Your attention is respectfully called to the following act of the General Assembly, ratified on March 6th:

"Whereas, the State of North Carolina granted a charter to the Western Carolina Railway Company (now Southern Railway Company) allowing said railway Company to confiscate and use as its roadbed and right-of-way a public highway along the French Broad river through Madison County which had been kept up and maintained by the people of that county for many years; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina has realized a large sum of money from said right-of-way and continues to collect a large annual tax from said railway company; and

Whereas, the townships in Madison County which have been deprived of their road as aforesaid are unable to rebuild the same, but stand ready and willing to aid in the construction thereof; and

Whereas, the State is morally obligated to replace said road, for the reasons aforesaid, and of right ought to do so without delay; and

Whereas, the construction of said road will open up a thoroughfare for through travel from all the principal cities of North Carolina to important points in Tennessee and the west to the great convenience and advantage of all the people of this State; now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. That the North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to forthwith make a survey and to locate a public road in Madison County to take the place of the road so occupied by the railway company, and to prepare plans and specifications for the construction of the same.

Section 2. That the Council of State is herewith instruced and directed to furnish as many convicts as practicable, not less than twenty-five, who shall be used in the construction of said road according to the plans and specifications made by, and under the supervision of, a highway engineer of the North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey. Said convicts shall be detailed to work on or before the first day of June, nineteen hundred and thirteen, and shall construct atleast fifteen miles of said road.

Section 3. That the cost of guarding, keeping, clothing and all other expenses for the convicts detailed for such road work herein provided for shall be paid by the penitentiary authorities.

Section 4. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

Section 5. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification."

The above road is a part of the central highway, and in connection with the above bill, I introduced and passed a bill directing our County Commissioners to build a substantial bridge at Stackhouse for the exclusive use of travelers on this highway. We also have in hand ample funds to hire necessary teams, buy blasting material, etc. for the road to be built by the convicts, and have arranged for the completion of the balance of the road through the Buncombe County line. Hope as many as fifty convicts will be available for us.