Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-09

the concurrence Of all these, or of two thirds
OF both branches of Congress, is necessary to.
the passage Of any law affecting the rights of
the people. ar the powers of the states have.
we not all the safeguards which human WIS
dom can provide against the abusive exercise
power! Sir, in the vast Grd of legislation
over which our jurisdiction extends, we can
not touch with rnden.ss single chord of the
body politw whose vibration will not reach
every department this government. con-
iid-ntly assert, that this government is as pop
ular In It's organization, and as safe deposto-
ry OF power, AS "A state government
| with the aid Of these general principles,
shall proceed Ia inquire what powers have
been actually Delegated ia Congress, in re-
tterence To the subject embraced 10 the bill
on your table.
am clearly Of opinion that, uoder the ge-
neral power To raise and appropriate money
To "pr"m"te the common defence and gene
Ial welfare Congress has the power 10 APP
proprate money for making roads and ca
nails, with the consent Of the STATES in which
these works may he executed, without re-
terence To any of the other specific grants of
power AS the honorable Speaker has dis
tinctly dsclaimed all power over internal inn
provemenis derived from this source, mnst
beg the particular attention of the committee
while attempt to explain my views on the
subject, and remove the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which believe To exist, as to the ertenf of
the power which is claimed under this clause
| When lay II down, that the power of rails
ing and aPpropriating revenue, like all the
other sovereign powers of this government.
Is unlimited, unless where expressly restricted,
| beg gentlemen not 10 he alarmed at the
proposition, for I will give it such AN expla-
nation as will, | think, render il perfectly
harmless. The powers To declare war, and
10 raise and support armies, are certainly as
dangerous as any vested in this government,
and yet, 1t will not be pretended that they
are subject tn any other limitation than what
! VIII he found III the wisdom and discretion
OF Congress. We have the same power To
raise an army of hundred thousand men in
/ time of peace, when zee have occasion for
Their services, that we have To raise single
regiment in the greatest emergency And
though every one will agree, that such freak
OF powers would he wantnn and wicked in
the extreme, no ore, | presume would VEN
ture 10 pronounce II unconstitutional In like
manner L maintain that we have as clear a
constitutional power To raise QUE hundred mil
IInns of revenue, without any reference to
the other grants of power, that we have Ia
raise single million for the direct purpose of
carrying these grants into effect. The faila.
cy al The arguments of gentlemen on this
suhJrc' consists In surprising that the ronsiiu-
Ton leaves nothing III the discretion of Con
gress; when, IN TACT, conslrne the constitution
as you will, our principal security mus, de-
penn upon that discretion. la drterminin.
what Sore'sign powers belong Ia Congress, no
discretion, admit. is given Ia u.s. TIE con-
sti'ntIon Is our inilf xibIe landmark But in
determining in what manner, under " hat ci,-
cmmstaDces. aud for what purposes. these
powers shall be exsrtcd we have nothing bu,
\ sound discretion Ia direct Us That Con
gross has power "to lay and collect taxes"
we ascertain from the constitution {; hut il
would he as vain 10 look into the cnnsti:u-
tIon Tor an enumeration of the objects 70
which the revenue shall be appropriated. ms
to lsot into that INSTRUMENT for The causes
which would Justify declaration nf war. or
tor the objects TO he accomplished by rails
ing armies or regulating commerce. By a
strange mIscOnception, in " ich the honnra-
BILE Speaker seems To have participated, the
power at apprepriatng money, in The extent
to which ! carry il, is surpassed To- involve a
sweeping demolition Of al. 'hr limitations q r
the constitution, rendering this govcrnmrn,
OF unlimited PoicerS. Sir, | expressly dis
cla'm these consequences. | deny that the
power of raising and appropriafing money
" draws after III Ito use The Language, of the
s''peakerj amy Po'cer al NIL. My position is.
that Congress has power 10 raise and an
propriate money To carry into fleet The other
powers expressly granted. and also tn pro-
mote " the general welfare" so far AS il can
he promoted by money merely. Asa poytr.
it ends in itself. When the money is raised
and appropriated, sovereignty ceases and
whatever else is effected must be- done Inv
The mere agency of money, in The use OF
wh'rh the government is precisely upon the
footing of an individual. ii any sorereigr,
IN, Loo fI,u fi,.,F, e
is necessary tn accomplish the object. thai
other power must he derived from some oC
the other grants of the constitution and ifit
is not found there, it does not exist az ALL
That the power fapprOpriatng money il
not cnniiDrd To the execution of the other
enumerated powers, is as clear, from The terms
IN which il is conveyed, as from the nature
of the power itself Congress is authorized
" to lay and collect taxes" ''fn nroviLe Cnr
The common defence and general welfare -
Now,it would he doing great Injustice TO the
critical skill ni thr convention tO SUPPOSE that
the significant terms " common offence and
general welfare" were introduced for no mr.
pose and il would be doing equal inins,ice
to their wisdom 20 suppose, that The terms in
question were intended to enlarge the powers
of the general government. II seems clear
to me that they were Intended neither 10 on
large nor diminish the poiOerS of Congress
bnt merely to define and limit the objects IN
which this particular power should be applied
And am much indebted To The condnr 81
my honorable friend from Virginia. " ho sits
near mr., (Nr Afcher,) fo- The admission. that
these words were INTENDED 10 limit pn,vcr
which would have been i!lmiiable " i,hout
them. am perfectly satisfied of the correct.
ness Of lhis view, and, while it gives me great
pleasure 10 concur with my friend in the
anerr. 81. II III. A