Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-19

VI v " ny " u6 -
Ner DID thu States intend to eoaisr upon the new Co
vsfnai'nt which they were a5ou, to create, a power
10 collect rev : 'ne Ior any such purpose. That wa
a past OF their iCh rent sovereignty which they choose
20 reis n; acd, hal they parted with il, they would
have been reduced to y s,ct. Of depend .nee on the new
Cos. ron cut. wholly subordinate to L., and utterly in
c1infa IDLE Win he idea OF their reserved sovereignty,
which II csnnot be $ rsusly urged by any, was int, nd.
Ell. Yet sivv to the Fed, raj government an uulimit.
ed p wer to collect money by taxes on tn. people, anj
an II. limited power TO d,sburse II by distribati On among
the sta'es, WITHOUT, any power over it, application when
disbu seJ, aud this will be III praetical opera,iou. And
u ms be the practical operation, it:s %dificnlt {, con.
csiv" what more Is wan ell 10 tnaks the Coveipmrn'
OF the Union one Of consolidated power. The powe-
TO lay and C lice, iaxe', duties. imports, ard exe,ses,"
was conferred. no. for the pu pJss IF raising money,
ina, II mir HI be given back again tn tho S,ates, either
Tor tue purpose oil supporting the S ate Governments,
or LOT any other purpose, bu, fer great national and ge-
neral purPo,es, enumerated and limited by the Consti
tuition fself. liz was g'an'ed to the Federal Govern
inert, because it was sb oluely necessary TO the con-
,lnned existence aud successful operation Of the new
Government itseli. Ii was granted, 6,st, TO render
n" taxes, duliss, imros,s, aud excises. which might
De Imposed, aud their collection, uniform in all The
States, and thereby to remedy the evil and :ncoave-
n'ence, not TO say Injustice, OF he coun,ervai!ing regu.
iA''ons, whio", betIre that time, were frs qurnhy re.
sor'ed TO by the ) ates, as agains; foreign nations, and
against each o'her; aud, secondly, TO enable the new
government TO provide Tor its own necessary support,
aud to ray tbs debts. wi hout b-ing dependen Mt on the
tardy and uncertain contribution of the quo,ss b .iore
mt time required TO be furni'hed by the States.
l., me com bioee nave now PRESENTED to tho House
We oPipione Wnttn toey entertain, as well as the Tea-
sons aud authorities on which hess opinions rest, in
regard to The question OF constitutional power, which
'hey have regarded as the paramount question invciv-
ed ~ The exam N alton Of he subj, CT referred 10 the m.
u me House shall not concur with IN IN in opinion,
but shall! believe that the powsr has b en- conferred
upon the Federal Gov rnmeh,, 10 engage in a system
OF internal Improvement in either Of the three modes
hfs' above specified, 60 'stituii"g the present plan,
ben The fo'lowing m y be stated as some Of the or &C.
uons to the expedien'y Of prosecuting such a system
In either OF those modes, which. it is believed, would
not applv n the man nj .tikttihntion af tka g,r,t,.
funds among the States, should the Hvuse be OF o,ioion
also, that that rover has been conferred, or that il
would be e%xpedi-Dt hereafter, by a ST 'ta5ie amend
meni Of the Consti;u ion, with proper lmita ions and
guards, to confer IT,.
II. Owing TO an uns voidabls diferenc, of opinion,
ex'ensively prevailing both in and cut Of Congress, IN
regard TO the present plan. our past experience hap
SHOWN nat one section OF the Union has been found
arrayed al ,inst another: SAFE has been opposed 10
o,a'e; and, by otking 10 the votes in Congress upon
al appropriations Tor improvement, in whais yer shape
proposed, th-y wi BE- found to bs strongly marked by
geographical boundaries. TIL people OF df II. rent sec
lions oil the Union are hus made to regard each o her
ra'hsr as domestic enemies and rivdls in interest, than
as members OF the came common government, possess
log a common interest. Pr,judices are enRendered,
a:d sectional feelings excited, caIcull'ed to pro luce
the most d-ietariCus AID fatal. fleets upon the harmony
81 our Union, and against, which our first venera,ei
Chiet M 'gistra,H, drawing upon the fund Of hi, ann.
experience, and speaking from his extensive obse.va-
"on an" 'numa'e practical sn.wle 'ge Of our political
eonditi n, warned us.
ID. Ii tends inevitably 10 corruption-to what in
common pa'laace is under'tood by it,cal g log roll.
Ing" and 10 a ~asiefuI and INN osrl.nt expsndi.ure
OF ihs Public money. Combinations of sectional and
local interests will be formed, strong enough 10 carry
through Congress every pro- o'idon tor Improvement,
whether useful or not, whether local or ma ioral In is
character and without, rel ard to the general Interests
of the whole.
81. III he attempted 10 corine the action of .hs
Government to work: OF national ~! not local cha.
rae Ell distinct n, the disreg ard OF which "wouIi
OF necessity lead to tho subversicn of the federal sys-
@9' ~ye', IN tie language OF The President, by whom
thu dftrcion Ia r. terred t,,"that even ihis |. an uu
cat one, arbitrary in its nature, aud liable cons auen,.
Iy to great abu-es, l.. too obvious TO REQUIRE the cor.
h'ma'Ion OF experience" To his IL may be added,
that endless and vsNaii u disputes would arise in Con.
srts ga, and between Congress ard the Executive. in
determining what il national and what il local. Each
branch must, OF cons qnence, act upon its own afbitra-
ry opinion. Oas Corgress may commence a work "a
national. and a fucceeding CONGRESS may think il 10.
cat. and witt hold The appropria ion to complete il. So,
on7 President may give his sanction to a particular
measure a. national, and his succefscr,c on,idaring il
as local, may withhold his approval. There il no cri.
'efion or hxfd rule, by which The question can be get.
t'd or satisfactorily determined.
h. l. di,iurts and DESTROYS that harmony q hich
should ever prevail 10 our legislative councils.
9th. IL the system continues on the pr eseDt plan, the
representatives. OF the p oole, ia ttead OF acting for the
general interests OF the whole, are TO be engaged in a
d'srer utab'e scramble for The public money, each act
ing with a view soieiy to the sectional and local in.e-
rests Of his immet late coDs'i,t ents.
ON, a necessary consequence of The objections stat.
eo VIII he, unequal and unjust appropriations of the
pubic money, even in those sections Of the Union
whose representatives may sdvo- ate the policy. Is il
JUST, Tor instance, ih:t New York, PenDsyivania, and
other States, who have already taxed their own citi-
zens, to make their own internal improve m nis, s. ouid
now be required to submit to the collection of additional
taxes, levied on their ciizens by the FEDERAL Govtra-
ment, to lake improvements in other States. The inc.
quality is, however, more s~irikingiy illustrated, when
we :ook to u ose sections Of The Union, whose represent.
ta'ives Ell her doubt the { Existence of the Dow er, or think
II IN x2edient 10 exercise II, who canno', consistently
WIN heir opinions, engage in the general scramble for
th~ir share. &who'e constituents, Their fore, Is no equal
ly Contribute to supply the Treasury with money, 10 not
participate in the appropriations fer these tbisc',. Thus
a very large portion Of the Union, in NUMBERS ami in
geogrdphicai extent, which on'ributss at least its
eq"a' PROF. orion OF the !sxe', fer The SUI po:t of Gov
ernntn; and the p ynent OF the debt, are COM
peli=d to see The national tea;ure, instead of be-
ing appn'd 10 the Legitimate objsc's for which
II was raised, ~u0sqsaiy disbnrs,d, and often i'm
providently fqnsndered on obie is ef mere local
Improvement, 10 portion Of which ever returns
TO isrge sections Of country, whose inhabitants have
been taxed to pay u.
The distribution OF the surplus fund.-, which nav a,
any lime remain in the Treasury, among the States.
10 some bxed, raieahle, md equitable proportion, il is
bsIicVed, would be exempt from these object ne aad
to this extent. il il be the future policy of The Goy-rn
men, to prosecute works OF this kind, it would be the
%pref-ra' lie mole.
The objections which have been made 10 The rlan of
dist; ibutCn, and the sn.wsrs TO tham, AZ siated bv the
P'e.iten', have received the attentive considp lion of
me COMMITTEES ard they c me to The ntlusio that
80 the nature OF the snhjsrt does not admit ~ a plap
wholly free from cbjeciion."
The Committee DO not unIsrstanl the P~resiIe,, 40
recommending the creation Of a surplus, for the pu-.
pose Of distributing IL out again among the p.oole or
TIE states but they under.isnd the rerommenda,ion
TO proceed upon The i'e', that it may net be possible.
10 reference 10 o'her great interests in the country, so