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Duty and lie or they are hereby inipowered to seize and detain any A essel
navigating the said River until the said Toll shall be paid . . . .
111. JOHN SIMPLE TO WASHINGTON.
OCT 0(,2 L AN "3 8th. jam J770-
Sit
I am Sorry it is not convenient for you to take Iron for Mr. Kennedays
Pork should my people leave got It which is uncertain. when I came from
the Furnaces I left directions with them to procure it If possible and
which Mr Kenneday had promised me to be at the Furnace about that
%b eek. Should they have got It would a Credite with Doctr. Ross IT
,~ilit Von.
I am greatly pleased to find you are so likely to Carry the point of
Improveing Potowmack River'" But the plan adopted on the footing of
the Adventures being to be repaid with Interest from a Toll Will be
lyable to a Great difficulty which I am afraid will prevent Its being accom-
plished. Money is not so plenty that Persons possessed of It are under
any dificulty to let it out at Interest oil the Terms of withdrawing and
Commanding It when they please which would not be the case If Sunk in
a plan of this kind attended with the greatest uncertainty when It might
be Recoverable Which would prevent any Persons Sinking in It a Sum
more than as a Gift of Charity He had given away and did not Expect
to receive again which Scanty Methods I am afraid may not be Suficient
to accomplish the End. On the footing of the Toll being made the prop-
erty- of the Adventurers as is the mode of all Such Publick undertakings
in Britain and always allowed by Parliament In the makeing of either
Turnpicke Roads in Land or Portable Cannalls by Water Upon Such a
footing people would Subscribe freely and Sink considerable Sums ill It
on the Supposition of Settling It By way of Estate and Reaping in time
considerable advantage from It Altho' at a distant Prospect On this foot-
ing the Adventurers would have the greatest encouragement that could be
given them which would Induce them to continue It on to Tyde Water
with Locks at the foot of what is called the Meadows below the Great
falls. It is a thing not Improbable or Impossible Nor extremely difficult
or Expensive nearly equal to the Utility of It to the Community And from
thence I presume It may be continued past the Little falls to Tyde Water.
In the forming of the Law there is a point that ought to be guarded
against That perhaps might not be attended to. Two of our Staple Coln-
inodities And which is Still more likely to be so for Exportation which
is the Surest means of Inriching a Country And Counter Ballancing the
Excessive Imports our necessity and Prodigality require Are Flower and
Iron And which likewise in a Great measure is the Support of the Farmer
hherefore all encouragement ought to be given By the Legislatures for
the manufacturing of them .And no place prevented front being Improved
for these purposes that possibly can be made Serviceable towards that
End. The places where Locks are required for the Navigation of Rivers
Are Generally Such where the Waters Run strong by the height of the
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