We the undersigned, your Petitioners interested, respectively beg leave to make known to your Honorable Body, that our Chief almost entire correspondence, is by way of New Orleans, at present our letters & papers require fourteen or fifteen days certain and by mishaps, from their circuitous rout, in many instances, from four to six weeks; that some of us after waiting thus long are compelled to send 30 & even 40 miles for letters & papers that have passed arround us, [hence?] if our business be important we seek private conveyance, when attainable, as most expeditious.

We therefore most respectfully beg to submit and suggest to your honorable Body, that a direct weekly horse-mail, from Alexandria1 which is below the falls on Red River, to connect with the present rout which is from monroe to meriden La., at mount Lebanon which is a prosperous little village with a male & Female Schools, distant about 110 miles form Alexandria, will lessen contingencies and transmit our letters & papers in four to six days from New Orleans; and further, that from the uncertainty of Navigation over & above the falls on Red River, this proposed rout will constitute the most safe & expeditious rout north of us. Dependant as we are upon new Orleans, for every thing, your Honorable Body readily perceives, the invaluable benefit of placing us within four to six days of our great metropolis, instead of so many weeks. By late arrangements of the Carryer, if the proposed rout from Alexander, arrive at Mt Lebanon on every Saturday at 5 O.c. P.m. and leave Monday morning following at 9 O.c. for Alexandria2, it will form a most fortunate connection with the monroe & Meriden rout, and secure to your Petitioners an inestimable blessing and convenience for which they will ever pray &c. &c.

Annexed you have the petition of a portion of those who are interested in the desired rout, Another Petition is expected to be sent you from the lower or middle part of the rout. Several letters will I presume be written you on the subject & indeed the anxiety of the community on this subject is being arroused. The state of ^the^ Post office Department, the entire vacancy of much & Destruction of other portions of the public Lands in this [Country?], by squatters & otherwise, it would ^seam,^ might favourably incline Congress, not only to Post routs but to graduation.