Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-22
Internal Improvement.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.

HU9SC ~ AZ P't"en'"'tS'' ~ ~
ted States. on so much Of the Presi-
dents Message as relates to Roads,
Canals ana Seniinaries Of Learning.
DECEMBER Is, 1917.
Read and committed to committee o!
the whole house on Friday next.
The committee to whom were re-
ferred so much of the Presidents
message as relates to roads, canals
and Summaries of learning. respect
fully Report, in Part, that they have
taken into consideration the subject
referred to them, and bestowed OH it
that attention to which, by lis in
portance, it is so eminently entitled.
Involving as it is supposed. aSreat
constitutional question, on the ono
hand, and intimately connected on the
other. with the improvement. the pros
perity. the union, and the happiness
of the United States. it presents the
fairest claims tn candid and dilIgcnt
investigation. Nor is it without al.
ditionaI interest from the division OF
opinion to which il has heretofore 81
ven rise between the executive and le-
gisIati,e branches of the government:
difference, which, in the indulgence
of the rights of free opinion, will be
still found to exist between the scnti-
ments promulgated in the message OF
the President, and those which will
be advanced by your committee in
this report: nor do they conceive that
the expression in the message OF the
President of an opinion unfaSorable
to the constitutional powers OF the
general government, should be per-
mitted to have any influence on dispo-
sit;on of Congress, to lcsislate on
this interesting subject. For. IL the
constitutional majority Of the two
Houses, should differ with the eXecu-
tive department. the opinion OF the
latter, however respectable, must yield
to such an expression Of thsir will
On the other hand, if from Difference
to an opinion promulgated IN an
executive communication, Congress
should refrain frem entering upon tho
consideration of question involving
constitutional doctrine, it might hap
pen that the opinion of the President
would prevent the enaction OF law
even though there shoH'd he the con-
stitutional majority of two th'rds OF
both houses in its favor. Thus, by
the introduction of such practice,
the Presidential retO wou!d acquire a
force unknown to the constitution and
the Legislative body would De shorn
Of its powers from want oil Conf
dence in its strength. or from lads
position to exert it. Whilst your
committee are perfectly aware. that
nothing Ike this is contemplated by
the executive branch of tie govern
ment, they presume that the House Of
Representatives will scrupulous!y a
void course, which may be cCnstru-
cd into a dcre!iction of their pri'i-
Ieges. They deem it, therefore, not
improper to effrr some considerations
upon the question of the constitutional
powers of the general government to
pass laws for the improvement and
construction of roads and canals, with
the consent of the states.
As it is obvious, however, that
these several subjects of Legislation
do not rest upon the same founda-
tons, and that one Of these may be
within the sphere ofthe Constitutions
al powers of Congress, whilst the o.
theirs may belong exclusively to the
states, it is proposed to treat them
separately, and the subject Of the in
provemeTt and construction of public
roads which appears to your commit
tee, most clearly ~ be reducible to
the powers vested in the general So
yernment, will be first taken into con-
sideretion.
An accurate attention to the re-
al points of difference on this sub
ject,will greatly contribute to free the
controversy from unimpurtant and
irrelevant considerations. To attain
this, we have only to compare what
is manifestly admitted on the one
hand, with what is claimed aud con-
tended for Oh the other.
The laws nf antecedent Congress
es. approved by successive executive