The Arkansas advocate. [volume] (Little Rock, A.T. [Ark.]) 1830-1837, 1834-12-26

ID, 10 the right OF aTproprIatIIlg money III
aid of such works when carried on by State
or by a company in virtue of State authority,
ssifrendering the claim ofjurisdietieni and
3D.. To the prepriety of appropriation for
improvements of a particular class; viz. for
lighthouses, beacons, bnoys, public piers, and
for the removal of sand bars, sawyers, and
other temporary and partial inpedimenta in
our navigable rivers and harbors.
The claim Of power for the General Gov
eminent upon each of these points. certainly
present matter Of the deepest interest. The
first, is however, Of much the greatest impor-
lance, inaslnueh as, in addition to the dam
gers ofunequal and iinprovident expenditures
of public moneys, common to all, there is SUI
peradded to that the conflicting jurisdictions
of the respective governments. Federal iu-
risdiction, at least to the extent have stated,
has been justly regarded BY its advocates as
necessarily appurtenant to the power IN ques-
ton, if that exists by the constitution. That
the most injurious conflicts would unaHoida-
bly, arise between the respective jurisdictions
Of the State and Federal Governments, in the
absence of a constitutional provision marking
out their respective boundaries, cannot be
doubted. The local advantages to be obtain-s
ed would induce the States to overlook in the
beginning the dangers and difficulties to.
which they might ultimately beexpesed. The
powers exercised 81 the Federal Government
would soon be regarded with jealousy by the
State authorities, and originating as they
must from implication or assumption, it would
be impossible to afiix to them certain and safe
limits. Opportunities and temptations tostlle
assumptionof powers incompatible with State
sovereignty, would be increased, and those
barriers which resist the tendency of our sys-
tenn towards olldation greatly weakened.
The officers and agents of the General Gov
eminent might not always have the discre-
ton to abstain from inferno dling with State
concerns; and If they did, they would not al
ways escape the suspicion of having done SO.
Collisions, and consequent irritations would
spring up--the harmony which should ever
exist between the General Government and
each member of the Confederacy, would be
frequently interrupted spirit of contention
would be engendered-and the dangers of d.
vision greatly multiplied.
let We all knew, that fiotvii Il standing
these grave objections, this dangerous. doc
trine was at estime apparently proceeding
to its finalestabllshinentw with fearful rapiditY.
The desire to embark the Federal Govern
ment IN works Of internal Improvement, pre-
vailed in the highest degree, during the first
session of the frs Congress that | had the
honor to meet IN my presentsituation. When
the bill authorizing asubscription on the part
of the United Suites for stock in the HaysVille
and Lexington Turnpike Companies, passed
the two Houses, there had been reported, by
the Committees Of Internal improvements,
bills containing appropriations for such OBJ
jects, exclusive of those for the Cumberland
road, and for harbors and lighthouses, to the
amount of about one hundred and six millions
of dollars In this amount was included au-
thority to the Secretary Of the Treasury to
subscribe for the stock Of different companies
to great extent, and the residue was princi-
pally for the direct construction of roads by
this Government. In addition to these pro-
Jects, which had been presented to the two
Houses, under the sanction and recommenda-
tion of their respective Committees on Inter-
nal Improvements, there were then still pend
ing before the committees, and in memorials
to Congress, presented, but not referred, diff
ferent projects for works of a similar charac-
ter, the expense of which cannot be estimated
with certainty, bat must have exceeded one
hundred millions Of dollars.
Regarding the bill authorizing subserip-
tion to the stock of the Maysville and licking
ton Turnpike Company as the entering wedge
4 OF a. system. which,, however weak at Ifst,
might soon become strong enough to rive the
bands Of the Union asunder, and believing
that il f its passage was aequieeced in by the
Executive and the people, there would
no longer be any limitation upon the aathori-
ty of the General Government in respect to
the appropriation Of money for such objects,
] deemed it an imperative duty to withhold
from It the Executive approval. Although,
from the obviously local character of that
work, | might well have contented myself
with arefusal to approve the bill upon that
ground, yet, sensible of the vital Importance
Of the subject, and anxious that my views
and opinions in regard to the whole matter,
should be fully understood by Congress, and
by my constituents, felt it my duty to go
further. | therefore embraced that carly oc-
casion TO apprize Congress, that in my opin-
ion, the Constitution did not confer upon 1t
the power to authorize the construction
ofordinarv roads and canals within the limits
ola State, and to say respectfully that bill
admitting such power soald receive my
official sanction. / did 50 in the confident