Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-31

Of the national power for the collection Of tho revenue
aud tor the aid OF eommerce on IN. came principle
with the erection OF lighthouses The only large APP
prop i,ton was that for the Delaware Break ater-
the others Of small amount generally Of from two
thousand dollars to thirty, for dozen twenty ssps-
rate objects OF the nature we have already described
scattered along the several thousand miles Of our lake
and coasts. This bill p,ssed the House by a ma.
oriy OF lot To 81. which was erroneousy stated by
the National Integencer to be the vote upon another
harhor bill which was lost in the Senate.
The third bill wss for 6ni.hiag cor ain territorial
roads, 90 which TO const tutoral que ston has arisen
or can arises the completion OF the road Mars Hin In
aine, purely military road, with no 9th. puroose
ihs appropdatiag OF S25 900 for such surveys of the
Corps OF Engineers az may be directed by government
and OF couoe to be applied only such objects the
President may deem within his Institutional DO svers,
and 80 600 dollars for improving tbs naviga ,ion
oite Ohe, being an appropriation annually made
under an ast o. 1924. To the bill thus originally
introduced, the House added an appropriation OF $50
900 for the Improvement Of the navg alton OF the Mis-.
sisippi and Ohio rivers. This last was a new item
aud may be considered IA original work. AZ the
Ohio had been by the orig nal ordnance under which
the wesern ates were settled declared to be, and
~ dyed to remair. common highway for the United
States greater latitude in the application OF the NEAR
OF government to the mprovs Of that river ms
u be proper, aud II was on this ground that many
members whose doctrines the subjc of internal
improvements Of s.ricter nd voted,
for the measure. This bill, as we'll as both of the
preceding orc, passed by a large majorty-we do
not rsccoect the precise vote, but se believe about
two to one. They passed the Senate without any vic.
lent opposition, and received the sanction of the Pre-
silent.
Such are the bills making approp riaons for public
works OF civil nature, which have received the sane
uon oil the President certainly MT asserting the geue
raj power Of Internal improve but severally rest
ing on their own peculiar grounds. In single Ins.
lance oa'y do they contemplate hs commences ment OF
new work, and The Presidents appreciation this ses
SION so lar from being ncon with his
OF ths bs OF last yegr, that almost every
ls tor hs same OF scis which were included in the
Us signed by the President, in The first year Of his ad
mini traien The whole amount OF the appropriat o.
male in these several bills, Goes not much exceed
million Of dollars.
Several other bills directly for projects of in.
PRED ia The other OF tn. Houses wi hout reach
log tho President. The most conspicuous among
these, is what was commonly known by the name of
the Harbor bill, which introduced by the Commit
tee on Commerce, in he House of Repre- sentatiyes-
1t proposed surveys for the purpose of improving the
navigation OF number of rivers and harbors and the
commencement OF several works of that kind. This
Dill, comparatively moderate in its objects originally
prepared by the committee, in passing through the
Rouse so amended by numerous and additional appro-
prlaons, that on its final passage about thirty members
who had no hesitation in voting for the bill Tor complet-
ing certain works above alluded to- recorded their votes
against this Ii passed the House by very small ma
Jority-if we recollect rightly tor we have not the
ayes and nays before us) of only. This bill was
hnay lost i'm the Senate in consequence of that bod
refusing to take ii up at late period of the session.
we have written this long article not with view OF
entering into the discussion of the question of inte
nal Improvement, but simply for the sake of giving our
readers such information as we have been able To- col.
lec OF what has really been DONE and of the grounds
upon which the administration have acted.
IN