The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-13
SPEECH OF MR.. YANCEY,
OF ALABAMA,


In the House Of Representatives, March, ls46-on
the bill making appropriations for the completion
Of the Cumberland road.
The Cumberland road bill being under consdera-
ton in Committee Of the Whole the state Of the
Union,
Mr.. YANCEY said
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN; desire to say few words upon
this bill. Its friends urge that it is framed upon the
basis Of contract entered into by the general
government with the States OF Ohio, Indiana Hi
nos, and Missouri, and that good faith therefore
demands It's passage. have examined with all the
care, which the brief space allowed since heard it
advanced would admit, into this alledged contract,
with sincere disposition to to il that "the good
faith" OF the government should suffer detrment,
and have come TO the conclusion that il this 10 the
only basis upon which the bill rests, il must fail
The good faith Of this government was certainly
pledged 10 appropriate a certain proportion Of the
net proceeds Of the public lands lying within these
States sold by Congress, to laying out, and making
public roads leading to, and through them; but il
was not, and is not now, pledged TO an indefinite
expenditure of the federal treasure for the purpose
of finally completing these roads, il the proportion
originally designed for them fell short Of that object
The act Of April 80, 1902, authorizing the PEG pie
OF Ohio to form a constitution and State government
for admission into the Union this among other pro-
positions to the convention for its "free acceptance
or rejection" to wit:
That part Of the net proceeds Of the lands
The Rreth day Of June next alter deaueting ali
incident to the shall be applied TO the laying and
emptyng iato the Atlantic to the Ohio to the said State
and through the same such roads to be laid out under the
States through which the road shall pass. &C"
The act Of 18th April 1916, to enable the people
Of Indiana Territory to form constitution, &C. for
admission into the Union, Imade similar PROPOSE
ton, viz:
That Ave per OF the proceeds Of the lands lying
gress from and AFTER the first day Of December next
deductng all expenses incident to the shall be
hs shall be applied those objects within said STATE
under the direction of the Legislature thereof and
to the making OF road or roads leading to the said State
under the direction Of Congress"
The act of 18th April, 1918, authorizing the peo-
pie Of the Illinois Territory TO form constitution
&c, with a view to admission into the Union as a
State, has a similar provision.
The act of 9th March, 1920, authorizing the peo-
pie of Missouri to do the same, has precisely SINH
lar provision.
In the above-recited acts accepted by the coiiven
tons Of the four States named, found the clauses
which, it is cohtended, contain this contract which
binds Congress to continue the Cumberland road
If Congress has not already fulfilled those stipula-
TONS the contract, admit, is binding upon US at
this moment. But contend that every dollar, ay,
and hundreds of thousands of dollars beyond the
amount stipulated to be thus expended, has long
since been "appled by Congress ito the laying out
and making public roads, leading from the nayiga-
bic waters emptying into the Atlantic, to the Ohio,
to the said State and through the same" into Indi-
ana, &c.
BY reference to document No. $50, of I'd session
of 25th Congress- it will be found that on the 3lst
of December, 1887, there had accrued to the four
States in question, for the purposes Of building pub
lie roads leading to and through the same, the sum
of S972,2 20 while up to that period there had
been appropriated to this purpose out Of the federal
treasure he enormous sum of sc, 3l6 739 SO; show
ing that the government had exceeded the sum called
for by "the contract" by S5,345, 76l 60!
Gentlemen have said that the most of this sum
has been expended in Virginia and the old States
east of Ohio. Not so, sir. The length of the Cum
berand road in the various States in which it passes
10