be necessary to inform us as soon as possible, as the season is advancing, and no time should be lost. Yours, &c., BALDWIN, VAIL & HUFTY. (Copy.) OFFICE OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT, To Messrs. BALDWIN, VAIL & HUFTY: GENTLEMEN-Your letter of the 16th September, proposing to furnish this state with two locomotive engines, for the Southern railroad, is at hand, and the board of commissioners, having had the subject under consideration, have concluded to accept your offer of the two engines, with this variation from the terms you propose, viz: the machines to be delivered at Detroit instead of Philadelphia, and the fair cost of the transportation to be added to the $6,500. In case you forward the engines, one of them will be placed on the Central railroad, under the care of Mr. Briscoe, and the other on the Southern road. From the condition of the latter road, we are not sure that the services of an additional engineer will be required during the winter upon it; and being unwilling to put the state to unnecessary expense, we must reserve the privilege of acting in this particular as circumstances may require. With these variations, we accept the proposals of your letter above referred to. Should an additional engineer be required, we would prefer that you would designate one. That you may better understand our position as commissioners, we deem it proper to state, that for the purchase money for the engines, an appropriation must be made by the legislature; that to pay the expenses of running the road, we have the control of the receipts thereof; any accidents, therefore, that might occur to the engines while in service, being properly chargeable to the expense of running the road, we should at all times have the means to pay. Respectfully, yours, &c., JOHN VAN FOSSEN, Acting Com'r. (G.) Report of J. M. Berrien, Chief Engineer. JOHN VAN FOSSEN, Esq., Acting Com'r Int. Improvement: Vol. I. 30 appears to be but one position for such a building which could be of any use or convenience, and even this, on some accounts, would be very objectionable. It is to erect one, the outer walls of which shall be placed midway between the two tracks laid in the street, and the inner wall inclosing about ten feet of the lot known as the seminary lot; the building to be not less than 140 feet in length, the eastern end to be placed on the east side of the seminary lot, near the turn-round; this would inclose two of the tracks now laid, and a third track should be laid between them, thus having three tracks under cover. The building to be of wood; the width I did not exactly ascertain, but think it would cover a little over 40 feet. A house of this size would be sufficient to inclose all the cars that it would be necessary to place under cover at Detroit, two tracks being used for the purpose; the third one, that going on to the turn round, it would be necessary to keep open. The position occupied by the engine house and car shop at Detroit, I have ever considered as an improper one, and, their being so placed, prevents the putting up a car house on the ground originally designed for it, and the only ground in the vicinity which can conveniently be used for the purpose. Anticipating the possibility of a removal of the shops at no very distant period, to some more suitable place, I have never thought it advisable to expend any more money upon the ground now occupied, until a more suitable and convenient arrangement of the depot could be made, and would particularly recommend this view of the matter to the consideration of the board. 1 With respect to the building which it is now proposed to erect, the objections which occur to me are, that if placed as I have described, (and I discover no other way which it can be placed, it will, with the exception of the ten feet upon the seminary lot, stand in the street, and, if kept closed, must entirely shut up the side walk; the tracks to be inclosed will be nearer together than has been calculated for, and accidents may occur from cars passing each other; as the trains must come in upon the track going on to the turn-round, upon the inside of which track the platform for passengers must be placed, it will be very inconvenient to get at the carriages and baggage wagons, and especially when the outer tracks are filled with cars. In addition to this, every engine that goes into or out of the shop, and every thing that goes into or out of the yard, must pass through this building. It would be necessary to take up and relay the turn-round track, and also to remove the double switch and crossings at Griswold street to a point further west. All these objections would seem to me to overbalance any benefit to be derived from such a building, while the expense would be but an additional argument against a different arrangement at any future time. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN M. BERRIEN, Chief Engineer. Ann Arbor, May 13, 1840. [No. 5. Special message concerning state salt springs. To the Senate and House of Representatives: It was manifestly anticipated by the last legislature, that progress should be made, during the summer months, in the improvement of the state salt springs, at Grand river, in Kent county, and at the Tittabawassee, in Midland county. Deeming it of great importance to the interests of the state, that the contemplated works should be undertaken by men of experience in operations of this sort, the state geologist, to whom the necessary arrangements were committed, lost no time in opening a correspondence with gentlemen residing at the extensive salt works at Kenhawa, in Virginia, and at Salina, in New York, with a view, if practicable, to enter into contracts with persons scientifically and practically acquainted with the business. He was not so fortunate as to procure any person willing to undertake the work, upon fair terms, from either of those places. In the mean time it became necessary that the geological and topographical survey of that part of the state which borders upon Lake Superior, should progress; the season was advancing; and the work did not admit of delay. After taking requisite precautions for the preservation of the works commenced, and the materials and utensils procured and belonging to the state, he proceeded to the country of the upper lakes. Finding, upon his return, that no hope remained of entering into contracts with any person accustomed abroad to similar works, upon consultation with me, he resorted to what seemed the only proper expedient that remained, and advertised in the newspapers for proposals. That course has resulted in the conditional adoption of contracts which, within a few days past, have been submitted to me, of which I herewith submit copies for your consideration. By the provisions of the "Act for the improvement of the state salt springs," passed at the last session, every such contract must receive the assent of the governor before it can take effect. I feel no difficulty in acting upon this matter; but supposing that the reference to the executive, for his assent, was founded upon the presumption that such contract might be entered into at a time when the legislature was not in session; and not knowing but that you may now entertain different views as to what our true policy may require, I have deemed it proper to present the whole subject to the legislature, and respectfully to ask their pleasure and advice in the premises. WILLIAM WOODBRIDGE. Executive Office, January 9, 1841. Documents accompanying the Governor's special message, relative to state salt spring lands. (Copy.) OFFICE OF STATE GEOLOGIST, To his excellency WILLIAM WOODBRIDGE: SIR-In compliance with the requisitions of an act entitled "An act for the improvement of the state salt springs," approved March 31, 1840, I have the honor herewith to transmit for your examination, contracts which have been entered into, for the improvement of the salt springs at Tittabawassee and Grand river. I also send you a copy of the advertisements for proposals, in order that you may have the whole subject before you. The contracts were closed with those whose bids were lowest. The suretics upon the bonds are all personally known to me, and are perfectly satisfactory. Some little delay has occurred in forwarding these contracts to you, for the reason that it became necessary for me to await the return of the bond of Mr. Farrand from Saginaw, which has but just arrived. The contracts are believed to contain all the information which you wished me to transmit to you, for which reason, further explanation will be rendered unnecessary. I have the honor to be, sir, (Signed,) Your obedient servant, DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, Contract of Douglass Houghton, geologist, with Lucius Lyon. Whereas, the legislature of the state of Michigan passed an act entitled An act for the improvement of the state salt springs," which was approved and become a law and operative on the thirty-first day of March, A. D. 1840, by which act, a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, was appropriated for the continuance of the improvements now in progress at the said springs on Grand river, Kent county, in said state; and whereas, the state geologist was, by said law, directed to contract for such portion of the work contemplated as might be deemed necessary; but before the said contract, so made, should be operative, the same should receive the assent of the governor of said state of Michigan; and whereas, it was also provided by said law, that all sums of money drawn from the state treasury in pursuance thereof, should only be paid upon the warrant of the auditor general, which should only be issued upon the certified estimate of the state geologist; and upon all contracts for work in progress, the said law required a sum of not less than fifteen per cent upon the work done, to remain unpaid until the final completion of the contract; and whereas, under and by virtue of the authority then vested in him, the state geologist did, on the fourteenth day of November, A. D. 1840, cause public notice to be given in the state paper, that he would receive at his office in the city of Detroit, proposals for continuing the improvements in progress at the salt springs at Grand river, Kent county, in said state, by fixing the gum firmly and securely upon the rock, or an iron pipe within said gum, seven inches in diameter, upon the rock, and boring three hundred feet into said rock; one hundred feet to be four and a half inches in diameter, and the remaining two hundred feet to be four inches in diameter; that all proposals should be subject to the provisions of said act or law passed on the 31st day of March, eighteen hundred and forty; and whereas, Lucius Lyon, of Kent county, aforesaid, proposed to perforn said work contemplated, at a less price than any other person; Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises, the said Douglass Houghton, state geologist, for and in behalf of the state of Michigan, of the first part, covenants and agrees to and with the said Lucius Lyon, of Grand river, Kent county, aforesaid, of the second part, as follows, viz: First, the said Lucius Lyon covenants and agrees to and with the said Douglass Houghton, state geologist, and his successor in office, that he will firmly and securely fix upon the rock at the state salt springs in said Kent county, the gum already sunk, or a cast iron pipe with a bore not less than seven inches in diameter, within said gum; that he, the said Lyon, will sink a well four and a half inches in diameter, to a sufficient depth to make one hundred feet from the upper surface of the dock now erected at said works, and from the termination of said one hundred feet, the said Lyon covenants and agrees that he will continue said well four inches in diameter, two hundred feet further, making the whole depth of the well, from the surface of said dock, three hundred feet, for the consideration or sums as follows, viz: For the first fifty feet from the surface of the |