384 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Mar. 6,

Mr, Bannon, from the Committee on Internal Improve-
ments, reported favorably, the following Senate

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

In relation to the improvement of the navigation of the
Upper Potomac, Eastern Branch of the Potomac and Patapsco
Rivers.

WHEREAS, A deep interest is felt by the citizens of the
State of Maryland, and a large number of the citizens of the
State of Virginia, and West Virginia, in the extension of the
navigation of the Potomac river from the City of Cumberland,
in Maryland, now the terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, to the mouth of Savage river, a distance of twenty-
eight miles, which latter point is in the centre of what is
commonly known as the "Cumberland Coal Basin."

Whereas, The Government of the United States, did on
on or about the loth of August. 1828, subscribe to ten thou-
sand shares of the capital stock of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal Company, and did, since that date, viz : on the 20th
of May, 1836, become the owner by purchase of the fifteen
thousand shares of stock subscribed by the Cities of Wash-
ington, Georgetown and Alexandria, thus being the first to
encourage a work of great magnitude and utility, by owning
two millions and five hundred thousand dollars worth of
its stock, besides expanding large sums of money in explora-
tions, maps and surveys, and publishing the same with words
of encouragement as to the probable success and profits of
the investments in said work.

And whereas, By reason of such liberal subscription on the
part of the United States, and the encouraging estimates of
cost by its engineers, and the reports of prospective profits
made and published by the same, iuduced a large number of
private parties, together with the States of Virginia and
Maryland, to make investments therein, so that the State of
Maryland has contributed to the construction of this work,
up to September 30th, 1875, the large sum of twenty mil-
lion nine hundred and forty-one thousand and seven hun-
dred and forty-eight dollars and twenty-eight cents, ($20,-
941,748.28;) which latter sum the State cannot increase in
further aid of the work, by reason of constitutional prohibi-
tion.

And whereto, The increasing trade and demand for Cum-
berland coal, leads to the belief among prudent and far-see-
ing men, that an extension of this work to the centre of the
coal basin, by the improvement of the navigation of the
Upper Potomac, would not only repay the investment, but
render the investments already made in the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal productive and profitable.