Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-08-18

D
by the president, the delay in that ope-
ration, which would have resulted from
the appropriation of one hundred and fif-
ty thousand dollars to the Maysvillc road,
would have been something less than sew
en- days. But it may be urged that there
were other bills of the same purport pend
ing before congress. The answer is,
that most Of them did not in fact pass, and
that it was unequal and unjust to apply
this objection to the Maysvlle bill
But where were the presidents con-
stitutional scruplcs when on the Odd of
April, 1880, little more than one month
before his rejection of the Maysvile bill,
he affixed his signature to the bill Gan
act making additional appropriations for
the Improvement of certain harbors and
for removing distractions at the mouths
of certain rivers, for the year 1880" BY
this bill upwards of three hundred and
fiity-scvcn thousand dollars are appro-
priatcd to twenty three objects Of inter
nal improvement in various states and in
Florida, almost every one of which is be-
licved to be more local and more limited
in its utility than the Maysville road.
/ No objection is intended now to be made
to any one of these appropriations, but
we again respectfully ask that the part
of the constitution which authorizes these
appropriations may be pointed out. A
mong these objects is an appropriation to
improve the navigation ofGcnncssec riv-
er in Newly ork, and another for improv-
ing the navigation of Conncaut creek in
the state of Ohio' The improvement of
the navigation of an obscure creek, ac-
cording to the doctrines of the president
is a national object whilst that ola great
leading mail route is local!
\ The power to improve the navigation
of water courses is of much more ques-
tionablc derivation, than that of great
mail roads. 1t can only be traced to-
some of the same sources from which the
power to construct mail roads is derived;
whilst the latter are further justified by
an express grant in the post office and
post road power, which is inapplicable to
! the former.
i Can any thing be more conclusive than
the presidents sanction to this bill, that
| the constitutional objection to the Mays
vile road was an after thought for the
express purpose of being applied to the
state Of Kentucky?
1 The idea of the president Of amending
the constitution to delegate and define
the power of internal Improvements is
preposterous and illusory. twas thrown
out to keep alive hopes, and to weaken
the force of the blow which he has aim
ed at the prosperity olthe country. That
portion of the people Of the United States
/ (not less than two thirds,) who believe
the power alrc ady i'll the constitution, re-
quire no amendment to put it there. If
they propose such an amendment, the
mere proposal will justify doubt of its
being there, and if the amendment should
not be adopted, they could never con-
| sistently afterwards exercise it. They
| Therefore cannot offer the amendment.
Il Those who believe the constitution does
not contain the power, will not consent
by an amendment to place it there
\ Their doctrine is that the power is not
and ought not to be possessed by the
\ general government; that such power
/ is incompatible with the nature of the
general government; that it would open
a subject Of perpetual scrambling and a.
buse; and that it would tend to make the
general government great and splendid.
They too, like the president, who may
be now regarded as their chief, are Law
ish in their professions of ardent friend
ship to internal improvements, but they
must be such as are authorized and made
by the states exclusively.
Neither party then, can or will pro-
pose an amendment to the constitution.
If it were offered, there would be no a
grcement about its details. Some would
contend for a division of the fund among
the states, according to the ratio OF their
presentation in congress, to which 9TH
ers would object because that ratio IS
founded on the basis Of the black as well
as the white population. Some would
contend that the states should be the ex-
elusive Judges ofth objects to which the
money should be applied, and that would
make them all local, without regard to
the interests of the nation; whilst others
would insist that it should be applied un-
der the direction of the general govern
ment to objects in which the interests OF
the whole nation should be primary. The
division of the fund among the states, on
the principle stated, would be further OBJ
'Iiccted to because it would not be there
by apportioned according to the wants of
their population, nor the extent of their
respective superfcies.-And we should
soon see, if such an apportionment were
made, applications to congress to allow
Ito particular states TO divert their quota
from the object of internal improvements
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