cumstances in relation to the loan to that bank, which is herewith submitted.

JAS. B. HUNT.

To James B. Hunt, Esq., one of the acting Commissioners of the Board of Internal Improvement:

At your request, I make the following statement of the facts. connected with the loan made by you as one of the Commissioners of the board of internal improvement, to me, as cashier of the Farmers' and Mechanics' bank at Pontiac. It became desirable on the part of the bank, during the last winter, to reduce the circulation before the resumption of specie payments, which was to take place in the ensuing month of May; and I consulted with a majority of the directors of the bank as to the propriety of obtaining a loan froin the state, through the board of commissioners of internal improvement. They thought it advisable. I had also learned that the board desired to have the money loaned out, which they had received from the State Treasurer, and I applied to you for the same as the cashier of that bank, as you have stated in your report to the board, which I have seen, and the loan was made at the time and in the manner therein stated. I ob. tained the money as cashier of that bank, and used a great proportion of it in taking up the circulation of the bank. I deposited the money that I had received of you in the bank within a few days after the same had been received by me. A question then arose as to whose account it should be placed in the books of the bank, and not knowing to what account to credit the amount, the teller of the bank placed it to my credit, and it remained in that manner until the receiver was appointed to take charge of the affairs of the bank. I will further state, that notwithstanding all the exertions made by me to exchange and loan the same, the bank or myself will lose from $1,500 to $1,800 in the transaction, on account of the uncurrency of the money. These sums were obtained by me in good faith and for the benefit of the bank. I supposed, and so stated to you at the time, that every dollar which I could use in exchange for our bills would save the payment of so much specie or eastern money, or drafts, in the May following; and as it was stated at the time that the money would not be required until needed in payment on the public works during the summer, I supposed there would be no difficulty in meeting the drafts of the commissioners as they should want to use the money.

It has been a matter of regret to me that it has proved otherwise, and still more so that the injunction placed on the bank has taken from it the ability to act in any way in this matter until its concerns are finally closed. But I have no apprehension that the state will lose any part of the amount loaned to the bank as

above stated, although the bank cannot at present render any assistance.

Yours respectfully,

G. W. WILLIAMS.

Detroit, Jan. 11, 1839.

(No. 4.)

Report of L. S. Humphrey, Acting Commissioner Southern Railroad and Havre branch Railroad.

To E. H. Lothrop, Esq. President of the Board of Internal Improvement.

Pursuant to instructions of the board of internal improvement, I beg leave respectfully to submit the following report; embracing a general statement of the whole operations, condition and disbursements in each department on the several works committed to my charge, from May 15th, 1837, to the present time. A portion of the first division of the southern railroad, from Monroe to Adrian, was located and put under contract previous to January 1st, 1838. The principal and only disbursements made by me during the year 1837, were on account of engineering, which on the several surveys of the southern railroad amount to the sum of $12,336; and the surveys of the St. Joseph river, to the further sum of $5,812. In April last, contracts were entered into for the residue of the work on the first division of the southern road, iron excepted, including the grading, drains, laying superstructure, culverts, bridges, &c., under the stipulation that the whole should be completed by the first day of January, 1839.

The work is now far advanced, (the timber being mostly laid,) and is still steadily progressing; but the unusual sickness during the past season, and a limited number of laborers who could be induced to go on the work, rendered it impossible for the contractors to perform their contracts within the time required. It is believed, however, that the work will be finished the early part of next season. In that event, the state will sustain little or no damage in consequence of the unfortunate circumstances which, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the contractors, have retarded its progress. The superstructure on the first thirty-one miles of the road, comprising the portion from Monroe to Leroy, is mostly laid. It is constructed on vertical blocks, from eighteen to twenty-eight inches in diameter, well driven to a firm, solid bear

ing, and upon the top of these blocks is fitted a transverse timber with a notch or gain cut to receive a longitudinal timber not less than eight inches square; upon these longitudinal timbers is laid a

ribbon three by four inches, which, together with the iron plate, is to be spiked to the sill. The blocks are set six feet apart, lon gitudinally or lengthwise of the road, for the whole distance, except on three or four sections, where, after the contracts were entered into and the work commenced, indications of quicksand were found; on these sections it was deemed expedient (although at an increased expense of from three to four hundred dollars per mile) to place the blocks only four feet apart. This portion of the first division is exceedingly favorable for the plan of construction adopted, there being generally a hard clay bottom from nine to thirty-six inches below the surface, and I am confident that the road, when completed, will not be surpassed in solidity and durability by any "timbered road" hitherto constructed in this country.

The cost of completing the above portion of the road as contracted, (that is for grubbing and clearing, grading, putting in culverts, drains, laying superstructure, and finishing all the materials, except the iron and heavy bridges across Plumb creek and the River Raisin,) would amount, at the original contract prices, to $4,500 per mile. The actual cost, however, will somewhat exceed that sum. The level surface of the country requires some additional ditching in order properly to drain the road, the expense of which was not included in the original contracts. In all cases the contracts for grubbing and clearing were taken at a very low rate, and the contractors in several instances were unable to fulfil their contracts, and consequently I was compelled to re-let the work at an advanced price. It will also be recollected that a joint resolution was passed by both houses of the legis lature at the last session, suspending for thirty days, all operations on the road. The resolution above mentioned was passed at a time when the engineers were actively engaged in the surveys, and before the line was satisfactorily located in all its parts. By the operations of the resolution the engineers were prevented from making some necessary slight alterations in the line, and the contractors proceeded to perform their contracts previously entered into, on an imperfectly located line. After the expiration of the time limited in the resolution, the necessary corrections were made at a small additional expense for grubbing and clearing. The precise amount of the increased expense cannot be given, as the work is not yet entirely finished, but it cannot be very great.

The remaining portion of the first division, from Leroy to Adrian, is built upon the common plan of road, with a mudsill, tie and sawed rail, as more applicable than a block road where high em bankments and deep cuttings frequently occur.

The grading from Leroy to Adrian is found to be more expensive than my wishes led me to anticipate before the commence ment of the work, there being a much greater portion of the

deep excavation composed of a stiff cement of clay and gravel, or hardpan, on which the contracts require the engineer to allow an additional price per yard above common earth excavation. The whole amount of work advertised according to law and put under contract on the first division, amounts to about $220,000.

Other expenses have occurred, as engineering, right of way, fencing, depot buildings, machinery, &c. &c. On the whole work there has been expended about $200,000, a detailed statement of which accompanies this report.

In accordance with a resolution of the board of internal improvement, passed May 15th, 1838, I have commenced and mostİy finished a commodious depot building for passengers in the city of Monroe. The ground on which the building stands was obtained free of expense to the state, but it is hardly thought sufficient in its present shape to accommodate the anticipated business of the road. I would therefore recommend the purchase of that remaining portion of the lot where the depot stands, which lies on Front and Harrison streets. A lot also has been purchased, contiguous to the above, for an engine-house, repairing shop, lumber yard, &c. The brick and other materials have been purchased and the foundation laid of a building sufficiently large to contain six engines, attached to which is a work shop for wood repairs, two forges, benches, lathes, &c. necessary for the repairs of the machinery and road.

A location for a depot has been made at Adrian on the public square, as designated on the recorded plat of the eastern addition to the village of Adrian.

It may not be improper in this place to state some of the reasons that influenced me in making the above location.

In the first place, it seemed to be entertained by many persons, that the true policy of the state was against connecting the southern railroad with that of the Erie and Kalamazoo ať Adrian, in such a manner as to afford any possible facility for the transhipment of freight and passengers at that place. The present line of the southern railroad crosses the Erie and Kalamazoo road one half mile or more east of Adrian, and the contemplated depot on the southern road is about one-fourth of a mile west of said crossing and about the same distance in a south easterly direction from the depot of the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad.

In the second place, the present located line was found by actual survey to be several thousand dollars cheaper than any other route, except it might be by running half a mile along side of the Erie and Kalamazoo road in the form of a double track road, to their depot.

The inclinations of grade on the present route are much lighter than those on the Erie and Kalamazoo, they being obliged to start their trains from the depot, on an inclination of forty or forty-five

feet per mile; besides the additional inconvenience of necessarily moving many cars by hand in loading and unloading on so great an inclination; whereas the contemplated depot on the southern road is located on a straight line and level grade, important con siderations not to be obtained on any other route than the one adopted.

In accordance with a resolution of the board authorizing me, if I should consider it required by the public interest, to construct a double track or a single one on each side of the river in the city of Monroe, I have advertised as the law directs, and receiv ed proposals for the necessary bridges across the River Raisin, and for the building of about two miles of road. The cost, exclusive of right of way, and including the bridges, is estimated at about $25,000. No accurate estimate can be made of the right of way under the present law of appointing appraisers, but it is anticipated that it will be very considerable.

The second division of the southern railroad, comprising the portion from Adrian to Hillsdale village, has been located during the past summer. Much time has been expended in critical examination of the route. The location found most favorable, and which has been adopted, is that recommended by the engineer in his report accompanying the last annual report of the board, and it gives me much satisfaction to be able to state, that his most sanguine expectations have been more than realized. The grubbing and clearing for the second division was put under contract in September last, and is nearly finished. The contracts for the residue of the work, namely, grading, bridges, superstructure, &c., were entered into agreeably to the provisions of law, on the 10th day of October last. The whole work is now under contract, amounting to the sum of $277,256, of which sum there has been disbursed for work performed by the contractors, about $12,000. The work at the present time is rapidly progressing on the entire route.

The third division comprises the route between Hillsdale and the village of Branch. On this division there has for some time past been engaged a full corps of engineers, making definite surveys for a final location. Near the eastern extremity of this division is encountered a high, broken ridge of land, extending five or six miles to the north and south, on which is found the summit of the present line across the peninsula.

It was anticipated and reported by the engineer, in our last annual report, that a more eligible route might be found by some slight variation from the surveys then made. I regret to state, that further investigation and numerous surveys made, with persevering energy, by the engineer, have failed to accomplish any material improvement in the original surveyed route. In order to avoid the great expense of crossing Sand creek, on the present