Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-06-04

ooneht and TINS was avowed TO be the govern.
ing principle through the residue of his admin.
istration. The views of the last administrative,
are of such recent date as to render n n,rt;c,,,r
reference to them unnecessary 1t is wei,
known that the approbriating power, to the ut
most extent which had been claimed for it. in 70.
lation to internal improvements, was fully recoc
Missed and exercised by it.
This brief reference to known facts, will be
sufficient to show the difficulty, if not lmpracti
cability, of bringing back the operations of the
Government to the construction of the Const;
tuition set up in 1898, assuming that TO be its
true reading, in relation to tho power under
consideration thus giving an admontory proof
OF the force OF implication, and the necessity of
guarding the Constitution with slcepless yici
lance, against the authority of presidents which
have not the sanction of its most plainly defined
powers. For although it is the duty of all to
| look to that sacred instrument, instead of the
stature book, to repudiate AT all times, encroach
'ncnls upon is spirit, which are too apt to be eff.
iected by the con- uncture of pee uliar and acili.
tating circumstances 1T is not less true, that
the public good and the nature of our poltical
institutions require, that individual differences
should yield to awsll settled acquiescence of
The people and confeder,' ed authorities i'm par-,
ucniar constructions of the Constitution. OIL
| doubtful points. Not to conce dc this much to
the spirit OF our institutions, would impair their
stability, and defeat the objects of Constitution
itself
| The bill before me does not call for n more de-
finite opinion upon the particular circumstances
which will warrant appropriations of money by
Congress, TO aid works of internal improvement,
for although the extension of the power to apply
money beyond that of carrying into effect the
object for which it is appropriated, has, as VIC
have seen, been long claimed and exercised by
| the Federal Government, yet such grants have
always been proiessedly under the control of the
general principle, that the works which might
be thus aided should be &c of general, not local
national, not State " character. A disregard
OF this distinction would of necessity lead to the
subversion of the federal system. That even
this is an unsafe one, arbitrary In It's nature and
liable, consequently, to great abuses is too obv-
Gus to require the confirmation of experience
1t Is, however, sufficiently definite and impera.
tive to my mind, to forbid my appreciation of
the one under consideration. | have given to
| its provisions all the reflection demanded bv a
just regard for the interests of those of our fell
low citizens who have desired its passage, and
by the respect which is due to n coordinate
branch OF the Government, but am not able to
view 1t IN any other light than as n measure of
| purely local character ; if it can be consider
ed NATIONAL that no further distinction between
/ the appropriate duties Of the General and State
Governments, need be attempted fortherc can
! he I'M lint ,;,I
priety be denominated national 1t has no con.
necuon with any established system of inn
provements; Is exclusively within the limits Of
State, starting at a point on the Ohio river,
and running out sixty miles to an interior town
and even as far as the State is interested, con-
ferring partial instead of gonoral advantages.
considering the magnitude and Importance Of
the power, and the embarrassments to which
from the very nature of the thing, its exercise
must, necessarily, be subie cted the real friends
of internal improvement ought not to be wlllino
to confide it to accident and chance. What is
! properly national in character, or otherwise.
is an inquiry which is often extremely difficult
of solution. The appropriations of one year,
! for an object which is considered national nv
be rendered nugatory, by the refusal of sue
cedng Congress to co..tinue the work on the
ground that is local. No aid can be derived
| from the intervention of corporations The
| question regards the character of the work moi
that of those by whom it is to be accomplished
/ notwithstanding the union of the Government
with the corporation: by whose immediate aaen.
| cy, any work of internal improvement is carried
on, the inquiry will still remain, is it national and
conducive to the benefit of the whole, or local,
and operating only TO the advantage of portion
Of the Union
But, although, | might not feel it to be nv
official duty to interpose the executive veto, to
the passage of a bill appropriating money for
the construction of such works, as are authoriz
| ed by the States, and are national in their char
acter, do not wish to be understood as express.
ing an opinion, that it is expedient at this time
for the General Government to embark in sys
tenn of this kind, and anxious that my constitu
cnts should be possessed of my views, on this,
as well all other subjects, which they
have committed to my discretion, l shall state
them frankly and briefly. Besides many minor
considerations, there are two prominent views
of the subject, which have made n deep impress.
ion upon my mind, which, | think, arc well
hope, be maturely weighed by the people
From the official commun ication submitted
TO you, it appears, that if no adverse and unlore-
seen contingency happens in our foreign rca-
tons, and unusual diversion be made of the
funds set apart for the yment of the national
debt, we may look with confidence to its entire
extinguishment in the short period of four years.
The extent to which this pleasing authorization