Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-01-04

broken dowo. He dill not dare to claim iu,;a.,;o,
20, o"; because ne knew full WE'LL there was power
me States TO resist such Unauthorized
ne Presidents difficulty In making approprI ,,on.
'or internal improvements, seems to arise from the
want oil Objects in his opinion. of general no, To-
c",-ns'iona', not State character He had shawn
nst ne viii not en'rench upon State .overesntv tv
'ubscr lug Tor stock in companies or bv autbori.n.
ms oienng OF roads through tho. soil aud so FAR, ba.
'Hre'ualy guarded he Constitution axsn. n,rsc,jon
ASH he had denied the right OF apron atinx mon,
70 such objects n'raly. But let him not dec-iv.
n,nsen IN the use Of ,ho.c general terms--,hey are
seuucuv", and may lead him ssrsy upon point. con
important to be observed. They are the III. n,ic,
words fret used by Mr. Hamilton in his repor, unon
Manufactures: and adopted by Mr.. Monroe, in ord-
10 prove that there other Limitation pac. u,o
Congress, by the Constitution In the use Of the nubc
money II was the ed,re docrine, which the repub-
Means That day successfully resis ed aud overthrow
leading to all those evils which prsc ically expe.
| rienced under the two last adrninistr aton. =
" In returning to the House OF Representatives the
o Of the last session. king appropriation. for build.
ing lighthouses, ght.bcas, beacons srd Monuments
placing buoys and fer improving Lors and directing
| surveys the President states
III. cop,,.aa 70 Ss M mas hsen fr" the adoption Of
msS ADD 'Srp' Of shssus s.eOn public
render The ns,s.on safe and e'y fsisn
Of roI' Of entry delivery upon our nav cable
@ the 'phsre Of those expenditure en-
%or. OF r,db.r wy aud other The
% rsnne'PIe and the sIpe"e Delayed in the wsnnor
MS statement shows how encI o ,chme mt ieads
on 10 another, and how important s 10 guard with IN,
ost scrupuious care, against the admission of thnys
sf2ren'ly similar in their character which admit y,
an imPortint distinction. IL IL believed that the cree
'on OF public piers, well as the Improvement
OF me navigabe water courses by the removal of ob.
~. uemons, Is oil recent orign-that they ommenced
WIN the spirit OF internal improve men and tbe au
tnory was placed upon the same principle IL /. tr.e
the erection OF lighthouses the part Of the Federal
20; commenced very shortly after the adop.
huf 81.
oy the States, scquesc. in than ,ubmi,,sd
TO- as matter Of right viii any one pretend that b
ss. even now, bave not the right to erect light
"ouses improve their harbours, SC. u they thought
proper! The circumstance Of the United Ststes bsy
ING voluntarily taken the charge of their hands 4. M
,1somsnt 10 prove complete surrender of the rgh,
cumming the most which can he claimed for the U
saes 70 DO these thing, must be under the power
20 provse and maintain Navy and not that of re-
kuanS commerce among the several States, which l.
genera"y assumed wh-re that object ceases, the
power must end and cannot extend into the inter Of
inc country. The regulation of commerce il a differ
u powsr aogeher' and was never intended to create
commerce, further than the mode by which
u" 10 DC carried on Now, what is the plain me ming
OF the term 'regulae'" The T.xieogr,pher tell, vou
u Is 70 prescribe rule by which particular thing /.
10 De done-and according to this nterpre alton have
all your Treaty regulations, and the practice of the 90
vetnment gone ever since the adoption of the Cons,i,u
uo9' iou prescribe rule by which seamep, vessels
anu 'ner cargoes, are 10 be governed in entering ~
departing from one port to another either wi foregn
countries or among the several States But was n ever
conceived that this power should be used to create com
merce oy giving avenues and vents to III II So Con.
gress may enter into treaties with foreign powers hind
ing Het 10 open rivers and make harbors for tba
convenience may undertake to build ships provide
seamen aud all the other 10 carry on
commerce among the several States or with Corejyn ma
uone. ~ impossible to see the extent 10 which an
vuse OF power WIZ be carried, when improper con-
s'rucuon or latitude IL allowed. For instance Iybt.
houses and buoys being admitted piers them.
en he eIearng out Of harbors aud lastly, the reno.
Val oil sawyers and sand ta-s.
"The PRECEDENT says n b;ii ..oi;.~
Priauons Tor these objects had PASSED. would have
ce'ed his sanction; and In attempting 10 limit the bonn
lay S eonnmng them to what he pieases to call reve.
nue. uisuiets seems 10 he has given up the whole
question: Now, 1t will only be necessary TO establish
ports Oh entry upon the navgabe rivers of the differ
e" o's'es, ana they under this rule, become immedi-
7'y Tue sol ects oil Improvement Already bill ba
oeen reported from the Committee of Commerce, %.
aonshing Ptsburg, Louisville, and slme other places
ports OIL entry In the western country, which would
Justify the application OF money 20 the improvem nt NJ
The streams leading TO them. I think the President
Goes no, mean to give the latitude which the contruc
on OF his opinion would eem TO authorize: and hon.
he will review il, and see the consequences likely 70
result from so dangerous an exercise of power The
rivers within the territorial limits OF State, are as
mueh the property OF the State the oil over which
Ioau passes; and trade an be carried we'll on one
as the other '
1.-The distribution OF the surplus fund after the nav
ment oil the public debt, forms also an important
oil the message, and deserves more weiebtv
atom than am able TO give it at this time-the COM
made upon itby some of the public presses par.
ucuarly In constitutional point of view are verv Inc,
ana appropriate The President 10 consider this
point as conceded although in a former MESSAGE he
supposed constitutional difficulty might arise on the
Part Oh congress After the decision which took place
las. winter upon the subject, in the Senate probably
gh nave been better not again have disturbed tbo
question, or at least to have given no distinct onn;o
upon IT, till the time arrived when it became
70 look TO such an event My opinion clearly is
nal no such opposition can be made without an amend
ment TO the Constitution.
nat have here said, is out OF no hostility to
tne President, but sincere desire to arrive AZ truth ir
oa dcuons ana Investigations. know sim TO be 4
disposed TO bring back the government and the consti
on 10 Their practical operation in those days But he
1SwaIe' Iest by the advance of opinions and a
from which 1t will not be easy to escape
FOR THE E.NIOKIIREP