The Old Pike / A History of the National Road, with Incidents, Accidents, and Anecdotes Thereon

CHAPTER VI.

Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury, called upon for Information respecting the Fund Applicable to the Roads mentioned in the Ohio Admission Act—His Responses.

TENTH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.

Communicated to the House of Representatives March 8, 1808.

Treasury Department. March 3, 1808.

Sir: In answer to your letter of the 1st instant, I have the honor to state:

1st. That the 5 per cent. reserved by the act of 30th April, 1802, on the net moneys received for public lands in the State of Ohio, sold since 1st July, 1802, has amounted to the following sums, viz:

From 1st July, 1802, to 30th June, 1803	$ 6,220 00
From 1st July, 1803, to 30th June, 1804	8,810 17
From 1st July, 1804, to 30th June, 1805	13,994 30
From 1st July, 1805, to 30th June, 1806	31,442 20
From 1st July, 1806, to 30th June, 1807	28,827 92
From 1st July, 1807, to 31st December, 1807 (estimated)	15,000 00
	$104,294 59

And that the said 5 per cent. will henceforth probably amount to $30,000 a year.

2d. That, of the $30,000 appropriated by act of 29th March, 1806, there has been expended, in laying out the Cumberland road from Cumberland to Brownsville, about	$10,000
That there may be wanted to complete the location, about	5,000
	$15,000

3d. That contracts have been made for opening one-half of the breadth of said road, which, as verbally informed by one of the commissioners, will require about $3,000, leaving, probably, about $12,000 of the appropriation for the further improvement of the road.

4th. That the portion of the road actually located and confirmed, no part of which exceeds an angle of five degrees, extends from the navigable waters of the Potomac, at Cumberland, to the navigable waters of the Monongahela, at Brownsville (Red Stone Old Fort), and it is stated, though no official report has been made to me, at about seventy miles.

5th. That that road can be considered as a national object only if completed as a turnpike, whereby all the flour and other produce of the western adjacent countries may be brought to a market on the Atlantic shores; and the transportation of all the salt and other commodities and merchandise whatever, imported from the Atlantic ports to the western country generally, may be reduced probably one dollar per cwt.

And, Lastly, that the expense of completing that part of the road in such manner, is estimated at $400,000.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
ALBERT GALLATIN.

Hon. John Montgomery, of Maryland, Chairman, etc., in Congress.

Committee Room, Dec. 22, 1808.

Sir: The committee appointed on the message of the President, transmitting a report of the commissioners concerning a road from Cumberland to Ohio, have directed me to request that you would cause to be laid before them such information as may be in possession of the Treasury Department respecting the fund applicable by law to “the laying out and making public roads leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic, to the Ohio,” etc. (1) The unexpended balance of the $30,000 appropriated by the act of the 29th of March, 1806; (2) The amount of moneys, exclusive of the above, now in the treasury, and in the hands of the receiver of public moneys, applicable to that object; and (3) an estimate of the probable amount of moneys that will accrue to the fund within the two succeeding years.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

JEREMIAH MORROW.

To the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury.

TENTH CONGRESS—SECOND SESSION.

Cumberland Road.

Communicated to the House of Representatives, February 16, 1809.

Treasury Department, Dec. 29, 1808.

Sir: In answer to your letter of the 22d instant. I have the honor to state, for the information of the committee:

1st. That the unexpended balance of the appropriation, made by the act of March 29, 1806, for opening a road from Cumberland, on the Potomac, to the river Ohio, amounts to $16,075.15; part of which sum will probably be wanted in order to complete the location and opening of the road. It is probable that about $13,000 will remain applicable to making the road.

2dly. That the total amount received, either at the treasury, or by the receivers of public moneys on account of roads, and calculated at the rate of 5 per cent, of the net proceeds of the sales of lands in the State of Ohio, subsequent to the 30th day of June, 1802, was, on the 30th day of September last	$104,692
leaving, if that mode of calculating be correct, and after deducting the sum appropriated by the above mentioned act	30,000
a sum applicable to the road of	$ 74,692
in addition to the above mentioned unexpended balance of	16,075
and making together a sum of	$ 90,767
But if the amount applicable to roads be calculated at the rate of 2 per cent. only, on the net proceeds of the sales of lands, this will, on the 30th of September last, have produced only	$ 41,876
from which, deducting the appropriation of	30,000
leaves an unappropriated balance of	$ 11,876
which, added to the unexpended balance of the appropriation	16,075
makes an aggregate of only	$ 27,951

3dly. That the probable receipts on account of that fund may, for the two ensuing years, be estimated at $22,500 a year, if calculated at the rate of 5 per cent., and at $9,000 a year, if calculated at the rate of 2 per cent. on the sales of lands.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

ALBERT GALLATIN.

Hon. Jeremiah Morrow, Chairman of the Land Committee.

P.S.—Amount of the 2 per cent. of the net proceeds of the lands within the State of Ohio:

From 1st July, 1802, to 30th June, 1803, 2 per cent.	$ 2,400.00
From 1st July, 1803, to 30th June, 1804, 2 per cent.	3,524.06
From 1st July, 1804, to 30th June, 1805, 2 per cent.	5,597.72
From 1st July, 1805, to 30th June, 1806, 2 per cent.	11,243.55
From 1st July, 1806, to 30th June, 1807, 2 per cent.	9,120.75
From 1st July, 1807, to 30th June, 1808, 2 per cent.	9,902.80
Estimated July, 1808, to 31st October, 1808, 2 per cent.	2,815.60
Total	$44,692.48

The sum of $30,000 appropriated per act of 29th of March to be paid therefrom; of which $13,924.85 seems to have been paid.

A. G.

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