-goine
vessels, sufficient In size for the coastng trade.
| Uniting as It does the hest Harbor on the
American coast. between the Capes of Virgin
ia and those of Florida. with our interior wa
tiers, deem itpreferable that it shall be kept
and improved by the State But if no appro-,
priation be made for its improvement, let it
he disposed of TO p Company, or individual,
with some stipulation on the part of the pur-
chaser, to keep it in order for Navigation, and
to allow its use to the public for fair compen-
salon.
A Canal from Lumber River to Cape Fear
River, has long been in contemplation by the
people in that quarter, and its obvious advan-
tages. from an inspection of the map, ought to
ensure for It at least liberal Act OF Incorpora-
/ ton.
More than thirty years ago, Companies were
incorporated for the improvement of the Navi-F
CATION of all the larger Rivers Of the State,
and an Engineer was employed. fora consider
able time, in making Surveys, preparatory to
general system of Internal Improvement
/ Owing 10 causes not necessary TO be ow re-
viewed, scarcely any of the works then con-
tempated were completed, and all these char
| tered Companies, except in the instances Of
Roanoke and Cape Fear, have lost their priv.
ileges by non-user OF late, dsposit on has
been manifested by the people of those sec
tons, to re-attenpt the Navigation of Neuse
and Ialkin Rivers entertain no 4ouht, that
by merely removing the t;mbers which are
imbedded in the channel OF Neuse River, and
the branches of trees which overhang it, that
it may be rendered nayigable for Steamboats,
OF the lighter kind, as high as Waynesho
rough, for two-thirds of the year, and that by.
the addition of locks and dams, this Nav ga
ton may be extended to q point within dozen
miles OF Raleigh. A good Navigation has
been effected, by this means, in the Kentucky
j River, and other streams discharging less
volume of water, and more subject to the an
nual influence of drought, than the Neuse.-
Were this accomplished in eonnexion with the
passage of coasting vessels from Beaufort to
, Newbern, by enlarging the Canal before re-
ferred to, it could not fail to add much to the
accommodation of the people, and to the wealth
and commercial importance of the State. 1t
is well asceItained, that there is no great i'm
pediment to the Navigation of the Yadkin Riv-
er within our limits, above the tiarrows The
opening Of that River. therefore, from Wilkes
borough to its intersection with the proposed
, Turnpike from Raleigh and Fayetteville, west
ward, and the completion of said Roal, are
, works of great public importance, in which,
| if the State will not embark on her own ac-
. count solely, she should not hesitate to second
the patriotic efforts of the citizen The sur
r vey Of the routes for this Turnpike Road. ac-
, corling TO the direction Of the last General
Assembly, has been completed, and the re-
| port of the Engineer may be expected at an
early day
The bad condition of our Public Roads, has
long been the subject of general AMI appre-
| bend, ust reproach 10 the State. In the
, schemes of Improvement which have been put
forth heretofore, too little space has been al
r lotted to these daily haunts of trade and travel
, A distinguished authority, in speaking of our
roads, recommends that they be classed in
three descriptions, viz: LIST, the principal and
leading roads to be denominated State roa Is,
in the construction of which, the State will
| bear one moety of the expense, and the Coun
ties through which they pass the other mole
ty; ID, County roals to be made and kept up
by the Counties, and 81, private roads by the
Individuals benefited by them. Without a.
l doping this plan in all its details, am tho
, roughly persuaded that no moderate amount
: of the public treasure could be more beneficial
ly expended, than in employing an. Engineer
$ for one, or at most, two years, whose duty it
should be to examine routes for the chief mar
, ket and mail roads of the State, under the d.
rection OF the Boarl of Internal Improvement,
and lay them off on the most favorable giound,
r with written estimates and directions for their
D construction and improvement The County
Courts light be authorized to make lev.es in
r all of the Statute labor within their limits, and
at the most difficult points, assistance might
1 be afforded from the fund for Internal Improve
D ment. Whatever other improvements we
e may in time procure, good roads for ordinary
: transportation and travel can never cease 10
S be useful TO the great mass OF the community
: Whether or not you shall esteem it wise to
Adopt any of these recommendations, trust
e no consideration will induce longer delay in
n directing an Agricultural, Geological AMI MIN
r eralogical Survey of the Safe. Three-fourths
: of our sister States have now in progress, or
n have finished like examinations Of their terri
e tory. AMI in every instance, it is believed
/ that they have not only added to the treasures
8 of Science, but have been ATTENDED with inn
d portant and useful discoveries. Coll, Silver,
s Iron, Copper, Coal. Plumbago, Marble, and
: other L.mestones, the finest varieties Of Stone
C for bui .;ing, Of Mari AMI other materials for
r, manuring, are already known to exist in va
Y r;ous sections OF the State; and further ex.
pIoration cannot fail to bring other resources
n TO light. AMI greatly favor the pursuits OF NJ
q ming and Manufacturing-pu pursuits OF INFINITE
h advantage to people having so few facilities
v of transportation as curse yes. While MI
y mute examinat on of our soils, by persons uni
X ting science AMI practical skill in Agriculture,
- will be productive OF improvement IN that use.
;s full branch of Industry, and must dignity AM
- elevate It in the general esteem.
10 Agrecably TO the Act of the last Session
ne entitled " An act more efectualiy to secure
or the debts due for Cherokee lands, AMI TO ia
90 elitate the collection Of the same," Board q