The Van Buren press., 1860-12-14
LITTLE r RocK, Dec. Il.
l. s. DUSHaN ESQ.,,

LITTLE OCK, Oec-,1.
]. s. DUSHAN Esq.
DEAR SIR :-Agreeable to compact be-
tween the Unitei States. and Arkansas. ap-
provei 1886. 5 per cent of the net proceeds
OF the sale of public lands, lying within
this State. sold by Congress. after deduct
ing all expenses. incident to the sale. were
reserved to the State for making public
.roa.ls and canals. A considerable amount
of this per cent has accumulated. $780,
900 of which at the last session of the Leg
i,I.ture was given to the Little Rock and
Memphis Railroad. for q like amount of
stock in said road. The same arlount was
given upon the same conditions to the Mis-
sissippi Ouchita and Red River Road.
Making in ali As l understand it Eighty
Thousand Dollars, subscribed to the two
raais. There is yet of this 5 per cent fund
over two hundred thousand dollars, il has
not been paid into the State treasury. but
retained at Washington. to pay State
Bonds and Coupons. held in trust for the
Smithsonian Institute. So it will be seen
that over $500, 900 Of the per cent fund,
which was intended by the compact to be
reserved Cor making public roads and ca
nals has been retained at Washington to
uay the Indebtedness of the State. The
las, Legislature no doubt thought it was
right not to direct this fund. consequently
passed. an act requiring the Governor to
subscribe S40, 900 to each of the Roads be-
per cent fund was in the Treasury for it all
hal been retained at Washington, conse-
quently the $4,000 was taken from the
surplus in the treasury. and considered at
the time as SO much Of the 5 per cent fund.
This was ali right, as it did the two Roads
8 great deal of good. and as a consequence.
the whole country was benefited.
Five or six days ago the Committee On
Internal Improvements, after several meet |
ings and much labor reported bill which
1t was thought would in its effects be just
to all the roads, taking INFO consideration
the progress each has attained. BY the
provisions of the bill. the Little Rock and
Memphis Road gets $4,000; Fort Smith
and Little Rock Road $4,000; Napoleon
AMI Little Rock Road $40, 900 MIssIssip- |
pi Ouchita and Red River Road S4O, ,OOO
North western border Road $4,000 Iron
Mountain Road $4,000. The considera-
ton of this bill was the principal business
of the House for three days. 1t had the
strongest kind of enemies-among them
was Duval of Sebastian, Humphrey CT
franklin, Cravens OF johnson. and Harrer
OF Conway. Duval showed more feeling
than any of the others against the bill,
which he manifested by Offering apend-
ments, which he did to defeat the bill. One
of MS amendments was printed copy OF a
bill introduced by Garland OF Hampstead, |
which in effect if adopted would have been
q substitute for the bill under considerable
can say but little about the provisions oil
the Garland bill. but from what l learn
from speeciIe, made against it. il adopted
and pa,>eI, would have given to the Little
Ro K and Memphis Road, all the surplus
now in the treasury aud all that may be Tor
wears to come. Ii allowed the Company to
take mp outstanding bonds and coupons oi
the State. and file them In the Treasury,
dollar for dollar. in satisfaction OF the
amount of gold and silver drawn Out OF
the Treasury. Ii this Is correct, and if ii
is true AS has o.ten been asserted that the
State bonds to fall due and IL years from
now. can he bought at SO and So cents dis
count. The passage of such q bill by the
legislature, would he giving to certain men
the greatest chances for speculation on the |
peoples money ever heard of. If the
people of the West feel at all interested in
having an equal share If the per cent
fund appropriated to the Fort Smith Road,
AMI ShnptJ fool oyriave,l an accouut of the L
defeat of the bill to day which gives 'he
Fort Smith Road $4,000. they must lay
it all to Duval, Humphrey. Cravens and
Harper. l heard many members say this
evening that C1ayens was excusable, on
what grounds did not understand. Duval
as every body up West knows. has said
much about Western interest. particularly |
in connection with the subject of electing a |
United States Senator. Western interest
as advocated by him, when properly defD
ed is Duval interest. He has wanted to be
Cnited States Senator, and since he has as
cetsined that there is no. two members of
the Legislature for him the West has no
interests to be cared for
1ou will understand from what have
written. that the bill giving s4O. 900 to our
road. was defeated yesterday. it would have
been saved by the vote of Duval. Hum
phreys. Cravens and Harper. They all
took strong grounds against the measures.
The people Of the West and q long the
road must judge of this matter. l for one
believe it is right for the road to have its
share Of the per cent fund.
Very Respectfully. Boon.