Executive Department,
Annapolis, September 10, 1834.
Sir: By an act of the General Assembly, passed at December session, 1832, (of which, at your request, an authenticated copy was transmitted to you on the 29th day of March, 1833), the consent of this State was given to a change of the location of a part of the Cumberland or National Road within our limits, upon certain conditions; among which, “that a good and substantial stone bridge shall be made over the mill-race in the town of Cumberland, and over Wills creek at the place of crossing, and that substantial stone bridges or culverts shall be made wherever the same may respectively be necessary along the line of said road.”
By the same act, John Hoye and Meshach Frost, Esqrs., and the superintendent for the time being of the said road, appointed by the President of the United States, were appointed commissioners “to report the said National Road, when finished and repaired within the limits of this State, to the Governor and Council.”
A communication has been received from John Hoye, Esq., in which he states that “the War Department has now directed and contracted to have all the bridges on said new location built of wood.”
I beg leave to call your attention to this subject, in the fullest confidence that there has been some mistake or misapprehension on the part of some of the agents or persons employed upon the work in question, and that you will cause the terms and conditions upon which the consent of the State was given to the proposed improvements to be respected and carried into effect.
With great respect, I have the honor to be,
Your obedient servant,
JAMES THOMAS.
Hon. Lewis Cass,
Secretary of War.
War Department,
Washington, September 12, 1834.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 10th instant, respecting the construction of the bridge on the National Road near Cumberland, and for your information I beg leave to enclose the accompanying report from the Engineer Department, which explains the course which has been taken, and the necessity of it. I trust that you will find that the act of the State of Maryland has been substantially complied with, and certainly so far as the means within this department permitted.