E 'v `~ N .
_ _ .k v.!i y :. ~Y.~
I,
. .
- . {Continualfrom the - first page.] -
financitd-tnimpetions at the Tieasitry. for 11 months
only, and not fbr ~an entire fisetiryear, as formerly.—
'Froth the reports. made bylliiise elicere, it Will pear
that the balance in the Tse
'treasury on. the let ,L last
*as $124,482 82; the receipts into the, -Tree ry for
_ _
11 months-from the Ist Dec.. 183 ff hniirthe 31st Oct.
1831, exclusiie of loans, but including ihe pletniums
paid upon loans, amounted to $709,030 03; the dis
bursements for the same period, excluding the sums
fag internal improvement fund and for internal improve
ments, but including the sum of $10,425 18 paid
to turnpikes and to commissioners for improving the
public • ground at Harrisburg, amounted to $371,295-
00, leaving an excess of receipts, over ordinary expen
ditures, of $357,734 43. For the disposition of fly's
sum, and the Balance of $149,430 79, which remained
in the Treasury on the Ist Dec. 1830, amounting in the
aggregate to the - sum of $487,165 22-1 would re
spectfully refer you to the several reports of the Audi
tor, General, and of the Commissioners of the internal
improvement 'film!.
The magnificent enterprise in which Pennsylvania
is no* engaged in the construction of her stupendous
works of internal improvement; the magnitude and ex
tent of her loans;": to enable her successfiilly to prose - 1
cute those works; and the necessity, that has occurred,
to resort to lhe enactment of revenue laws, to secure
the establishment of a permanent fund for the payment
of interest; are all of them subjects in which the people
have a deep interest, and about which they have a just
claim to be correctly and minutely informed. The
alarms and apprehensions, however unfounded, which
the imposing grandeur, the extent, the diffusiveness
and the supposed expensiveness of the works, as they
enter into the grave discussions, and are introduced
into the serious speculations of the day excite, and the
--- grcrs misrepresentitnms to which they are not unfre
quently most unjustifiably subjected, will furnish a sufli
cienljustification, it is presumed, for submitting to the
people, through the medium of the executive message,
transmitted on the present occasion to their represen
.: • :-.- . . ..f-accomit-ef---the-origin-ancLprogresi of
the system of internal improvement adopted and prose
cuted' in this state—and it is the more gratifying that
the weaken °Centering upon the performance of that
part of my duty to our common constituents, happens
at a One- when the public works have been so far pro
„greased in, that a large proportion of them are now in
full operation, acid are giving earnest of extensive fu
ture usefulness; when others of them, of considerable
extent, will be in a condition for active - , business-earl
. in the next season; and tvhen the residue of those un
der contract will, it is confidently believed, be finished
and in operation in all the next season or early in the
summer of 1833. . -
To make the subject plain and intelligible to every
is - my - 'earnest desire, and for that purpose it
.w be necessary to commence with the movements of
the people themOolves, to which, it is believed, the
- scheme of improvement is indebted for its origin, and
to enter somewhat minutely into the legislation of the
State, whiCh succeeded those movements, commencing
with that which took place in the session of 1826, and
trading it down 'to the present time. Although surveys
and examinations had been directed •in some parts of
the State, and - some of them had been actually made,
and arrangements preparatory' to the commencement
ofa system of improvement were in progress; yet it is
believed that the celebrated Canal Convention which
assembled at Harrisburg in the Month of August, 1825,
gave the first impulse to public sentiment in favor of
commencing a system of internal improvement, within
the State, upon an enlarged and extensive scale. By
that convention, composed of 113 members, represent
ing -46 counties, and combining as much talent, re
spectability of character, and there is reason to believe,
as much' genuine patriotism as could be found in the
same number of iadivideals, any where; resolutions
were adopted declaring it, among other things, to be
the opinion of the convention, "that the improvement
ofthe commonwealth would be best promoted and the
foundations of her prosperity and happiness most se
curely established by opening an entire and complete
communication from the Susquehanna to the _Allegheny
and Ohio, and from the Allegheny to Lake Erie, by
the nearest and best practicable route, and that such a
work ta indispensably necessary to maintain the char
acter and standing of the State and to preserve he:
. strength and resources." Other resolutions were passed
by the convention,in.which they expressed their views
- iniTahttion.. - to the manner in . which the public. works
• :onght -- 10. resecuted, 414.-- And so entirelyclid pub
lic opinion at that period coincide with the views of
the convention, in reference to the propriety of making;
in the language of the resolutions, "a vigorours and
united exertion for accomplishing without delay the
connexion oflho - Eastereend - Western waters, 1 - that
at the very next session of the General Assembly an
act was passed, entitled "an act to provide for the
commencement of a canal to be constructed at the ex
pease of the State, and Lo be styled "Ile Atmusylvania
Canal," (approved the 25th February, 1826,) author
ising tke commissioners appointed by a formet act
inunedidtely to legate and contract for making canal
itr aral other works necessary thereto, the,
„
river Swatara , at or near Middletown, to or IT to a
point on the east side of the river Susquehanna; etipe
site the mouth of the river Juniata, and from Pittsburg
• lathe mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and also as soon as
they should deerri it expedient and practicable to con.
struct a navigable feeder of a canal from French creek
to thesummit level at Conneaut lake, and to survey
and locate the route of a,canal from thence to Lake
Erie, and tie sum of $300,000 was appropriated for
carrying the provisions 'of the act into effect. And by
act of thafirst April of the same year, the Governor
was antlairised to borrow, on the credit of the corn
` toonwealth, the sum of $300,000, to be vested in the
coMmissioners of the internal improvement fund, to be
applied to the construction of to much of the Pennsyl
vania canal at was then authorised by law to be made
or constructed. In pursuance of the provisions of the
aneral acts just recited, there were in that year (1826)
lid under Contract bythe board of canal commissioners
tiventy and ap half miles of canal on the Susque
: kennl - ina.4 on the Allegheny river, making a total
of 46 and mohair miles—the disbursements for the
construction of which for that year, incleding prelim
inary surveys, dm amounted to $141,731 38.
•
"Tkut legislative effort of the seseion 1820; laid the
&imitation of a s,ystelh of internal iniproiement, which,
• as might easily. , have tooeti foreseen; could not fail ulti
• matelyloleas o. the expeediture of laige nco
tin the , of the Ste tefiir that object: No alarm
very appears to kave*en excited in the public
egad to regard-to what had, takenalace, but ..such on
ti racy was the.calm and silent atrptiescence
*OO "I the people, thetlit •the Weet-rling sesoon ni
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th•ple g islature, another act was passed and approved I
by the Governed' on the Bth April, 1827, entitled "iin
act to provide, fig the further extention of the Pennsyl
vania canal"—by which the board of cairnl commis
siXers was authorised and required to locate and con
tract for mating , a canal up the valley of the Juniata
from the eastern section of the Pennsylvania canal to a
point at or near Lewistown—also a canal, locks'and
other works necessary thereto up. the valley of the
Kiskiminetas and the COliemaugh from the western
section- to • a point at or near. Blairsville—and also a
canal, locks and other works necessary thereto up the
valley of the Susquehana - , from the eastern section of
the Pennsylvania canal to a point at or near the town
of Northumberland—also to commence operations on
the feeder from French creek to die summit level at
Conneaut lake, and to contract for so much as might
be adaptfd to either of the routes coetemplated for
connecting the Pennsyliania canal with lake Erie, for
which latter object the sum of $lOO,OOO was appropria
ted.: The act, further directed, that if it should appear,
after suitable examinations, that it navigithle canal could
be constructed:between a point at or near Philadelphia
or at. Bristol, or any intermediate point between Bristol
and the head of tide water and a point at or near the
borough of Easton, then with the consent of the Gov
ernor the board of canal commissioners were authori
zed, during the then ensuing season, to locate and con--
tract for making aTortion of said-navigable communi
cation, the, expense of which should not exceed $lOO,-
000. Numerous other surveys and examinations were
-authorised to be made, and the sum of $1,000,000 was
appropriated to he applied in the mahner and for pur
poses mentioned in the act. In pursuance of the, di
rections contained in the act just recited, there-were put
under contract in that year 1.8 miles of canal on the
Delaware from Bristol upwards; 40 miles on the Sus
quehanna from the eastern division to Northumberland;
451- miles on the Juniata from its mouth to Lewistown;
61 miles between Blairsville and Pittsburg, and 9 miles
of the French creek feeder: making an aggregate of
1621 miles of canal; the disbursements on account of
which for that year amounted to $931,975 91.
I have - been tamswticiflar in iefei r ins tin the s . err
al works directed to be put under contract by the act of
1827, because it was the commencement or a scheme of
diffusive and unconnected works. of improvement-, and
without expreSSing any opinion with .regard to the wis
dom of the Measure (which at this time would be alto
gether unavailing).i would simply refer those, who now
object to that course of improvement and insist that the
leoislation of 1831 in reference to our public works
should have been arrested, to that period as the one at
which a successful intervention to stay the fitrther pro
gress of the public works might have been attended with
consequences of a less injurious character than could
have been the case, at any. time since. Whether the
'policy adopted by the legislature, in passing the act. of
1827 was sound or otherwise is not now the question.
The people sustained it, and evinced their satisfaction
with the measure by again electing a majority of repre
sentatives to the General Assembly, favorable to a con
tinued perseverance in further extending and prosecu
ting works of internal improvement; and on the 24th
March, 1828, another act was passed, entitled "an act
relative to the Pennsylvania canal and to provide for
the commencement of a Rail-road to he constructed at
'the expense of the State and to be styled the Pennsyl
vania Rail-road." By this last mentioned act the
board of canal commission authorised to con
tract for making canal, locks ta.?a,V if*ther works from the
commencement of the-Pennsylvania canal, at or near
the mouth of the river Swatara, to Coluiiibia, in Lan
caster county, front Lewistown to the highest point
expedient and practicable for a canal, on the Juniata;
from a point at or near Northumberland to Bald Eagle
on the West Branch; from Northumberland to the N.
York State line on the North Branch; from a point at
or near Taylor's ferry to Easton; and from Blairsville
to the highest point expedient and practicable for a
canal on the Coneinaugh; - providing, however that only
ten miles from the River Swatara to Columbia; not
more than 25 nor less than 20 on the West Branch, and
not more than 45 nor less than 15 miles, of each of the
other sections,
_should be put under contract during
that year. The . Rail-road across the Allegheny moun
tain was directed to
s he - located, &c. with a view of
connecting the Juniata and Conemaugh sections of the
Pennsylvania canal; and the Rail-road from Coluinhia
to-Philadelphia was 'directed to ho put under contract
within that year, with a view to its completion within
two years or as soon thereafter as practicable; the 'act
anthoriSed further examinations atid'surveysend wham
of two millions ofdollars.
In virtue of the provisions of this act, were put un
der contract in 1828 ten miles un'l an half of the
French creek feeder, 26 and an half inilt;'s of canal
.frete_Blairsville_up.thc. Conemaugh, 45. miles on the_
Juniata, 23 on the . West Branch, 45 miles onthe North
81704 1 35 and an half on the Delaware, at.d 10 miles
4),7:Middletown and Columbia, making in the
wh01e1.95 miles and an halfof canal; 40 miles and an
halfof Rail-road formation were also put under coat tact
between Columbia and Philadelphia and the disburse
ments required for that' year amounted to the sum of
2,795,612 dollars and 24 cents.
The act of 24th March, 1828, was followed by that
of the 22d of April 1829, entitled "an act relative to the
Pennsylvania canal and rail-road," directing the canal
commissioners to cause so much of the contracts alrea
dy made . upen the different lines of canal and rail-ways
to be completed within that year as should be practica
ble, and requiring them to enter into contracts for the
execution of those sections on the Delaware diviiion of
the Pennsylvania canal between Bristol and Eastoq,and
the sections of the North BMnch division between Nor
'thumberland and Nanticoke Falls which had not yet
been courented, and to complete the same if practica
ble within that yeas; and the sum of $2,200,000 was
directed to be borrowed and appropriated to the sever
al objects contemplated by the act. The works put
der contract in pursuance of the directions of this act,
were pi. miles of canal on the Delaware, and 9 .miles
on th 6 North Branch, division; amount ofdisbursements,
required for that year (1929) was $8,738,545 92 for
canal and rail road purposes.
From the foregoingexposition of the course of legis.
lation thatobtained from 1826 until the close of the year .
1829, it will be seen,. thatmxtensive section's of canal &
railpad formatien were authorized to be put under
contract during that period, and:that large appropria:.
tions were necessarily'' called for from year to year to
carry those .eolitntets into execution; that during and
until the close of the administration Of my predecessor,
.420 miles ofcanal,acsorifirigte the reports of the board
of canal commissioners ' . but actually attempting to 422/
Milt* and .404:inilesor rail road*Piation, had beets`
Pitt Oder contract,- which tame- 'required, ae
will be
howtl ltereafferi.and . still require thk disbursenro l d
nearly the whole anunint (,e the large sums of Money
musnx
th have hitherto been borrowed from year , year;
for internal iMprovement purposes, but SO paFtial were
the majority of the people to their favorite - project of
the internal impilivement of the State, that it was not
until the unpropitious and unfavorable course of things
which occurred in the summer of 1829, when the credit
of the commonwealth became - depressed, and the.con
fidence of capitalisti and of monied institutions had been
shaken in regard to the sufficiency and ability of the
fund pledged for the payment of interest, when perma
nent loans could not be obtained . and money could with
difficulty be borrowed on temporary loan to answer the
'pressing emergencies of the State, tuio when the late
executive was reduced to the necessity of requiring a
special session of the legislature to relieve the common
wealth from the embarrassments lAtieli were pressing
upon it on every side, that any uneasiness or alarm was
discoverable on their piirt; nor had any opposition to a
progressive system of improvement until then nutnif;!st
ed it elf by petition, or in any shape other than by the
negative votes of tnembers of t halegislature constituting
the minority in either house. Tt \w as this unpropitious
state of the - commonwealth's atlitr.s that induced the
.message of the 14th of January, I 8:30,.t0 the two thin-
sea, exhibiting the state or indebt.edness' of the corm mit
wealth and pressingapoa them the urgent necessity of
ktaktiug a fond for • the payment of interest which should
40- bot h amprt and perManent. 'Phis Measure.&:as a
gain earnestly pressed in the last annual messagelO the
legislature, and in that accompanying the return of the
hill of the 21st March last entitled "an act, to continue
the improvement of the State by canals and rail roads"
to the house of representatives.
- Whatever may have been the effect of these,seve.ral
messages, one thing is certain, that in a very short time
after the first °Rhein had been read in the two houses
capitalists and monied institutions vied with each other
as to which of them should obtain the State loans; high
premiums were offered and obtained, tinder the comic-,
tion and in .the entire confidence that an adequate fiend
for the punctual semi-annual payment of the interest
would be established, the connw m weadth has ever since
been enabled to borrow all sucliattims , as her 'exigences
f m
- rem - tim - v - ritne — fetptired; upott-i4nwhighly-aaVauta
ireous to her financial operations awl flattering to the
state of her credit, and the sum of $1186,989 71 has
since been paid into the Treasury in the shape of pre.
miums upon loans. To this prosperous condition, in
which the credit of the State has been placed, is to be,
ascribed the delay for the necessity of calling upon the
people for their contributions to supply the interest fund
the_premiums paid upon loans having, until the last
semi-annual payment of interest, which became tine on
the first of Angust last, so far aided in replenishing' that
fund as to enable it to meet the entire payment of 'the
interest as it became due. On the day last mentioned,
however • a deficiency in that fund amounting to the
sum 0f826,176 10 occured, for which sum became
necessary to resort - to the general appropriations for
the construction of canals and rail roads as authorised
by the act of the 30th of Mtireli last. As however this
mode of supplying the interest fund by premiums to be
paid upon loans cannot be expected to continue, and
would under_ any circumstances, be too capricious and
unsafe to be relied upon; and as there is reason to be
lieve, that increasing deficiencies willoccur, in the in-
terest fund, fors time, until the tolls arising from the
public works shall be sufficient to supply them Ow infor
mation in Million to which the general assembly is re
ferred to the report of the commissioners of the inter
nal improvement fund) it will become necessary tosupply
those deficiencies by a resort to the revenues authorised
to be collected by the several acts of assemblv,entitled an
act assessing a tax on personal.ptoperty, to be collected
with the county rates and levies, for the use of the com
monwealth, and "an act to increase the county rates and
levies, for the use of the commonwealth," passed re
spectively the 2.5 th day of March last. _
No honest citizen of Pennsylvania can desire a re
currence of the difficulties and embarrassments which
pervaded the financial transactions of the State in 1829,
especially those which pertained to it - vorks of inter-
nal improvement; and I trust that *none will repine at
the payment of a Kiln so small as that which the acts'
referred to will require of him, when he must feel assu
red, that what he pays is to aid in promoting the
, public welfare, to advance the prosperity and hap-1
' piness of the people, "t.o maintain the character
and standing of the State in which he lives, and
to preserve her strength and resources," and when
he is assured that no other exaction will be re
quired --of him in reference to the objects which now
create-the-necessity for- tho-domand ,--uor,w illthoseatow.
demanded of - him be .required for a longer period thtin
the five years to which the several acts referred to have
limited them. Every other state engaged in the im
provetneht of its intermit condition, has, it is believed,
resorted to taxation for the payment of the interest up- .
on its loans the State of New York, to a heavy 'tax up
onthe salt manufactured within the State,and'even the
comparatively young state of Ohio, which but the oth
er day was a howling wilderness, bikwhieli' is acquir
ing inunortallionor, in consequence of the splendid and
magnificent works of internal improvement now con
structing within it, whose citizens are laboring under all
the:disedvantages attendant upon an almost. entire ah
settee .erthe circulating medium, and all the other dal
culties and privations Mei to anew Country,from the
very commencen 1
tentef RS ‘v
tibltc orks,resorted to taxa
tion to meet the interest uporiloans for their construction.
I have every confidence in my fellow-citi;zens, that as
loon as they shall be convinced of the necessity of the
measure, and kribwinguas I do, the jealousy with which
they watch . overand guard their individual. credit, and
that with which their patriotism should inspire them in
regard to the integrity and safety of that of the State,
their objections to making a small eontribution annual
ly, for a short period, towardS an object which has pro
gressed too far to 'be abandoned, which- ha's' cost too
many millions to be now arrested in its successful ca
reer, and suffered to go to ruin, and which promises
too much future, uspfiiluess in elevating the character
of the State, developing its reqoproes, and increasing
the prosperity and adding to the wealth and happiness
of its 'people, to be suffered to languish for the want
of means so inconsiderable as those required by the re
venue bills, must entirely 'cease. The responsibility
incurred. in recommending such a measure is felt in all
itsforee ; the• necessity - -of the measure to sustain the
credit of the State, will, it is bejieved, ensure its justi
4cation;_ but should it be otheilise, i have only to.say
That the man who would prefer an ephemeral populari.
,ty to the solid - interests of his country, is unworthy of
Itithlic confidence, and : his, claims to public &trot are
'certainty not to be envied. • : ' -
~ • - .
',By an sat ofassembly, entitled '.`An act to - Authorize
a loam to 'defray the expenses of the'PennsylVanja ca
'nal awl- rail road;nd contintiti for'it - forthettinnti P4E,
n4i - t to incorporirte this turtmosiblls, tip the bank of Penn.
svrvania," pagAvi ate - TAth . et Ma reh.l.Slin tbatiti4itii.
MEM
MIMI
=la
3Q,
.
tiOn-wastequlred to lend, and the Governor was anth4.-
rimed tg borrow on the credit of the,Cornmonivealth; :C
sum or sums of money, in the -vithoie mot exceeding:.
84,000,000 at a preinium„ of five and an half per cent.,.
to be paid into the , State treasury, in instalments
mentioned -in the act, and bearing an interest of five:
per cent: pet' annum, to be applied to canal and rail
road purposes; and by the same act the bank of Penn.
is required to loan to the Comnionwealth $1,000,000
annually, for the term of three years from and Wier the
first day of January, 1830, bearing interest at the ran:-
of five per cent. per annum, provided that. the same'
shall be required by law - during any one of the three'
years mentioned in the act. And by another act, pass:
ed on thdt27th of March; in the same year, entitled "an
act making further appropriations fin• canals and rail
_ .
Toads," the board of canal commissioners Was directed
to.cause so much of the .contracts already made upon
lie different lines of the canals and rail roads as conld
be done, to be completed in that year, and they were
enjoined in no way to enter into new contracts tbr.the
extension of any line of canal or rail road, except tbr
the etzekiii adarn .it-Or near Johnstown, and• OW"
constriction or a canal and ireelSttry %collo; t?oin thence
to section number fitly-seven, on the Ligonier line, for
the purpose of introducing the water into the Ligonier
line or the western division of the line. Several sm.-
yeys were (hared by this act, and s►nn of s34so,:i:i•'
was appropriated to•be applied to aid in the pay Ment
of the temporary loans .theretotiire made, and to canal
and rail road purposes, and to he paid out of the loans
of that year. In pursuance of this act three and a hall
miles of canal,sbelow Johnstown, on the western divi
sion, were put under contract; and the sum of s3,la;
,-
844 08 was disbursed in pursuance of the directi o ns of
the last ►mentioned act.
It may be proper here to reinarli,that the amount ac
tually. paid to the board of canal commisSioners, up to
the 21st of December, 1830, the, date of their last //re
port, was $0,2.16,566 46. Of this sum, 84,255 v(as
disbursed in building a dans across the Coneinaugh, and
constructing three miles and an halt' of canal for, intro
ducing the water into the Ligonier line in the neigh
bor4too&of-Johnst oW-ny- anit4.l-0482i8t 1 .- 46 - we re - iii:
imirsed in satisfaction of contracts entered intu in the
years 1826, 1827, 1828 and 1820. _
The last act of legislation that took place in relation
to this all important subject; was thZaer of the last se:.-
sion, cat Ned " an act to continue the improvement of
the State by canals and rail roads," passed the twenty
first day of' March last, requiring the canal commission
ers to complete, as ,soon as practicable, the whole of
the sail - road - between the rivers Selniylkill and Siisque
henna, 'beginning at the inte reect ion of Vine and Broad'
streets, in the city of Philadelphia, and thence extend
ing to the end of the canal basin at Columbia, in the
county of Lancaster," towards the completion of which.
during the present year, the sum of ti1,t600,000 was speci
fically appropriated. They were also directed forth
with to complete-the krojected canal between the west
ern termination of th " lid road Itt. Columbia, and the .
best point of junction's la the, Pennsyl TIM canal at
junction' la
in the cot iAI - CifDauphin, including, an a
queduct over the river Swatara, and out let locks to
the river at . Columbia, air the expenses and cost of
which sevend works, the suet of $116,170, was 'Teal,
cally appropriated. They were also directed to coni
mence forthwith, and prosecute without. delay, a rail
road over and across the Allegheny mountain, :from the
basin at Hollidaysburg, in the . county of fa
Johnstown, in the county Cambria. Also to continence
and prosecute without delay, the extension of t e
Juniata division of the Pennsylvania canal from
the town of Huntingdon, in the county of Hunt
ingdon, to the basin. at Hollidaysburg, the same
county, either by canal or slack water navigation,
towards the expenditures of which rail road and canal
or :-:lack water Ilarigation, (hiring the present
year,the sum ofs7oo,ooo,was specifically appropriated.
They were also, required to extend, without delay, by
canal and slack water navigation, the west branch di
vision of the Pennsylvania canal, from the Munn , dam
in the county of 'teeming, •to the mouth of the Bald
Eagle creek, in the same county, towards the expenses
whereof, during the present year, $200,000 were spe
cifically appropriated. Also, a water communication
between the town of Lewisburg, in Union county, and
the nearest and best point on the west branch division
of the Pennsylvania canal, for which the sum of $25..
000 was specifically appropriated. Also, the north
branch division of the Pennsylvania canal, from the pool
of Nanticoke dam, in the county of Luzerne, by
.cAinal-er-slack-wafeiLlitivigationi-not-taexcliffeeit—
miles in the same county, tower& the exnenses where
of; during the present year, the sum of $lOO,OOO was
specifically appropriated. They were also directed to
make a canal or slack water navigation from the Alle
gheny river, at the mouth of French , creek, and•up-that
creek to the French creek li!eder; towards the expenses
whereof; the present year, the sum 4860,000
was specifically appropriated. Also, to make _a canal
or slack water navigation, from the Ohio river, - at the
mouth of Big Beaver creek, up that creek to the town
of New Castle, towards. the expenses whereof; during
the present year,•the sum of $lOO,OOO was specifically
appropriated. All of which several specific appropria
tions eI.A directed to - bepaid out. of the loans directed
by said act * to be made. And the Governor was au
thorized to borrow, on the credit of the commonwealth,
the sinn of $2,483,161 88, to be applied to the several
objects enumerated in said act.
In pursuance of the direction of the act just recited, the
board of canal commissioners have put under contract the Co
himbian and Philadelphia rail road in length 81i miles, the
whole cost of which e including steam engines, and necessary
works, is estimated at a sum of 62,297,120 21. The Alleghe
ny portage-rail road, the whole length of which, from the lower'
end of the basin at Johnstown, to the lower end of the basin at
Hollidaysburg, 36 miles 221 perches, and the ostimathd cost
thereof; including steam engines. and all necessary Works, is
61,271;718 18, The north branch division of Vitt. Pennsylva-.
nia canal, from the foot of the Nanticoke dam, a distance of lit
Miles 316 perches, exclusive elite feeder, 3:4niles 305 porches
slack water, and 13 miles 11 perches of ..oanal, the estimated
cost of which is $220,594 56. The Lycondng line or WOFt
branch division of the Pennsylvania Camel from Money dank
to the mouth of the Bald Emile, consisting o 1" 11 miles 12 perch
es of canal, 10 miles and 56 peones, slack water, together 41
Rules 68 perches, the estimated cost of which is $5,587 54.,
The Lewisburg Cross Cut, 200 perches is length, and to come.
$22,090. The Frankstown hue, oonsioting of 23 mikes 15d
perches ofCanal, and 15 miles 266. perches towing path or slack
Water, making together 38 miles' 102 perchei in length, the
whole cost or which is estimated at the sum of $598,181 56„
The Beaver division extending (torn the Ohio river at the
mouth arthe Big ltidavercreek to the town of New Castle, con
noting of 16 miles 224 perches of slack water, yul 8 miles 10;
porches of canal, making together 34 mites Nu perches. in.
length, and eniinated ost $33017 84, The Eastern divi-
Von' consisting of Ermilos 227 perches, betWeen. '
and Columbia and outlet leeks atColumbia, the estimated met.,
of which 41 . 40133,840 52; and 'the Trench creek. dinsi n ipdhtin,
the Allegheny ribber, at the Mouth of Fretsdi CreekOtrukulithat .
creek to the French creek *lda ) ennsieting of 47 mileti . 36
perches ortil A ck water navigation, and s.Mileslo2 7 pottibes
[K r roilehmion bal (44 M scr
c . o 0
II
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