The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-06-10


ciple was first advanced is of deseryedly /
high authority, and should be held IN grate.
ful remembrance for its immediate agency
in rescuing the country from much existing
abuse, aEd for its conservative effect upon
some of the most valuable principles ofthe
Constitution. The symmetry and purity OF
the Governments would. doubtless, have
been better preserved, if this restriction OF
the power ofappropriation could have been
maintained without weakening lts ability
to fulfil the general objects Of It's institutions;
an effect so likely to attend 1t admission,
Notwithstanding its apparent fitness, that
every subsequent administration OF Gov
ernment, embracing penod OF thirty out
Of the forty two years of its existence, has
adopted a more charged construction Of
the power. 1t is not my purpose TO detain
YOU by minute recital Of the acts which
sustain this assertion, but 1t is proper that
I should notice sone Of The most prominent
in order that the reflections which they
suggest to my mind may he better under.
stood.
ia the adm, ,nistration Of mr.. Jefferson
we have two examples Of the exercise Of
the right Of appropriation, which, 10 the
consideration that led TO their adoption.
and in their effects upon the public mind,
have had a greater agency IN marking the
character o. the power than any subsequent
events. | allud, to The payment OF fit
teen millions Of dollars for the purchase OF
Louisiana. and TO the originsi appropria-
tion for the construction OF the Cunber-
land Road; the latter act deriving much
| Il r,,. al and
baton Of three Of the most powerful OF the
original members of'the confederacy, ex
pressed through their respective Leris!a
tures. Although the circumstances OF the
latter case may be such as TO deprive so
much Of it as relates 10 the actual construc-
ton of the road, of the force Of sn obliga.
tory exposition Of the Constitution. II must
nevertheless be admitted, that so fac as
the mere appropriation of money rs con-
ccrned, they present the principle III RS
most imposing aspect. No less than twen.
ty three different laws have been passed
through all the iorms Of the Constitution,
spprepriating upwards of two millions and
half of dollars ont Of the national treas1.
ry in support of that improvement, with
the appreciation Of every President of toe
United States, inclGdiag my predecessor,
since its commencement.
independently of the sanction gwen TO ap-
preparations for the Cumberland and other
roads and objects, under this power, the ad.
mipistration Of mr. Madisou was character,z.
ed by an nc, winch turn lshes The strongest
evidence Of his opinion OF It's extent. A dill
was passed through buth houses of Congress
and presented for his approval, Setting apart
| IaJ. ,arta,. i,nIo T., uu
roads and canals, and Improving the naviga.
ticr, Of water courses, in order to facilitate
PROMOTE and givo security To internal com
merce among the several states, and to reader
more easy aad less expensive the means and
| provisions for Tie common defence Ike
| gardIng the bill rs asserting power an The
| federal government To construct roads anC
canals within the limits of the states in which
| they were made, ho objected "a its passage
| on the ground of its unconst utiopsty, de
| clarlng that tho assent Oft the respective states
| IN tho mode provided by the bill could no
confer The power in question; that tho only
case in which the consent and cossion Of par
ticular States can extend the powcS of Con
gress are those specified and provided. for IL
tho constitution, and sHperadding 10 thes,
nvowals his opinion, that "a res riction of The
power to provide for the common defence anI
general welfare To cases which are to be pr"
vlded tor by the expenditure OF money, woul,
still loave within the Legislative power .
Congress all the great and most importan
measures OF gOverement, money being Tia,
urdinNpg necessary means of carrying then
into execution" l have not been able To con
sider ti,ese declarations in any other point o
Wow than as a concession, that the right q
appropriation is no, limited by the power Il
carry into effect the measure for which tn,
money Is asked, as was formerly contcndcd
slhc views ofnr. Monroe uDonahis subject
wore not loft 10 Inference. During his nd
minlsiraiion till WAS passed through botf
Houses of Congress, coalcrring the jurisdlc
ton and prescribing the mode by which th'
Federal Government should exercise ii in tn,
cpSc Of tho Cumberland Road He returned
/, with objections TO lis passage, and IN "a
signing them, took occasion 10 say, that in th
early stages ct tke Government, he had in
clned To the construction that il had no T Ugh
to eapend MONEY, except IN the percrInanc,
OF acts authorized by tho other specific grant
Of power, according To a strict construction
of them; hut that, on iurlheHfedection AM
observation, his mind had undergone a change
that his opinion then was, "that Congress
have 0n unlimited power to raise money, an
that, in its appropriation, they have dscre
Uonafy power, icstf'c'eu Only ny the duty
I appropriate tito purposes of common dcfenc,
Il Of general, not local, national, not stat
) benefit" 4, this was avowcd to be the gov
, crning principle through tho residue of hi
/, administration. Tho views Of tho last ac
ministra,ion are of such recent date as to reu
dor a particular reference to them unnecesss
ry, II is well known that the sppropriatin
; power, to the utmost extent which had bee
q claimed for il, in relation to internal improve
: mcn,s, was fuily recognized and exercised b
\ IT,
- This brief reference to known fscts. will I
B sufficient to show the difficulty, il not mpra,
> ticabilr,y, OF bringing back the operations
the Government To the construction of III
' Constitution set up in l79S, assuming that
be its true reading, in relation 90 II
u power undcr consideration thus giving a
y admonitory proof of the force ofimplicalio,