DOC. No. LXIII. TIDE WATER CONNECTION. 1853-4. Doc. No. 03. 3 TIDE WATER CONNECTION. OFFICE JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CO. Richmond, Feb. 27, 1854. O. M. Crutchfield, Esq. Speaker House of Delegates of Va. Sir, I deem it proper to lay before you, for the information of the general assembly, the following statement: , Of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for the construction of the tide water connection, there remains unexpended $11,674 01. This sum is inadequate to its completion; and unless some further provision be made, before the adjournment of the present session, the work must be suspended in a few weeks. The great importance to this work to the trade of the canal, its heavy cost to the company, and the urgent necessity of deriving revenue from it at the earliest day possible, impel the board of directors to use every exertion to complete it. The practice of transferring funds from one head of appropriation to another, to he refunded out of accruing revenues, having been disapproved by a joint committee of the two houses of the general assembly, the board do not feel themselves at liberty to resort to this mode of completing unfinished works. The amount necessary is estimated by the engineer in charge of the works at about sixty thousand dollars. The company, by their president and directors, pray the general assembly to grant them an appropriation of this amount before the adjournment of the present session. I have the honor to be Your obedient servant, TIIOMAS H. ELLIS, i President.