Washington telegraph., 1853-01-12
RED RIVER RAFT.
Letter from Senator Boriandi.
WASHINGTON Cry, Dec. %, 1852.

LetScl BEOlM SeN2lOF kSDE1aRUs
WAsHINGroN Cry, Dec. %. 1852.
DEAR SIR:-Before leaving home, this
fall, learned from communication from
Maj PRYOR, from an editorial in your pa
per, and from conversations with your dele
CATION in the Legislature, that the terms
proposed in the advertisement of the Topo-
graphical Bureau, for expending the appro-
priation for the Improvement of Red River,
were not satisfactory to those who were most
deeply interested in the proper execution Of
that important work, and best qualified to
form a just Judgment of it. Indeed, upon
the motion of one of your Representatives
the Legislature was about taking some ac-
tion on the subject, in furtherance of the
practical views of such of our citizens as
live in the neighborhood of the Raft and
best understand the cause of its formation,
and the means and mode of It's removal
was in hopes that the action Of the Legis-
lature, in some definite form, would have
reached here nearly as soon as myself, to
serve as the basis and warrant of PROPOSE
ton it was my purpose to offer the War De-
partment, for change of the terms set forth
in the advertisement. After waiting sever
al days, without receiving either letter or
paper on the subject, and the first Of Janu-
ary, when the contract must. under the ad-
vertisement, be awarded, rapidly approach
ing, | called "on my own hook" upon the
Secretary of War I read to him Ma;
PRYoR's letter and your editorial, and pro-
posed, in accordance with their suggestion,
that the terms of the advertisement should
be altered, so as to give the contract to the
person or persons who would, for the amount
of the appropriation, remove the Raft,
and keep tie ricer ope1s tie longest xin1e
The Secretary showed me communica-
ton he had received from number Of our
citizens in the Raft region, presenting SINH
lar views. But, upon the ground that the
terms Of the Act, making the appropriation,
only authorized him to contract for the
''reDooUag Of the raft, and was silent as to
keeping The rirer opea, he thought he had
power to DO no more than he had already
proposed in the advertisement. He agreed,
however, that if i could get Joint Resolu-
tion, or supplemental act, passed before the
lst Of January, authorizing him to 90 what
[ recommended, he would cheerfully COM
ply. This resolved to undertake, but, be-
fore doing so, deemed it proper to consult
my colleague. For this purpose, [ address
ed a communication to Col. JOHNSON, Of
which, the following is copy
SENATE CHAMBER, Dec 14th, 1882
SIR:-Beiore leaving Little Rock last month.
/ received letter from Mai. Pryor, and had
several conversations with the Representatives of
Hampstead county. in relation to the removal OF
the Raft of Red river. in which they manifest
much interest. The enclosed sheet contains a
copy OF that portion of Mai PRYoR's letter rela-
tag to this subject and following that is an arti-
Gle from the W dsDlH9ton Telegraph expressing
similar views. The Representatives from Hemp
stead expressed to me views similar to these and
urged upon me prompt and earnest attention to
the matter of the contract before the War De-
partTnent. in order, ii practicable, to have the
terms modified III the way Maj Pryor suggests.
For this purpose, | called on the Secretary of
| War last week, ana presented these views. He
seemed not aveTse to the proposed modification of
the terms Of the present advertisements but doubt
ed his power to make it, under the authority con-
terred by the act making the appropriation. Up
on this suggested that joint resolution might
| be got through Congress to give him the discre-
ton necessary to make the modifcaton-that is
to keep open" as well as ''open'i the river He
agreed that he would make the proposed modii-
cation. if this done. | concluded. then, to
consult you and Judge SEBASTIAN, and obtain your
concurrence, if practicable, before moving in the
matter. or this concurrence, however, | can. of
course. entertain no doubt. SEBASTIAN has not
yet arrived, SO [ desire to consult you alone:
for the lst of January is fast approaching, when
the bids, under the advertisement, will be OPEN
ed; and the proposed modification will require
new arrangement by or before that time. To
ensure success to the movement. it should be
made at an early moment; and Tor this reason |
soon-any time to-day that may suit your conve-
nience. After seeing you, | propose to consult
the Louisiana and Texas delegation
am, respectfully, Your ob't serv't,
SOLON BORLAND.
Hon r. W. JOHNSON,
u. S. House of Reps.
Extract Of a Letter from Major Richard Pryor, of
Uey,nsfeod {vouS,f, 4rLonSoS 4, Dyo,tor a., Po,l