Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-03-30

To THE EDITOR OF THE TRUE DEMoCRAr- We have just received the 4th annual report of the president of the Memp his and Little Rock Railroad company.
 The president gives very minute and hsto- rical account of the road from its commencement up to the present time-showing the troubles and difficulties he has encountered. But he appears to have surmounted them all, and IS now in fair way to have the first division of the road completed in the time given by the act ot the legislature He then goes on and says, In view of the fact that the second division will cost great amount of money, and has less subscribed, I think it would be best to build the third division first. The grades are remark ably light and easy, and the entire 45 miles can be finished and equipped for S5o0,o0O; about one half of this amount is already provided for, and the balance can be raised whenever the ef- fort, Is made"
 This is certainly very flattering, and naturally leads us to the enquiry, why the president does not make an effort to raise the additional amount necessary by subscription, and commence the road at once. Should he not do so forthwith, he will certainly lay himself liable to be cen- sured for neglect of duty, and bad faith to those who have so liborally stepped forward and sub scrbed to the road. He further tells us that he has "received from the commissioner of the general land office at Washington City, certl- fled list of 89,2l2 acres of land" But he does not tell us what proportion of that 09,2l2 acres, belongs to the third division of the road. But we have tolerably good idea of the amount belonging to said division, and would put 1t down at 10000 acres. Which land, according to previous annual report, would be worth S18OO0O But say the land now confirmed to the third division is worth Sl5O,OOO--all oi which is now available as security. Thus you see there would only remain, by the presidents calculation S150,00O to be raised by private subscription to complete the third division from Little Rock to White river, which he says " can De raised lOsenever an efort is made." We would ask why the president does not commence the work on the third division at once, were tnot for the fact that he says that there is an effort be- ing made for an amendment to the law of Con- gress donating the lands, permitting us to locate the road beyond the St. Francis river, wherever we may choose within the boundary of the land reservation." We also see an article in the Des Arc Citizen of the 17th ult., saying, that this president ROberson was man of too much sense to permit the road to be built on the present D.. .L. ,l,o +1 through Des Arc and intersect the Cairo and Fultor road 2414l miles west of White rver.- do not pretend to give the exact language of the Citizen, but the substance, as 1 have not the article before me. Take the presidents rel marks about making different location and the Citizens article, and we at once come to the conclusion, that the third division will not be built over the present location, if the president can avoid it, where he tells us ' the grades are remarkably light and easy, and the entire 45 miles can be finished and equipped for $500 OOO." These remarks account for the delay.- Suppose that Congress was to do so great all act of injustice, as to permit the removal of the present location and the road was to be taken by Des Arc and intersect the Cairo and Fulton road 2414 miles west of White river, as con templated by those in and about Des Arc?
 Would the city of Little Rock and the coun- ty of Pulaski be bound to pay their present sub scr ption? Or would one single individual be compelled to pay his subscription of stock?- The citizens of Pulaski county knew when they subscribed the S1OO,OOO in stock, that the Cairo and Fulton road was, or would be located on their northern boundary. They subscribed for the road to run from Little Rock to Memphis, 50 that, that part of this county east and south would be benefited by railroad as well as the northwest part. Who is agitating this removal of the road, but few in and about the town of Des Arc? It was thought that when the new organization of the road took place, that all strife and contention would cease, aud the ofi- cers of the road would go on and build the road at once. But in this, it appears we are to De disappointed, as there is now strong opposition to the presidents views. There will be, and al ready men of influence have got their friends at Washington City posted on this subject in op- position to the change of the road, and this op- position will very likely defeat the application for the balance of the grant of land to be made up by floats on the adjoining lands.
 Many persons in Prairie county feel great interest in this road, as the present location runs nearly through the center of their county and near their court house. We would be pleased, gentlemen, to have your views on the different points herein named.
 A CITIZEN OF PRAIRIE COUNTY.