Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-08-10

uhuei hr. AuaHlss administration, than Gwynns. We
recommend the Expose TO readers particularly an
,icc headed ".Nr. Ponderter and his allies mi ~ The
,cdH," which we will give in next And what says
the lntelgencer-As yet sword spakc he no moro ,,
Morality is dnmb founed-and we predict he has near
ly done with Gwynn's ease-He has caught Tartar.
Strike, b, hear him We have completed in to.dav,s
paper the Biography IF Martin Pan Buyea-The
votes oil the people in three months will aid this supple
'cos made pice President 6y The acts Of his roIfeai
ei'e"ies. shall follow up this Biography with his
peeeh on he powers OF the Presiding Officer of the
Sehate-gving his Political Creed.
-u---ue--v-s-=.--.--u.
TO THE EDITOR or TIE ENQUIRER
In The Enquirer OF the 10Th of June, you have highly
commended MIR. Senator Tyler for his opposition to the
memorial from the City of Richmond praying Tor an ar
preparation for the Improvement of the navigation of James
RIVER; and Invoked with emphasis the exercise of
Tue veto oil The President, upon this and all similar an
preparations III you at all of the Difference that
paid to your opinonsnot only by the President by
large proportion of the delegation in Congress from Vr
ginia, aud from the whole Souih-i cannot bc but that the
fearful responsibility you encounter should give rise 10 an
anxious desire to be thoroughly satisfied of tIo
Of the opinion which you hold on this subject
Ii understand the matter Alright, that opinion is-hat
Congress may not appropriate money, merely because
fence and general ceJdre that to jttsiify an appro
preparation Of money the particular measure to be ef
Jected 0y az must 6e tcth the enumerated authorities
rested an Congress. say, If understand the matte.
d'lghf, becausein the multitude of paragraphs with
winch your paper has teemed, for now near twelve
years. upon this su6ject-there is not, SO far as am
Xeloped the views upon which this opinion is found
CO. he nearest approach that you have made TO
suen development in paragraph of your paper of
sept 29-n relation TO the Dismal Swamp canal appropria
ton, which, as mean TO make it subject of the oer
vauons That am about TO submit 10 you, here quote
IL IS true, that the Enquirer has, wears been endea
voring 10 sustain theory, not at war with the wboI
" Constitution of the United States but in strict coneo
mace with It's early history; with all its contemporary
the doctrines of the Republican party in 9s 90 with
the luminous principles of Madsons report; and with
tne avowed opinions of Jefferson and of Madison"
ms statement is so much at variance with all nv i'm
pressons, and Involves think an error SO fatal to The
interests and the rights of the whole southern portion OF
this Union that aminduced TO request vou 70
mine il, gravely and deliberately and TO refer for The
satisfaction of tue readers of the Enquirer to the auhor
ues upon which 1t made feel entirely assured that
you are faithful 10 the claim which you have TO the
not pass UNDECIDED
l. The SPECIFIC PROVISIONS OF THE CoNsr1rU-
Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes
duties mpos and excses pay the debts and provide for
Sates.'' 49, ~
conccde, sure, all that you will ask of me. and
not less am free TO say, than you have right TO require
wheh admit Notwithstanding the punciuaion that this
clause is to be received giving TO Congress mower o
lay and collect taxes, duties imposs and excuses for The
PWP1Se paying The debts and providing for the com
mon defence and general welfare and giving pow
err, substantive though underlined, "to provide for the
common defence and general welfare
III Is claimed from this clause, that Congress has autho
ty to use the of the United States in onv and
every way, in which the of il NAV promoc tho
general welfare ii is not claimed giving TO Congress
power TO do, or command TO be done any thing
greatly that thing might conduce the general welfare
It's plain, common sense meaning without any Iorcing
OF strainng, would seem TO convey specific power APP
POpfate money co-eXtensive with the demands of the
common defence and general welfare Whence is derry
ed the idea that this power confined 10 narrower limits
than these!
You claim that Congress has no mower to o,
money except 10 deay the expenses incurred i'm the
eicse OF the other powers given ii by the Constitution
EXpunge the words "to provide for the common defence
and general welfare, and there might be some ground C,
the claim; though think, in that case the Ground
would he insufficient, Retain them and you construe
heh 10 mean, 10 deray the expenses incurred i'm the
exercise OF the other powers granted by the Constitution
By what authority do you claim, either to expunee them
or thus 10 pervert their meaning?
You have frequently said if YOU attached ncb weight
10 me remark that, the words o provide for the common
defence and general welfare be found in the old ar
uccs OF confederation and were never IN ae
this meaning there" Altho do not perceive that mis- re
ference can furnish any apt illustration ppon the subject
submit TO You an extract from report made Congress
on the 10th OF Dec 1882, by Mr. Hamilton Mr.. Aadi-
son and Mr.. FitZsinD,ons.
"By The confederation, Congress have an absolute dis
erection in determining the quanum of Revenue reoui
site Tor the national expenditure; and when the money
comes into the Treasury the appropriation is the
stve province of the Federal Government This provi
sion coinprchends in its fullest latitude te princiuIe
which the objection under consideration treats a.
nant TO the liberty Of the United STATES TO wit an in
dehnhepooer Of prescribing he quantity Of fnoney 10
DC raised and Of dppropridtiHg il ohcn raised" n
l.. u. S. Al Bio. Ed -
z WITH ITS CONTEMPORARY ExPostTtoNs AND
WITH ITS EARLY HISTORY.
On the nth OF Dec. 1901, Alex Hamilton then Secrc.
tay OF the treasury, made to the House Represents.
ives IN obedience TO previous order Of that boJv hjs
celebrated report on manufactures In that report dis
cussng Tic subject OF Pectidry bOunfies as one of the
means OF encouraging this and other national interests he
notices the fact that ga question had been made
ing the constitutional right Of the government TO apply
this species OF encOuragemenr-goe into an exposition
OF the Constitution, and thus announces his oin6n po
the matter: 'l is therefore, of nccessy left 10 the die.
erection OF the national legislature to pronounce upon the
"Ogects winch concern the general welfare, and for
(which under that description, an dppTOpydfon nj mo.
"Hey rs requisite and proper. And there seems to be no
room Jo o00t that whatever concerns the general in.
ieress oil learning, OF agriculture of manufactures and
"o commerce., are within the sphere Of the national
councils, rs Tar ds reg0rds application nj month
DO not refer to this report and This opinion as claiming
LOT II any difference whatever from YOU know vol,
would throw II back At me And yet there is passage
IN ~ winch cannot but think would gain him some lit
Tic acceptance with you, and which for the sake of his
memory viii here 90 somewhat ont o. tc way, 10 Law
before you Speaking Of roads and canals, he SAYS
Ihere can certainly, be object more worthy OF the
cares OF tue local administrations and IL tCcye 10 be
oished mat there ,ods doubt AT the po,oer If the
national gouenmcnt 10 lend us direct aid on com
PTchenSiDe plan" refer TO the report solely for its
bearing IN come xion with this acOn he 10th Of Feb
oilowug Congress, with the objection thus announced Ia
IT. ana WIN the Secretarys argument and opinion full in
yew granted out Of the public Treasury, pecuniary
bounes to vessels engaged in the fisheries and has con.
nnuod to pay these bonnee, II believed from that day Ia
the present