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Columbia October 19^th 1826

Governor Carroll

Sir, by a law of
1823, I was appointed, an agent on
behalf of the State, to examine into
the extent & condition of the real
estate of which Captain John Rice
died seized & possessed, & to secure
to the State, if in my judgment, it
was practicable, a 5000 acre tract
of land, devised by said Rice, to be
appropriated to the education of the
poor of Cumberland (now Tennessee).
Feeling disposed, if practicable, to pro
-cure for the indigent citizens of
our State, the benefit of the liberal
& benevolent devise of Captain Rice,
I have used considerable industry in
in endeavouring to learn the condi
tion of his real estate; tho in the
procurement of information, I have
^not realized my expectations. I have
been entirely unable to procure satis-
factory information as to the subject
of my agency, or to procure any
part of the devise for the benefit of
the Poor. The great difficulty in
procuring the desired information,
is owing to the circumstance of
the land hauing been sold & disposed
of, to a great number of indiuid-
uals, residing in different States, & at