No. II.

Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on the subject of Public Roads and Canals; made in pursuance of a resolution of Senate, of March 2, 1807.

In Senate of the United States, March 2, 1807.

Resolved, That the secretary of the treasury be directed to prepare and report to the senate, at their next session, a plan for the application of such means as are within the power of congress, to the purposes of opening roads and making canals; together with a statement of the undertakings of that nature, which, as objects of public improvement, may require and deserve the aid of government; and also a statement of works of the nature mentioned, which have been commenced, the progress which has been made in them, and the means and prospect of their being completed; and such information as, in the opinion of the secretary, shall be material, in relation to the objects of this resolution.

Sir,

Attest,

SAMUEL A. OTIS, Secretary.

Treasury Department, April 4th, 1808. I have the honour to transmit a report respecting roads and canals, prepared in obedience to the resolution of the senate, of the 2d of March, 1807. It has been unavoidably delayed much later than was desirable, or had been expected. Although early steps had been taken for obtaining the necessary information, the most important documents were not received till long after the commencement of this session, some, indeed, within the last ten days. To analyze the whole, to select, arrange, and condense the most interesting facts, was also a work of some labour. Time has not permitted to present the report in a more satisfactory form but the mass of facts which has been collected, will, it is hoped, be of some public utility.

I have the honour to be, with great respect, sir, your most obedient servant,

ALBERT GALLATIN.

The hor. George Clinton, president of the senate.

The Secretary of the Treasury, in obedience to the resolution of the Senate of the 2d March, 1807, respectfully submits the following report on Roads and Canals.

The general utility of artificial roads and canals, is at this time so universally admitted, as hardly to require any additional proofs. It is sufficiently evident, that, whenever the annual expense of transportation on a certain route in its natural state, exceeds the interest on the capital employed in improving the communication, and the annual expense of transportation, (exclusively of the tolls,) by the improved route, the difference is an annual additional income to the nation. Nor does in that case the general result vary, although the tolls may not have been fixed at a rate sufficient to pay to the undertakers the interest on the capital laid out. They indeed, when that happens, lose; but the community is nevertheless benefitted by the undertaking. The general gain is not confined to the difference between the expenses of the transportation of those articles which had been formerly conveyed by that route, but many which were brought to market by other channels, will then find a new and more advantageous direction; and those which on account of their distance or weight could not be transported in any manner whatever, will acquire a value, and become a clear addition to the national wealth. These and many other advantages have become so obvious, that in countries possessed of large capital, where property is sufficiently secure to induce individuals to lay out that capital on permanent undertakings, and where a compact population creates an extensive commercial intercourse, within short distances, those improvements may often, in ordinary cases, be left to individual exertion, without any direct aid from government.

There are, however, some circumstances, which, whilst they render the facility of communications throughout the United States an object of primary importance, naturally check the application of private capital and enterprize to improvements on a large scale.

The price of labour is not considered as a formidable obstacle, because, whatever it may be, it equally affects the transportation, which is saved by the improvement, and that of effecting the improvement itself. The want of practical knowledge is no longer felt and the occasional influence of mistaken local interests, in sometimes thwarting or giving an improper direction to public improvements, arises from the nature of man, and is common to all countries. The great demand for capital in the United States, and the extent of territory compared with the popu

lation, are, it is believed, the true causes which prevent new undertakings, and render those already accomplished, less profitable than had been expected.

1. Notwithstanding the great increase of capital during the last fifteen years, the objects for which it is required continue to be more numerous, and its application is generally more profitable than in Europe. A small portion therefore is applied to objects which offer only the prospect of remote and moderate profit. And it also happens, that a less sum being subscribed at first, than is actually requisite for completing the work, this proceeds slowly; the capital applied remains unproductive for a much longer time than was necessary, and the interest accruing during that period, becomes in fact an injurious addition to the real expense of the undertaking.

2. The present population of the United States, compared with the extent of territory over which it is spread, does not, except in the vicinity of the sea-ports, admit that extensive commercial intercourse within short distances, which, in England and some other countries, forms the principal support of artificial roads and canals. With a few exceptions, canals particularly, cannot in America be undertaken with a view solely to the intercourse between the two extremes of, and along the intermediate ground which they occupy. It is necessary, in order to be productive, that the canal should open a communication with a natural extensive navigation, which will flow through that new channel. It follows that whenever that navigation requires to be improved, or when it might at some distance be connected by another canal to another navigation, the first canal will remain comparatively unproductive, until the other improvements are effected, until the other canal is also completed. Thus the intended canal between the Chesapeake and Delaware, will be deprived of the additional benefit arising from the intercourse between New York and the Chesapeake, until an inland navigation shall have been opened between the Delaware and New York. Thus the expensive canals completed around the falls of Potomac, will become more and more productive in proportion to the improvement, first of the navigation of the upper branches of the river, and then of its communication with the western waters. Some works already executed are unprofitable, many more remain unattempted, because their ultimate productiveness depends on other improvements, too extensive or too distant to be embraced by the same individuals.

The general government can alone remove these obstacles.

With resources amply sufficient for the completion of every practicable improvement, it will always supply the capital wanted

for any work which it may undertake, as fast as the work itself can progress, avoiding thereby the ruinous loss of interest on a dormant capital, and reducing the real expense to its lowest rate.

With these resources, and embracing the whole union, it will complete on any given line all the improvements, however distant, which may be necessary to render the whole productive, and eminently beneficial.

The early and efficient aid of the federal government is recommended by still more important considerations. The inconveniencies, complaints, and perhaps dangers, which may result from a vast extent of territory, can no otherwise be radically removed, or prevented, than by opening speedy and easy communications through all its parts. Good roads and canals will shorten distances, facilitate commercial and personal intercourse, and unite, by a still more intimate community of interests, the most remote quarters of the United States. No other single operation, within the power of government, can more effectually tend to strengthen and perpetuate that union, which secures external independence, domestic peace, and internal liberty.

With that view of the subject, the facts respecting canals, which have been collected in pursuance of the resolution of the senate, have been arranged under the following heads :

1. Great canals, 'from north to south, along the Atlantic sea

coast.

2. Communications between the Atlantic and western waters. 3. Communications between the Atlantic waters, and those of the great lakes, and the river St. Lawrence. 4. Interior canals.

GREAT CANALS ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEA COAST.

The map of the United States will show that they possess a tide-water inland navigation, secure from storms and enemies, and which, from Massachusetts to the southern extremity of Georgia, is principally, if not solely, interrupted by four necks of land. These are the isthmus of Barnstable; that part of New Jersey which extends from the Rariton to the Delaware; the peninsula between the Delaware and the Chesapeake; and that low and marshy tract which divides the Chesapeake from Albemarle sound. It is ascertained that a navigation for sea vessels, drawing eight feet of water, may be effected across the three last; and a canal is also believed to be practicable, not perhaps across the isthmus of Barnstable, but from the harbour of Boston to that of Rhode Island. The Massachusetts canal would be about 26, the New Jersey about 28, and each of the two south

ern about 22 miles in length, making altogether less than 100 miles..

Should this great work, the expense of which, as will hereafter be shown, is estimated at about $ 3,000,000, be accomplished, a sea vessel entering the first canal in the harbour of Boston, would through the bay of Rhode Island, Long Island sound, and the harbour of New York, reach Brunswick on the Rariton; thence pass through the second canal to Trenton on the Delaware, down that river to Christiana, or Newcastle, and through the third canal to Elk river and the Chesapeake; whence sailing down that bay, and up Elizabeth river, it would, through the fourth canal, enter the Albemarle sound, and, by Pamptico, Core, and Bogue sounds, reach Beaufort and Swansborough, in North Carolina. From the last-mentioned place, the inland navigation, through Stumpy and Toomer's sounds, is continued with a diminished draft of water, and by cutting two low and narrow necks, not exceeding three miles together, to Cape Fear river; and thence, by an open, but short and direct run along the coast, is reached that chain of islands, between which and the main the inland navigation is continued to St. Mary's, along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. It is unnecessary to add any comments on the utility of the work, in peace or war, for the transportation of merchandize or the conveyance of persons. The several papers under the letter (A), herewith transmitted, contain the information which has been received on those seve ral intended communications. The substance will now be stated.

I. Massachusetts Canal.

1. Sandwich isthmus, between Barnstable bay, on the north, and Buzzard's bay, on the south, had first attracted the public attention. Surveys and levels were taken, for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability of opening a cross cut, to be sup plied by the sea itself, from the mouth of Back river, in Buzzard's bay, to the mouth of Scusset river, in Barnstable bay.

The distance was found to exceed seven miles; the elevation of the highest intermediate ground is forty feet above low water mark in Barnstable bay; the depth of water at the mouth of Back river, does not, at low water, exceed seven feet and a half; and the channel to that spot, through Buzzard bay, is obstructed by shoals. The tide, which rises but three feet and a half in that bay, rises three hours and a half later, and more than eighteen feet, in that of Barnstable. The shore on which that formidable tide would operate, is an open beach, without any har bour or shelter whatever. Independent of other obstacles, it