dred miles, three million three hundred thousand tons per mile. Onethird of this may be safely assumed as imports and exports through the port of Mobile, and thus add a million of tons per annum in merchandize to the foreign and domestic trade of the city. From the statistics of other rail roads we derive the same proof, that no less than three thousand passengers will be conveyed, per mile, upon these twenty-one hundred miles of road; giving per annum, a transit of six million six hundred thousand persons, of which number, twenty per cent. or three hundred and thirty thousand persons will be in and out of the city. Another element in the future commercial greatness of this port, and indicating it as a depot for the steam marine that is to carry the vast trade of which the Gulf of Mexico, the American Mediterranean, is destined to be the seat, is the immense coal fields of Alabama, sloping to the gulf. These beds are estimated, by Professor Tuomey, in his "Geology of Alabama," to cover an area of five thousand three hundred miles. They are upon and within easy reach of the navigable waters flowing into the gulf through this bay, and there is no reason why these exhaustless and invaluable deposits, when developed by the railways in progress, should not bear the same relation to the Gulf of Mexico and to the manufactures of the southern states, and with similar incalculable results, as those of Pennsylvania do to the industry and commerce of the north. This vast commerce must have an outlet to the highway of nations, and a wise and liberal government will surely find its duty and its pleasure in removing an obstacle, trifling in relation to the magnitude of the interest involved, from the path of the torrent of commerce that will force its passage through the harbor of Mobile. Another important reason for urging this matter upon the attention of Congress, is to be found in the fact that rail roads are now in contemplation, and nearly the whole extent of them in process of construction, running through Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, &c., which it is expected will bring Mobile within about forty-eight hours' travel of New York, by way of Washington; Mobile, then, being already as near as any Gulf port to the ports of Texas and Mexico, and to any existing or contemplated line of travel to the Pacific ocean, and so soon to be brought thus near to the great eastern, central and western portions of this great confederacy, it will be at once apparent how important for mail and military as well as commercial purposes it is getting to be, that a proper channel should be prepared in our harbor through which, not only sailing vessels of all sizes, but steamers of every class, shall be able at all times to find free ingress and egress to and from the wharves of Mobile. This being once accomplished, the federal and commercial capitols of the union will soon be able with the greatest possible facility, and without interruption or delay, and at all seasons of the year, to communicate in any desired manner with the extremest sections of the country. To accommodate these great interests, commercial, military and naval; is wanted a channel three hundred feet wide, from and through Dog river bar, to the deep water of the lower bay. That Congress will furnish us with this channel is the earnest prayer of your memorialists. In asking for it, we feel that we ask only for what is due from our government to the primary demands of commercial necessity, and for an expenditure of treasure that will be reimbursed to the government in its increased revenues from an augmented commerce. We do not petition for a specific amount of appropriation. We have not deemed it necessary to go into a detailed examination of the estimated cost of the work. We ask Congress to give the great and growing trade of this region an outlet to the ocean; that the engineer corps of the government may make the estimates, and the government have the work done. We believe that whatever the cost, it will be an expenditure not commensurate with the importance of the object, an expenditure clearly within the constitutional power, and the manifest duty and interest of the government, and one which the undersigned have a right to ask for the second city of the Gulf, and the exporting city of the union, at the hands of an enlightened Congress, and from an overflowing treasury.

The committee also presented a series of resolutions which, after discussion, were withdrawn, on the ground that the views and wishes of the people of Mobile were sufficiently set forth in the memorial.

On motion of S. A. Hamilton, Esq., the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the chair to procure signatures to the memorial adopted by the meeting, and to forward the same to our immediate representative in Congress, with the rquest that he will strenuously urge attention to the same.

Resolved, That a copy of the memorial adopted by this meeting, and also of these resolutions, be forwarded by the secretary of this meeting to our Senator and Representatives in the State Legislature, with the request that they will urge upon the General Assembly of the State to endorse the action of this meeting, aud request or instruct our Senators and Representatives in Congress from Alabama to urge the matters therein set forth upon the attention of Congress.

Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in all the city papers.

The committee appointed under the above resolutions were T. A. Hamilton, H. Foster, W. J. Ledyard, Price Williams and Dan. Chandler. The meeting then adjourned.

H. O. BREWER, Secretary.

C. C. LANGDON, Chairman.

Therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened, That this General Assemby do hereby endorse and recommend to the favorable action of the general government, the views and objects above indicated.

Resolved, That our Senators and Representatives be requested to urge the matters therein set forth upon the consideration of Congress. APPROVED, February 17, 1854.

A JOINT MEMORIAL

To the Congress of the United States.

WHEREAS, rail road improvements within this state are in every respect essential to her growth in population and power, and to the prosperity and happiness of her people: and whereas, the money import duty of thirty per cent. ad valorum on rail road rails not now needed or likely to be needed as government revenue, materially increases the cost and retards the construction of such roads:

Therefore be it resolved by this General Assembly, That our senators in in the United States Congress are hereby instructed, and our representatives requested, to use all proper means for the repeal or suspension of all duties and restrictions upon the importation of foreign rails that have been or may hereafter be required for rail roads now in progress of construction, or that may be constructed during the next ten years within the United States.

APPROVED, February 11, 1854.

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Proposing a cession of West Florida to Alabama.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened, That the State of Alabama proposes to the State of Florida that the said State of Florida shall cede to the State of Alabama all that portion of Florida lying west of the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola rivers, so that when Congress gives the proper sanction to said cession, the said portion of Florida shall be a part of the State of Alabama.

2. Be it further resolved, That the governor of this state is hereby requested to transmit these resolutions to the governor of Florida, and request that they be laid before the legislature of that state.

APPROVED, February 15, 1854.

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Asking the Legislature of the State of Mississippi to grant to the President and Directors of the Memphis and Charleston Rail Road the right of way through a portion of said State.

WHEREAS, a portion of the citizens of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee are progressing in the construction of a rail way communication designed to connect the Eastern and Southern Atlantic seaboard with the valley of the Mississippi, at the city of Memphis, calculated and intended to establish, not only a more perfect intercourse among themselves, but also among the people of their sister states of the union; and whereas, it has been found highly expedient that a portion of the line of said road should be located within the territory of Mississippi, and all experience attests that locations should be made upon the nearest, cheapest and best routes, and that any violation of this fundamental rule involves consequences more or less serious, in proportion as the departure may be partial or radical; and whereas, the act of the legislature of Mississippi, approved March 11th, 1852, imposes such restrictions and limitations by indicating the route of said road as involves an increase of ten miles in distance, and an additional expenditure of $650,000 in money:

Alabama, recognizing the principle that in commerce we are one people, she has opened her borders to the free ingress of all the states, and allowed their people to consult their own interest by seeking those markets where they can sell highest and purchase cheapest, and free permission has been given, not only to connect improvements of other states, but also the right of way freely granted. The people of Alabama had hoped that this liberal policy on their part would have been met by a just reciprocity on the part of their sister state of Mississippi. In this they regret to find that, as yet, their just hopes and expectations have not been realized.

1. Be it therefore resolved by the Senate and House of Represenatives of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened, That the legislature of Mississippi be respectfully and earnestly requested to remove those restrictions and limitations complained of above, and to grant to said company the right to establish the line and to construct their road upon and through any portion of the territory of said state, which, in the estimation of the president and directors, may be deemed most expedient and best calculated to promote the interest of said company, and the success of said enterprise.

2. And be it further resolved, That the governor of this state cause to be transmited to the Governor of the State of Mississippi, two copies hereof, and that the same be laid before the respective branches of the legislature thereof.

APPROVED, January 20, 1854.

JOINT RESOLUTION

Of the General Assembly of the State of Alabama to the General Assembly of the State of Mississippi.

WHEREAS, a Memorial and Joint Resolutions have been adopted by the Legislature of Alabama, asking the Legislature of Mississippi to

grant to the president and directors of the Memphis and Charleston Rail Road Company the right of way through a portion of said state; and whereas, no provision is made for the appointment of commissioners to present said Memorial and Joint Resolutions as is usual in such cases:

Therefore, resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened, That three persons be appointed by the governer to present said memorial and joint resolutions to the General Assembly of the State of Mississippi, and procure, if practicable, the right of way through that state upon such terms as will be acceptable to said company.

APPROVED, January 26, 1854.

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Of the General Assembly of the State of Alabama to the General Assembly of the State of Georgia.

WHEREAS, a charter has been granted by the General Assembly of the State of Alabama to the North East and South West Rail Road Company, for the purpose of constructing a rail road to connect the Mobile and Ohio Rail Road with some one of the rail roads leading to Knoxville, Tennessee, and to effect this purpose it is necessary to pass through the north-western portion of the territory of Georgia; and whereas, the proposed road will run diagonally through the State of Alabama and the extreme north-western corner of the State of Georgia, and thus give an access to market to those now isolated portions of the two states, and, independently of the local benefits which it would confer, will accomplish a national purpose in affording a connecting link in the great through lines of travel and commerce between the north-eastern and south-western sections of the union, and may become subsidiary in securing to the south the transunion line of communication between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Therefore:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Alabama in General Assembly convened, That this General Assembly do respectfully ask the General Assembly of the State of Georgia to grant a charter for the extension of the North East and South West Alabama Rail Road through the territory of the State of Georgia, to make connection with some one of the rail roads leading to Knoxville, in the State of Tennessee.

Resolved, further, That two persons be appointed by the governor, to act as commissioners to present this memorial and joint resolutions to the General Assembly of Georgia, and procure, if practicable, the grant of the right of way through that state.

PPPROVED, December 20, 1853.