Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-28


eompor with the quest which the gentleman put %
me committee, relative to the psuperisin oil England
and Framed How much hess viii ak the gentleman
WIZ inns road or other Iiece OF improvem mt br
worth, having been made by the Gensral Governmen t,
than II i, had been made by the State Governments,
never before heard i, in.inua,ed, that improv
prcino'eu Iaupennn cannot avoid thinking that the
violence oil the opposition which the gentleman ci. TO
ne assertion OF "ri oclon the soil of the States
oy 'he Goveromrnt, sharrcns in high gree
I'he opposion winch he feels TO this measure on the
gronHd OF expei'ncy else, why such strong efforts TO
undervalue-io d-parage the proposed rosi.
Ire gentleman has said, that in proportion as you re-
move The expenditure oil msnry from the iturrce and
control OF seli-ntcres', you increase pxtrayapauco
subscribe most heartily to this propositions SrlEinter
eS, when IL can be brought to bear upon the subject
Is e surest guarantee OF economy in the
OF money But how will the gentleman apply the
pfincip'- with any advantage to the case under .c-
SOM Gan STATE. any better than the United Siat-s
usPense win agents in executing its schemes OF liz.
teroa Improvement III it cannot, should think the
argument WAS without force. There are no means in
sf,ence 10 nus SUBJECT 1t seems TO me, which be
emp'ovei ny safe, that cannot with equal facility
and alvantag-. be employed by the u. States The
plan adopted in Virginia, and referred to by the gen
ueinan. OF requiring the subscription of three fifth, Of
ne STOCK necessary 10 complete work of this charac.
ter, by private individuals. az condition upon which
The State will subscribe the remaining two ff,hs i.
wisely accommodated TO the limited mean, of the Stat.
bn' appreheni the adoption OF similar prncipis
here would amount to an abandonmc mt of some of IN.
most important objects. in national point of view
nave already intimated that the wealth AM, pro.prrv
OF nation does not always consist in the amo,n, Of
money which il may have in il. Golfers; and that the
wealth oiit citizens was the wealth of the nation Ev
cry cofvenencs. evey commercial facility eniov ed bv
~. ciuzens ad- to the general stock Of national wealth
why, Thea. would ask, should conve nieneie. com.
m'rcIa or personal, be withheld. when they can be 40
easily supplied by the government. The se n,Ieu,,
himself admitted, IL rightly under.tood him that m.
money OF the Trea-ury wa. coece from
The people; II So the complaint upon ,hi, score i, a
ther imaginary than real L will venture 10 RIM Oh AZ
the advan'ay-a OF this road, SHOULD il be
WIN be something moro than phantom of tho im,yina.
eon: Beside this view Of the subject, repeat that
tunis Tar more thn necessary for the ordinary purpo
SIS OF the Governxent will flow in upon us, and ,ha,
we must make some deposition of them ~ -,
me gentleman again sad, that this system of dis.
trioung ths public money equal in it's operation
an. therefore u,just. Now, IL would appear 10 me
MT Chairman, that IL this objection be sound sys.
tenn oil internal Improvements could not be su.tanef
eher ny me State, ms or any other Government: for
me ohecion certainly lies as strongly against in on.
place as another Sir, all civilized nation, admit the
Importance OF internal improve ments
All have prlctised, 10 some extent, under the princi.
pie OF their importsnce; and shall now be told thai,
because in constructing them, cannot distribute In.
money employed upon them with perfect eouali,y A.
mongst the people, we must abandon them altogether
Sound policy requires that the IMPORTANT improve.
ments should he selected, with due regard 10 national
advantage including equality of distribution Of tn. mo.
ney so Tar az practicable well every other fair CON
siieration, and nnhing more.
Perfect equality in the distribution OF the public mo.
nev IL not expected; is not possible
do not feel the force of t. remark of nv collie acne
mat eNAcuons an contribution. should he equal.
HOW eqns'' Literally and automatically. 1.-The IN can
mat they shall he literally ard automatically canal
then take issue with him, and without an aryume n,
VIII submit the question 10 tie eision Of this House
~ lie mean, As presume he does that the Constti-
Ton requires only practicable equality in public exac
uon' and contributions then will conterd that in the
construction of no work which can be selected Womb
more equal Distribution OF the peoples money be
made among them than in the construction OF the pre
posrd road Exaction-as that is term which belongs
10 'he arih; matter which The gentleman declined to
discuss-l shall permit il to sleep undi.turbed.
ha nns, 4, ,
another ha with great nicely, weighed ach one hun
dred pounds, in gold scales contributions to the Gov
ernmen that that other person, should take the whole
sum, ard appropriate il TO hia exclusive use.
should certainly not dlff-r with my colleague in
opinion here will, however, ask the gentleman
how he applies the remark to ibis bill II NAV mean
somlhing, il it be taken referring 10 the tariff hut
do not understand it in it. barring u,on the pr po SD
road The two or three millions which will he expen-
ded upon this road should il be made will inste of
gong IN 'he hands oil one or few, be scattered
mongst thousands
The gentleman. as il willing to defeat this bill by
any honorable means here riiruied the idea Of app
Giants coming before Congress- from all quarters of the
Union, 10" Internal improvem with proposi.
tons Tor National Improve ments-some with prop,.
sItons Tor more National Imp mens, and-some
with propositions for most National Improvement.
Sir, there nothing in this conce at all dcrous or
ridiculous. IN my mind. improvements of all these
'everal degr" OF nationality, being submitted 10 Con.
gress from which to make selections is TO be infer.
red that the selection. will be mad. ON that class
denon'inated most .Vati OnaL
There is, confess, a good deal Of ludcrousness in
me idea oil Congres roaming the country IN search
OF objects OF this kind; but that they should be brought
by applicants or petitioners IL mode Of pro-
ceeding quite too common To excite rishiliiy.
The gentleman thin ks that upon a fair division of
ten millions of dollars, among the Satss the sh,r- of
virginia would he one million, yet he some per-
ion OF hs inhabitan's-'he peopl- of Norfolk-feit
great Joy when the United States subsc one hun.
dredred and fly thousand dollars to the Dismal swamp
Canal Stock, as they had, through the bounty
OF Congress, got something that did be ong 10 them
Now. upon looking the ideas here convey ed nv
my colleague, the inference is be drawn that r adj
OF hundred and fry thousand dollars one million
ought 10 have gon- TO Virginia. The idea seems not to
have been present in his mind, when this train Of re-
Election entered, that from TO twelve millions and
upwards have benz annually, consumed by the Ma
iona debt lie seems TO have Adsd upon The iIea
that there hal heen annual fund Of ten millions. 10
be distributed among The people. II hi. had been The
c'se. the people of Norfolk would have been miserable
gotten one hundred and fifty thous and dollars. when IL
was, in fact. entitled TO million Such, however
the fact. The people got a hundred and fifiy
thousand dollas, through the favor OF Congress
than because, 1T that time, Virginia had any particular
claim 10 dividend from the Trea,ury.
MY honorable colleague pea,ed, in the course OF
his eloquent sp-ech amongt other things direct our
attention 10 oil Rome, once the proudest city Of The
world He asked, where is Rome with all it's splendid
its conquest' amo't 10 the Gauges! Aye, aud wher.
are the Romans themselves, who built these splendid
works They, to-, gone. They the work
anshp OF the D'iiy yet, thew have persisted Could
mortality irnpari Immortality! No Athens, Rome, and
Carthage, once wers but now, they not. The re-
Election melancholy, but il is irresistible. The time
will come when our beloved Republic will live only in