Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-12
ALEXANDRIA,:
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASH
ISGTuN.
Hednesday. March II, 1878
TUI7PSUaT. MARCH le 1878.

Fednesday. March II, 1878.
The resolution on the subject OF In
tsrnal ImprovemeT was yesterday
brought again under the consideration of
the house in committee Of the whole, aud
was under discussion the greater part OF
the day. The only persons who spoke at
any considerable length upon it, we're
Mr.. Johnson of vir. against the MEASURE,
and Mr.. Lowndes in answer t" him. Inc
arguments hitherto being chiefly founded
on constitutional objections, which are
not topics OF very citing sort 10
readers in general, bad resolved TO con
6ne my letters TO you to the results o'
the questions as they arose and TO oe
extremely spaiing of the sPeec"es-ou'
the uncommon ability displayed oy Mr.
Lowndes, in one he made II answer to
the adversarles of the bill, induces me to
deyiate from the rule have prescribed
to myself in my correspondence, by CIV
ing you compressed sketch OF tor at
least Of some of the leading arguments
it contained.
He expressed his surprise that such an
alarm should have seized the gentlemen
on the other side, as il consolidation and
the worst Of tyra"ny was at their very
doors, at the congress taking upon them
to exercise, on tie part IF the U. States,
right which not only the U. States, but
every citizen in it, po,,e-sed OF laying
out his own money, IN his own country,
in buying land aud holding ii Tor his OWL
proper and necessary occasions. tie
Showed in variety OF strong lights the
absurdrty Of saying that congress had no
right to appropriate money for making
roads and canals because such an ap.
plication OF the public funds was not par
ticularly specified in the powers enume-
rated in the constitution a principe
which, if il could be maintained, would
put an end to multitude Of just rights
of appropriation, which had never been
called in question-for instance, who did
not know that in every act Of incorpora-
lion, the funds Of the body were appro-
prIated to objects, many OF which were
not only not mentioned in The act, but
never we're even thought Of at the time
of making it; yet no one ever doubted
the right to apply them. He insisted that
the trainers of the constitution never
could have intended so to restrict the
right Of appropriation as had been as.
serted. They had given the power to
raise armies, to raise navy, to raise
money, and of course had given the pow
er to do every thing that was incidental
ly necessary to the exercise OF those pow
ers. In fair construction, il was demon
strable that where the power OF raising
an instrument was granted, the power to
make use of that instrument was grant.
ed along with il; it would else be null
lity la granting the power to raise ar
mics or navy, therefore, the trainers OF
the constitution. e,r necessifate granted
the power to make use OF those armies
and navy at the discretion OF congress,
aud to do every thing that should De
found e1pedient for the maintenance as
well as the employment OF those lnstru-
ments--" You can employ armies" SAID
he, in !abour as we'll as 10 wsr.-fou
can employ the navy, it you see nt' IN
making distoveries--yet not one oil these
can be found among the enumerated pow
ers in the constitution.-How then can
gentlemen say that the rights OF con-
:. ess are necs ssa'ily confined to the emu
mel a,ed puwers:'
Mr.. Lo~nGes then advertiDg to Pc
,ition of Mr.. Ba. bour's that Dgress had
no r sht to purchase and except Tor FORTS
Tor duck yards or Tor arssnais, called to
tie recollection Of the house the truth
lha, greai yu chases Of land had been
made by ;he general government, with
uut any view or pretence to u.s. it Tor