The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

FOR THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.

ONE way of representing the value and importance of an object is by calculation on the pecuniary scale: with this view, I stated at a large amount the sum that might be proper to expend in the formation of Roads and Canals: the modification that this general proposition will receive by subsequent explanation will, I trust, serve to do away much of the alarm that would naturally enough arise from the first impression.

I shall in the first place remark, that as the whole of the improvements could not be made in one year, it would not of course be necessary to vote the whole of the necessary supply in one session; it would only be requisite to appropriate for the current disbursements. In this way the early expenditures would become productive, whilst the subsequent grants were under consumption; but as it is a fundamental principle in all republican governments, that the agency of the executive shall be as much narrowed as is possible, consistent with the public welfare, every section of road or canal on which a toll could be levied, should be disposed of to individuals or companies, to be transferred in fee—upon such conditions as would guard against all neglects, or mismanagement in the purchaser, such agreement having always a reference to the general system. The tolls should bear proportion to the cost, calculating upon the most extensive general plan: this is the truest means of computing and fixing it; some parts would pay well, others worse, but the average of the whole would give legal interest on the capital to government, and be a great benefit to the inhabitants.

The great length of time necessary, even to prepare for the execution of such a plan is one of the strongest inducements to its immediate commencement. In the first place many arrangements between individual states, and between individual states and the U. States, would be requisite: the difficulties that have arisen in this way, from conflicting local interests, & the obstinate tenacity of territorial jurisdiction, is well known and much deplored by every liberal minded citizen: to attempt to defeat these obstacles in detail, would be to annihilate our prospects; the insatiable selfishness of some, the ambitious, crafty policy of others, the passions, the prejudices, and above all, the ignorance of the many, would present a phalanx of opposition too formidable to engage with; but amongst this host of difficulties lie the means of success; the state governments can be combined with us, and made useful auxiliaries in its accomplishment; previous preparatory concessions should be obtained, accurate surveys of routes made, detailed reports laid up; and the theory well digested and publicly communicated, that every thing might be discussed—nothing ripens and edifies the public mind so much as this species of tuition. With respect to our national police we are at present safe, and when we consider the extravagant waste of intellect and mechanism, in the lowest services, can we hesitate to hope that we shall have enlightened elucidations from able pens, from that worthy class of men, who apart from the crowd, are employed in the investigation of the sciences, and like the illustrious Franklin, tracing their application to the various pursuits of his laborious fellow citizens.

To excite and seize upon the public sentiment with a view of directing it to public advantage, is the attempt of a truly noble mind; of this kind is that of Bonaparte, to bring silks into fashion, in order to restore the manufactures of France. The same principle has been pursued in England with the greatest success—an impassion for chemical research so prevalent at one time so prevalent at Paris, that even the ladies would talk of nothing else; is it wonderful then, that that science should be so ardently studied, and so effectually explored by philosophers acting under the stimulus of female beauty. Should our ladies be brought to acquire the same predilection for the grand national machinery of roads and canals, the knowledge relative to them would become an object of pursuit, even with the men of pleasure.

Now or never, is the time to push improvements on in the Atlantic states; their population is not increasing much, along the sea board their increase being annually drained to fill up the western vacant lands. The western interest and voice is increasing in our national councils; when once it preponderates, which period will not be long coming, as nature has pointed out a conjunction of interest more immediate between the Louisiana and western interests, we may bid adieu to every hope of internal improvement, under the auspices of the government, within the old United States.—One of the

CANAL PARTY.