23 [ 23 ] 



Engineer's Office, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 



Baltimore, March 1, 1847. 



Sir: I have been requested by Mr. Mcliane, the president of this com- 

 pany, to coinminiicate to you that the Bahiniore and Susquehanna Rail- 

 road Company has not yet decided to join this company in the trasporta- 

 tion of marble, in the rubble form, to Washington, for the buildings of 

 the Smithsonian Institution, at the rate (2^ cents per ton per mile) sug- 

 gested by you. The president of the Susquehanna Company informed 

 me to-day that he would apprize you by letter of the reasons of the delay 

 on the part of his company. 



I have only now, by Mr. McLane's desire, to repeat that the Baltimore 

 and Ohio Company is ready, upon reasonable notice, to enter into the 

 transportation, whenever the Susquehanna Company is prepared to unite 

 with it in the operation, at the rate which has been mentioned. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



BENJAMIN H. LATROBE, 



Cliief Engineer. 



Hon. Robert Dale Owen. 



Laid on the table. 



The chairman laid before the committee the following letter from the 

 president of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad Company, relative 

 to rates of freight: * 



O' 



k 



Office Baltimore and SusdUEHANNA Railroad Co., 



Baltimore, March 8, 1847. 



Dear Sir: I am now authorized to say that the president and directors 

 of this company will unite with those of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 

 Company in an agreement to transport the limestone or rough marble for 

 the building of the Smithsonian Institution, from the quarries on the line 

 of the railroad of this company to Washington, a distance of 53 miles, lor 

 2\ cents per ton of 2,000 lbs. "per mile. The company will agree to cany 

 75 tons per week whenever required. 



From the communications I have had with the officers of the Baltimore 

 and Ohio Company, I feel well assured that no difficulty will be expe- 

 rienced in making such an arrangement with the two companies as will 

 be entirely satisfactory to the building committee of the Regents, and to the 

 person with whom they may contract. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



^ ^ CHARLES HOWARD, President. 



Hon. Robert Dale Owen, 



Chairman of the Building Committee. 



Laid on the table. . . 



The chairman laid before the committee the following letter, containing 

 proposals to furnish marble from the State of New York: 



New York^ March 6, 1847, 

 Gentlemen: T yiU furnish white marble from my quarry at Hastings, 

 on the Hudson river, for the Smithsonian Institution, as follows: 



