Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-02-20
SPEECH OF MIR. ARCHER.
On the Biu for obtaining the necessary Surveys
on the subject IF Roads and C.t,,als.

On the BIZ for obtaining the necessary Su,.cevs
on the subject IF Roads and Canals.
IN TIE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
JANUARY 90, 1924.
Mr.. Archcrcommenccd by remarlSinr that
the vote taken in th. House would have pre-
vented has offering any observations on the bill.
but FOR the Impression authorized by the recon-
Int,nent, that 4 farther discussion of the impor
!;nt principle 1T presented was desired. 1t would
be INJUSTICE to gentlemen to doubt their read;
ness TO sacrifice the pride of consistency to duty
and cspeciallssFl collation. to subject OF consti-
lu'ional constructions. He should proceed.
therefore, to submit his views of the question, in
confidence that, Tbe. could succeed in produc-
ing doubt of thoAans,ituti,iral competency 10
adopt tic system Z. Legislation which, was CON.
tc,nilatcd, e-shp1R have the Concurrence of
The comnlittes projection ofthc bill, ws,ic.,
was the incipicnt of this system Of lcsis-
lation.
Advertiag to-asz Argument derived from the
Importance of works of internal Improvement to
national MIR. A. went on to saw. that
he forcbore any objection 10 its relevancy or
taifness though an array Of topics of seduction
could not be considered rs either relevant OF
air IN constitutional inquiry. because he had
an objection OF still more decisive character TO
these
improvements, indeed, there existed, in point OF
FACT no diversity of opinion, the anniversaries or
the bill entertaining as just an appreciation yf
t'icr vai;!c, and as earnest u desire to witness
ltIef advancement III all modes rot lia5.elto IN
sGpcTabIc objection, as its advocates could do
Bnt, MIR. a. denied that the effect of the recop
ntion oil power III this government over the
subject would be to subser.c, but maintained.
on the contrary, that it would obstruct the ad
vance OF these Improvements. The only adran-
'agc would relate to the acccleraton Of the ac-
co;nPiishmeutG, some OF The more important ob-
iccts, oi Improvement. But what would be the
countervallng effect. the price of this advan
tagc: Gentlemen could not be blind either 10
lis reality or Importance. TWAS the cutire sus
pension ofthe faculties of the state governments
iii tins respect. The promise of the system in
the hands ot this government, it was TO
nc remembered, was general. II would bc
found, indeed, susceptible OF oaIy a very Ear
tial realization. But the expectation auihoriz-
cd was Indefinite. Every step, too. in the adj
vance ofthe system must add to the number and
the force OF the claims to extension. What, in
ticsc circumstances, was to be the policy of
Gie state governments Were theyto go on in
what might prove gratuitous expense on works
OF internal Improvement, or to wait the course
o! the dispensation of the advantages of the svs-
TEN IN the hands Of the general government ,
Boti, the promises of the system, and the claim
resulting from participation in its expense, must
determine them TO the adoption of the latter OF
these alternatives. The motives if not the rea-
sons, to this course, were too forcible TO be re-
sisted Then the question became, said MIR. A.
not one OF the concurrent or auxiliary jurisdic-
ton OF tins government over the subject of inter
nal improvements, but of its preference to the
jurisdiction of the state governments. In refer
Ia mr. scfI al Loft, 4
diency connected with the subject, it was o,les-
ton of the propriety of the transfer of the i,rs-
dicton from the state authorities to the general
authority. And would there be real expcdicn.
cy III thus, or would injury result fromit, The
general government was said to possess the adj
vantage of superior resources. But, was this
; advantage real /? Ifthe resources of the general
government were larger, was not the disparity
Of It's occasions of expense and of the probabiIi-
! ty OF future demand on these resources, in the
iuil proportion OF the disparity of their amount :,
me occasions discovered for expense had been
said to keep pace with the extension OF rcsour-
ces in the progress of all governments. 1t was
not to be expected that their history would ex-
hibit moro favorable character in this respect
| Ill future. But, did not the inference from this
remark apply with peculiar force where politi-
cal functions were distributed between gene
raj and state governments to that to which the
charge of external interests and relations was
confided' The amount Of public debt continu-
ed little short fan hundred millions of dollars.
Was not the process of its extinction to be re-
gG"ded as sufficient claim on the national re-
sources, till theoccurrence of future demands in
the progress ofnational vcissitude
| But, admitting the advantages of the superior
resources of the general government, did not
each OF the respective governments derive lis re-
a NJ
mon fund of some form of direct or indirect tax
| alton OF the people? The taxation then rcuuir-
cd Tor the attainment ofan object in the hands of
the general government had only to be RENTED
II the object were best conGded to the state go-
yeTnmcnts, and the advantage of superior re-
Sources on the part of the general government
| disappeared. There were advantages. moreo-
| yer, of no unimpertant character as related to
the subject of discussion, which would result
from the transfer of the Office of taxation to the
| state governments. Each quarter of the coun-
| try would contribute TO the object in the pro-
portion of its interest. There would be no tax
alton for objects, in the interest of which there
was no participation. There would be no inc
quitable application of general funds to purpo-
SEES Of local and particular advantage. A far
ther advantage would result from the subject
Deing coiided to the state governments. There
would be no gross mistakes as respected the Sc
lection of objects of Improvement. The know
ledge derived from contiguity of residence and
intercst-the fear Of expense, disproportioned
to the value Of objects, would he a sufficient
safeguard III this respect. This distant govern
men, remote from the resources of knowledge,
aud occupied with of engrossing and I'M
related concerns, could neither have Opportuni-
tics ot adequate information, nor be subject to
the influence ofCompetent restraint, as respect
pI he ri 10 rTvtz