Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-11-15

THE SURPLUS.
The last New York Evening Post presents the
following views-ln some of which we cordially
concur-and ON others we are compelled to differ:
The appropriation OF the surplus the treasury OF the
United States alter the payment Of the national debt has
Of late become subject Of discussion. The projects oI
uPosng OF The public money various the inter
es's oil individuals aud communities There Is party
among US, who Tor the purpose OF advancing prirote in
terest are Tor expenng the money OF the nation il In
fernai nproremenfs This subject is introduced into
Congress at every session. and has become very embar
iassing The views Of the President as TO the pow
els vi the general government IN the expenditure oil the
public funds Tor internal PROFESSIONALLY
correct aud strictly in accordance with the letter and
spirit OF the Constitution IL has heretofore been usual
to Introduce bill Tor the prose ution of Internal I'm
povements, containing appropriations for some proper
and constitutional objects, and for great variety of
others, which are clearly UNCONSTITUTIONAL and intended
merely Tor the promotion OF private interests The mo-
tive for such proceedings has been TO ope the Pres
den, to accept or reject the whole bll the opposition
hoping IN this way to ijure his we'll earned popularity
ihcy 10 not know the man with whom they have deal,
Tor he mas always promptly put stop to this system Of
degradation on the public treasury and the reasons as
signed by him have always received the sanction of the
people and increased their esteem There isone object OF
Internal improvement, however, which has always APP
peaed 10 us 10 be clearly within the powers Of the gcner
al government, and to which that there
Is any unconstitutional objection. We audc TO the i'm
between large cities This may be done by the consruc
ton OF railroads the principal routes in such other
manner shall be deemed most advisable. We not
aware that there could be reasonable or constitution
al objection 10 bill framed for this sole purpose Ii is an
Object in which the chOfe community more or less in-
terested Our attention has been attracted TO this subject
by the repeated complaints respecting the delays OF the
mails, which in many instances doubtless Justly atr
bnabe to the state of the roads which mails
transported"
We differ with the Evening Post entirely ms to the
maui rodds--and we submit the following PROPOSE
tons for its considerations
1s Most of the friends of Internal Improvements
have founded the poiVer Of the Federal Government
to cxpend money on them, upon this very ground
They contend, that the power to establish post of
fees aud postroads" carries with it the right to an
proprlate money TO post-roads. The friends of n H.
power very differently. They hold, that to esta-
DISH road is not to construct t-but merely to de-
sgndte the route and to have the power of carrung
the mail along it, free from any interruption of the
States.
End. If the power he granted to construct mail
roads, 1t is general oneand confined to 'prin-
cipdt routes" "bctween large cities" 1t goes the
whole Tor there are no words TO confine its mean
ing to such routes only The position of the I" Post"
therefore, to construct under the power to establish"
is co-exensive with every route which Is or man be
designated for the carrying of the mail-in other
words, the poioer tcoutd spread throughout every
quarter OF the Union-and would involve an expen-
diture OF public money, greater than any surplus
which may ever be expected to flow into the public
Treasury. In fact, the E. Post thus gives up the
whole question of po,ger.
81. 1t is vain for the E. Post to attempt to limit
the power by the words ",chole cot,ntrv~-JJnon
what part of the Constitution does it RELY for this
limitation? Is it upon the words to establish
post-roads"? But those words general in their
application.-Will it take refuge in the words ge-
neral ,ceLfdre ?" This would be the most ALARMING
construction of the Constitution which could be en-
ployed.
18th, The only safe and just conclusion, therefore,
to which we can arrive, is, that power has been
gwen to appropriate money to Internal Improve
ments-be they mail routes or not.-Let us cut down
the ,oa'ts Of the Federal Government to the few,
but important powers which expressly or neces
sd'7ty conided to the Federal Government-and let
us cut down the to these necessary and
constitutional powers. Upon these two great prin-
cpes, hang all the Law and the Prophets. Thus, we
reduce the Government to the simplicity and safety
which the authors of the Constitution had original
ly in view-and thus, we place upon firm and
durable basis the two great Pillars Of our Prosperity
the Rghts Of the States, and the Union Of the Siaics
Thus, we are equally protected against the encroac-
menfs of the Consolidonisis and the ercesses of the
.Nnhjfers. "To this complexion, (if we are wise,)
we must come at last"