396 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



it had been the policy of the board to communicate the fact to the 

 owners. 



Expenses. — The expenses of the survey during the year 1837 

 amounted to $2,089.57. The financial panic of that year induced the 

 State legislators to advocate retrenchment. Such an enterprise as the 

 survey was certain to be one of the first objects to which an appro- 

 priation would be denied, and the appropriation for tiie work of thft 

 year 1838 failed. In consequence there existed a rumor that tlie sur- 

 vey would not be continued. Work was resumed, however, on the 

 unexpended balance of the first appropriation, although it was in- 

 sufficient to keep the entire v^orking force in the field. The expenses 

 for the year 1838 aggregated $9,648.80. The corps worked well, but 

 was much restricted in efficiency for want of means. 



On December 4, 1838, Governor Vance reported that the appro- 

 priation for the support of the geological corps before the last as- 

 sembly had failed; that a portion of the force liad been kept at work 

 by the unexpended balance of the former appropriation ; and urged 

 the importance of continuing the work in accordance with tlie or- 

 iginal design. 



The chairman of the committee to whom this portion of the gover- 

 nor's message was referred strongl,y advised that the work be con- 

 tinued, inasmuch as the action of the legislature in authorizing the 

 survey had met with the approbation of the citizens generally and 

 results had been obtained which would justify its completion. The 

 expenses were necessarily greater for the first years of the survey 

 than they would be when the work was well underway. The v/ork 

 scarcelj' begun would, if carried on develop additional treasures and 

 greatly improve the agricultural interests of the State. All would 

 tend to expedite the sale of the public domain and extend the list 

 of taxable lands. The report closed with a resolution to the effect 

 that the survey be continued and that an appropriation of $12,000 

 be made for that purpose. The matter was tabled. 



Sliortly after, Governor Shannon transmitted to the general as- 

 sembly the Second Annual Report of the Geological Survey. This 

 was uniform with the first report and contains 274 pages. The board 

 consisted of W. W. Matlier. principal geologist, and Charles Whit- 

 tlesey, Col. J. W. Foster, C. Briggs, jr., J. P. Kirtland, and John 

 Locke, his assistants. 



As complaints had been preferred that the former year's work of 

 the survey benefited onlj' the coal and iron region, the work was 

 extended beyond that portion of the State, revealing useful materials 

 for the arts and for building, but from lack of easy and inexpensive 

 transportation it was doubt fid whether these would ever become 

 of more than local value. 



