Washington telegraph., 1857-12-09
ESGISEEH's OrFtcE. &. * F. r. r..
Little Rock. Nov. 10Th. 1857. /
Hon EDWARD Cross.
President c. d +. R. II. 90.

Hon. EDWARD GROSS
President &. d +. u. II. 90.
SR-l have the honor To report to you
that in compliance with your instructions
OF September 30th last, l left Little Rock
on the lst of October. At Memphis as
certained by telegraph, that Mr.. BFaymln,
lani Commissioners Of the company. was at
Chicago Wsntr kif'ils CT. s-l.i iislf p
hiA. YIN. iErvtl, ana received from mai
two books. being the official lists or sched-
ules Of lands pertaining to the company
under the act of Congress of FEBRUARY 9th.
1858. | also received from him three
large folio volumes, containing the plsts
of the lauds designated as the property os
the company. The official lists, which by
a decision of the attorney general on legal
evidence OF title, / have deposited with
the secretary Of the company. The large
books of plats being inconvenicLt for
transportation, were deposited in safe
hands in Chicago. | have written direct
ing that they should be forwarded b. srfe
hands to Little Rock.
went from Chicago to New York and,
a. instructed by You. called upon Cover
neur Morris, esq, for conference upon
the affairs of the company. especially in
relation t. the matter Of procuring money
by the sale or upon the pledge Of - much
oil the lands of the company rs are now
under the law available for this purpose.
Mr. Morris informed me that il would be
quite impossible u negotiate for a loan, or
a sale, in the thea condition uf the money
market, and | may here incidentally state
that his opinion was uniformly corF1bora-
ted by thI~e of iiuanciers-men Of in;cl.i-
.ence versei ia the subicc; Of railroad i'-
ves,ments-who all advised me. not to at
tempt to cary out this part VI nay instruc-
tions, because it would BE- a ruinous sacri-
ice OF valuable property, aud because b.
little delay, the company could make
more favorable contracts when the difficult
ties Of the commercial world. which they
regarded as temporary, should be over
come
1 went to Washington aud hal several
conferences with ia, Commissioner nf the
general land o,fce, and with the clerks,
vino have specially IN charge the depart
meut Uf land grants to railroads. Upon
the subject Of thc COZ tested swamp lands,
the com missioner informed me thlt the
schedules forwarded to Washington by tho
agents of the company, had been coliated,
aud 50 soon a. copies mad been made they
would be forwarded to the Survc, or Cen
cr4l uf Arkansas. with instructions u hin
to take testimony ou the plrt of the state
Of Arkansas. and OF the cairo and Fulton
Ba,.rsad ON pIny,as contestants Tor title tu
these lauds-that the testimony taus obtain
eel sJpuid b. referred to tAe authorities at
Washington, aud the decision OF tae ige,-
tiou made there. the decision o. tue cO.u-
missioner upou the Interpretation oi the act
VI March .l>JG, l. favorable Tor thc cJmpa-
nv, III as much as hc regards ituf no force to
Withdraw from the lands available Tor sclcc-
ZION, such lands - are not really OyeriiJwed.
called the attention Ut the commits
sioner to the injustice done the company
by preventing selections within 4 triaugT-
lar space, adJ Jv.uIng the icNas boundary,
v hicn had been thrown Out because Ui the
oblIyus approach vi the line vI the road 10
the state boundary.
addressed hiu. a letter on this subject,
a copy OF which submit herewith.
returned to Little Rock, ON the 10th
lust.
Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,
JAS. >. WILLIAMS,
Dhief En.iueer, etc.
On motion OF Mr.. Wait, tne board adj
jouIned until 10 . clock IO-IncTrow