Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-28


been concurred in by the House
Mr Jennings moved to recommit the bill, with in
st;uo.iuns 10 feport an amendment, appropriatin
thirty thousand dollars for the Improvement Of
river' IN Tie State of Indiana; hut the motion
was rejected
Nr Lea said he rose not 10 make speech, for tune
was precious, but TO ask for the AYES and noes II,
! desired the opportunity of record,nr his vote an,
w'shed others 10 do so. it time to reflect or
'ieso eXterBaf-intcrnal improvements us well as or
! other theoretic distinctions. His own opinion was
N"oWh 10 ne adverse to such odious determinations
! ana he wished to see whn were prepared To main
| tain them, and to what extent This peculiar class
OF improvements required definition To let us know
where they must stop, or how far they might no.
f1o mad no great sollciude to ascertain how far in
such cases the constitution ran I'D river. This
question had puzzled him exceedingly and he would
De grained to lind some who would answer il
satisfactorily. He determined at least, to no.
lce careuy the progress of fhese measures, and 10
see now lar this House, and the administration 7
TINS government, may the principles inyo-
we'd in them. He called for the ayes aud noes
me call being sustained, the yeas and nays were
accordingly ordered
Mr. Carson thought it necessary before \ vote was
taken on the passage of this BILL to examine and ar
range the various items embraced in il; it was time
10 see what we were about to do apart from the CON
stutionuity of doing it. He would be ridicu!.d if
he were to oliudc to the constitution, its requiem
was sung long since, and it could easily be rev.
we'd. Mr. Carson read from he bill the several sums
asked for he Improvement Of various rivers creeks
&c, IN Ohio and other States. We had MIR Car
son SAID, got from the harbors and mouths OF rivers
OF our sea coast into the very creeks of the interior
OF the country, and he expected to hear of an
appropriation clear some sprinu branch TO ena
bic some good old lad 70 keep her milk COOL and
her spring house In proper order. But he did not
know that any remark of his would impede this mo-
tom Lie did hope that his friend from Kentucky,
OR Iancey,) who had expressed and felt so strong
sympathy for the poor man who earned his bread by
the sweat of his brow, would make speech against
! its passage.
MIR Irvln, of Ohio, advocated the passage of the bill
He commended that the people of the west were as
Justly entitled to money to enable them to clear out
their rivers those the atlantic seaboar Every
breeze that waited from the brought along with
1t the wealth of the enrich the whole atlantic
frontier, and remained here to return There
is Constant drain the industry Of the western
country There Is no part of the country that con-
tributes more to the support of the government
that has done mora to maintain its hon and to Sc
cure Its permanent Independence: aud he hoped
sense OF justice would secure the passage of the bill
Mr w hittlesey, in reply to the observations of MIR
carson, respecting the proof OF sandbars existing
and the necessity of their removal, stated that sur
veys were made, referred the engineers Depart
| ment, and thence TO the Committee Commerce.
1t was impossible, from the very Raiure ofthc case,
III consequence OF the continual shifting Of the sand
shoals and bars to make estimate of the eX
pensc Alter referring to the immense amount 81
commerce on Lake Eric, and the difficulties and OBJ
structions to is from sand bars he observed tina; be-
cause that lake was fresh water, there was no rea
son why 1t should not be improved as well as if MS
| waters salt. Mr. w. proceeded to contend hal
although the west was separated from the east by
range OF mountains, yet uotW ithS anGinr TINT II wa.
equally entitled to the protection of the government
and Its aid IN the improvements OF the navigation
It's rivers, and the removal of impedmcnts of its har
q, bors.
Eli Sill had watched the progress of the connarr,
OF this country for several years past lie cniere,
into history of the commerce of Lake Erie pbo,,gI
there was not natural har5or OH that lake Fl, IL
afford protection from u Storm vet II was not I'm,
| 1924 that q "A ,uas
single harbor on hat lake. lie conended hat i
appropriations we're to be made for such obaets il
consideration of the general utility, that the prnci-
pie would Justify those under consideration Tie
stated several facts showing the general importance
OF these Objects of the commerce ofthe lakes Since
the government had extended AID in removing OBJ
sfuctlons to the navigation of rivers, and opened
haftors on their lakes, had fallen so per
CENT and showed hat the commerce had, since that
period, increased with uneXampled rapidly. He dil
not INQUIRE where Improvement was 10 be made:
whether at New York, mouth of Delaware, on the
chesapeake Bay. or any other point Of the atlantic
frontier; IL enough for him 20 know that they
were OF general Importance, and consequently ma
tonal 1t was so with these rivers embraced III tha
Dill: they were OF general Importance and entitled
the support OF the House. He alluded to the acton
on Lake Erie during the late Under Coul Perry
1t was only by miracle that he and his feet WIS sa
we'd from falling prey To the British forces and thI:
perlous situation resulted from the bar at the mouth
of the harbor IN which his feet lay which prevented
MN, wltoui throwing overheard all his munitions Of
! war, from escaping from attacking the British
Mr McDutHc SAID the bill was the ordinary app7o.
PrIation bill for the harbors, and he eXhored gentle
men who were friendly to Its object, not to cndanoe
its passage by making long speeches.
MessFs Carson and IRWIN, of Ohio, made a few
! remarks; after winch
Mr. Renoher made motion Cor the reading OF ;h,
! bill and amendments, winch was carried
: Mr Drayton stated that there were some items il
the bill so Objectionable in principle, that he Shout,
| be compelled 10 vote aaainsi it,
! The yeas and nays were then taken en- the oucg-
| ton of the engrossacnt of the bill.
! EEAs-Mc5srs. Anderson. Arrnst-onr Bale,
! Noyes Barber BarriDgur, Bates, BayloT, B9cles
! Boon Broadhcad, Brown Buchanan, Burrco. Ca
! boo1, Cambreleng, Chundlcr, Chiffon, Clark Con
! dict, Cooper, Cowios, Crane, Crawford Crockett
/ Creighton, John Davis DebsTry, Denny, Doddridge
/ Dorsey, Duncan, Eager, Ellsworth, George Evans
! Joshua Evans Edward Everett, Horace Everett
! FIDdlay, Finch, Ford Forward, Gilmore, uasey.
Harvey, Hawklba, Henphil Kinds, Holland, How
ard, Hughes, Hunt, Huntington. Ihrle Irwin, irwin,
| Jarvis, Johns I'd VI. Johnson Kendall Kncald,
I Perkins King, Leatitt LecomPe, Leiper. Lent,
/ l.etcher, Mar, barlndale, McDufFie McIntre,