280 



acteristic of the latter is attributable to the fine quicksand 

 which is, almost imperceptibly, mixed with it. The base of 

 this sand is lime, which is decomposed when exposed to the 

 atmospheric influences, and hence its sliding nature. He 

 concurred in the opinion that the track of our roads should 

 be narrower, but the timber should be cut off so as to let the 

 sun's rays reach the whole road. In compact, argillaceous 

 soils, the Governor's plan would do, but not in prairies, or 

 in soils abounding in vegetable matter, no difference to what 

 height they would be thrown up. The higher, indeed, the 

 worse. * 



♦J In making plank roads, nof general rules can be followed. 

 In loose soil, string pieces must be used. 



Mr. Spencer: No one system can be generally adopted. 

 In the north there is no stone, but timber, and a soil which is 

 unfavorable to good common roads. There, he thought the 

 plank road best. In the middle there was an abundance of 

 stone, and turnpikes might be advantageously made. In the 

 south, the soil generally was a compact clay, but there was 

 no stone. Dirt roads there would probably be best. No 

 substantial improvements have been made in the common 

 roads of the State. In a township in Dearborn county, one 

 provision of the bill now before the House had been tried, 

 and it proved to be an excellent one. That provision is to 

 allow the township or road district to tax themselves, and 

 apply this tax to the permanent construction of one road 

 first, then another, and so on. In the township to which he 

 referred, a leading road to Lawrenceburgh passed through, 

 which formerly had been given to a company. By the appli- 

 cation of the fund as stated, the road was purchased from 

 this company, put in complete repair, and the toll gates taken 

 down. Labor, as usually applied to our roads, is productive 

 of but little good ; a moderate tax is far more beneficial. 



The debate was further continued by Messrs. Murray and 

 Cockrum ; when, on motion, the following questions wee* 

 selected for next Saturday evening: 



