Washington telegraph., 1850-12-11
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

to eNgrOSS HIucH " tuo tiuio o''0
of the Legislature, and with but little
prospect of resulting in anything bench
c;aI or advantageous to the State. II is
generally conceded that the distribution
of this fund among the several counties.
would be a mere waste OF it. as it is not
probable that any benefit would accrue
10 the counties. or the State. from the
expenditure. AS far as the act OF the
last Legislature has been tested. this has
been the result, and yet we find men IN
both branches of our Legislature who
adhere to that law with tenacity. that
argues either want of Judgment. or a
want of independence. There are too
| MANY members who consider self alone,
| and who labor solely with view OF IN
| creasing their prospects for reelection.
Any thing like liberal State policy is be-
yond their comprehension.-the field Is
too extensive. or their genius too circum-
scribed to embrace any thing beyond their
immediate constituency. In Arkansas
this selfish and narrow contracted policy
has been pursued long enough. 1t is
time we had the services of men of en-
.larged and liberal views-men who could
see beyond the limits of their own coun-
ties, aud who possessed the independence
TO advocate such measures as would re-
dound to the prosperity of the people at
large Of those who oppose measures OF
real utility, simply because their i'm
mediate constituents do not get the lions
share, we have had surfei:. This selfish
policy has retarded the growth of the
State, and hangs like an incubus upon
the prosperity of the people.
Congress has dealt literally with US
it has granted US bequest aftes bequest,
and yet what have we. as a State, accom-
! plished! We received $4,000 acres OF
land as seminary fund, some Of which
was sold as high as 81 per acre.-and
what institutions of learning have ever
derived any advantages from this fund!
With the exception Of an Eastern book
seller, who disposed of an extensive stock
! OF obsolete school books to the State, we
have never heard of any body being
benefited by the common school fund.
| The fact is the people of this State have
suffered themselves 10 be egregeously ln-
posed upon. and if they expect TO derive
any advantages from the requests OF Con-
gress, it is time they should speak, in
language not to be misunderstood, to
those who aspire to make and administer
| their laws.
/ The 100000 acre donation, judiciously
managed and applied to the object design
ed by Congress. would in few years
be amply sufficient TO build plank roads
| over all the principal thoroaghfares of the
State. Let bat one of these roads be
| completed over the route likely to yield
the greatest amount of revenue, and the
revenue thus obtained, be expended i'll
completing othe: routes. and in few
! years, every county might boast of its
plank road, and the fund undiminiSted.
still be in the possession of the State. to
be applied to further and more extensive
! improvements This. we do not hesitate
to say can be done in the manner suggest
ed in our last, and will require but little
legislation to put the plan in successful
operation. Pass a law authoIising the
investment of $25O,OOO, as it becomes
| available, in negroes to perform the labor,
and mills to cut the lumber, reserving
| the interest on the balance to sustain the
force thus obtained, and the work is COM
menced. We are aware that this amount
is not now available, but that portion
that is available could be invested, and
the work begun-when the mere fact
that such a system of Internal Improve
ment was in operation, would induce
immigration, which would soon be suffi-
cient to take up all the lands located by
| the State, thus at once securing market,
and an Internal Improvement fund.
These lands were selected BY special
agents, and are of the best quality, so
| tina: there is little doubt Of their remain
ing unsold any great length of time.
| Reducing the price would not secure their
sale-this must be done by inducing inn
| migration, and the best mode of accom-
plishing this object, is to adopt some
| permanent aud practical system of In
ternal Improvement Give ns good roads.
| the means of conveying cheaply and ex-