Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-05-06
POLITICAL.

Judge White has lucntlLeu
ali the schemes of the Opposition ie mas At los. @
scented himself az the champion OF MT Gay iana os
"a bill which he opposed III ali It's Stages "l'en =, NJ"
first carried through Congress, and before ne res
dents veto was put upon 1t. The Judge unc"''P'o
missing hostility TO the BILL was il fact the professor 10
the veto; aud yet he recurs to the sugGcsHss OF
the Presidents first message in regard to The d'sc OF
the surplus, authority for his present advocacy OF Tue
bill which he condemned before the President con
delnned it, and with all the authority before i'n "h "c"
be now relies. In the first message to wh;ca he reMrs
il will be found that the earliest nasty paoug!t winch
arose in the Presidents mind with regard 10 e eect
eueu of the measure, dashed with the doubt of lis
unconstitulionally In the message OF December te29
he says:
"To avoid these evils, it appears to me that tie most
safe lust and federal disposition which could DC aoe
of the surplus revenue, would he It's apporllonment
among the several States according TO teir ra'o OF re-
presentation; and should this measure not be t"una war
runted by the Constitution, that II "ou'u oe ~
propose to the States amendment autiotiZ"lSi ~ !
regard an appeal the ot power IN cases VI rear
doubt and where its exercise is deemed Indispensable
to the general welfare, among The most sacrede, all
our obligations. Upon this county, more than aay
other has in the providence of God been cast the se-
cal guardianship of the great principle OF adherence TO
written Constitutions. fit fail here, all hoee IN regard
to it will be extingushed That this was lsehded to be
q Government Of Limited and specific and not genera!
powers must he admitted by all; and it is OF: duly to
preserve for it the character intended by It's trainers II
experience points out the necessity for an enlargement
of these powers let apply for it to those for whose
whole system by resort to overstraned constructions
The scheme has worked we'll 1t has exceeded The hopes
of those who devised it, and become object OF admit
ration to the world"
In this it is apparent that the President, before he
had viewed the subject in all it bearings, and while he
still thought distribution the only mode of getting
rid of the accumulations of the tariff, Impressed
with the opinion that the scheme was unconstitutional,
and presented wherein hc felt bound 10 ni.
press upon Congress the great duty of san appeal to the
Of po,ecr as among the most saored'c all cur
Obligations"
But the land bill presented new aud nsrrernble OBJ
jec,ions growing out Of the compact with the States
under which it cedcd and moreover, it was liz d.
rect conflict with the veto on the Maysvile road bill
Upon this point the message against tile land blhcb
serves:
"The leading principle then asserted was, u,a:tCon-
gress possesses constitutional powers TO appropriate
any part Of the moneys of the United States, for objects
of local character within the States That principle,
cannot be mistaken in supposing has received tie une-
quvOcal sanction Of the American People, and all su5sc-
guent reflection has but satisfied more thoroughly,
that the interests of People, and the purity OF
Government, if not existence, depend its Oh
The public lands arc the common property
of the United States, and the n!oaeys arising from
their sales part Of the public revenue. This bill
proposes to raise from and appropriate portion of THE
public revenue TO certain States providing expressly,
it shall Ge applied to objects Of Internal inprore
7neat edHeatior acihn those SutcS,' and then pro-
ceeded to appropriate the balance to all the States
with the decaraon that it shuli be applied to such
purposes as Tie Legislatures Of the said respective Suites
shall deem proier." The former appropriation is
pressly for internal improvement education, without
Qualification rs the kind of improvements and there
fore in express violation of the principle maintained in
my objections the turnpike road BILL above referred
to. The latter appropriation is broad, and gives
the money BE- applied TO any local purpose wlasoc
YER 1t will be denied, that under the provisions of
the hil portion Of the money might have been applied
TO making the very road to Which the bill Of 1870 had
reference and must of within The scope Of
the same principle. If the money of the U. S. cannot
be applied TO local purposes "through its agents."
as little can il he permitted be thus expended through
the agency Of the State Governments.
OF all The measures in regard to which Judge White
signalzed his opposition that in regard To internal i'm
povemenls involved in the MaysVle road bill,
most striking lie We: beyond lille would not vote
far,hing to the Cumberland road, great :!!"Ea OBJ
ject deriving its origiAin MIR. Jefferson time, from
tain proceeds Of the public asas, which it supposed
to benefit lie went beyo nd it in his opposition TO every
appropriation, directly indirectly, tending 10 bring
the treasure of the nation to have influence in the States
concerns Or however obquely, to make the wheels OF
national and State Legislation npinge the upon the
other. He scrupulous TO keep them clear and indie
pendent in their action.
1t in pursuance Of this great principle that he gave
his cordial support TO the friends OF the Administration
in 1882 in their opposition 10 Mr. Cays land BILL and he
subsequently gave his most marked appreciation to the
veto upon it.
We have glanced at the journal of 1882 and find that
in every blow made by Col. Benton, Mr.. Grundy, and
Others at the BILL the strength Of Judge White nd.
ded 10 theirs To pass all the minor propositions de-
signed to defeat it, in all of which he concurred find
Judge White voting with Messrs Benton. Gruady, and
the whole body of Republican members:
1. To postpone the bill Indefinitely;
g To lay it on the table;
g. To strike out the clause distributing the pro-
ceeds among the twenty four States Of the Union;
d. To strike ont the clause directing the Distribution
10 be made for the purposes Of education internal i'm
provement, colonzaton or reimbursement Of any exist
ing debt for internal improvement;
.. Against engrossing and reading It 4 third time;
9. Against lis passage;
And after all this after the Presidents veto and the
Judges boast of the late Tennessee Legislature, Of his
support Of the Presidents measures, land this certainly
among the rest as the most prominently and pedging
himself TO continue 10 support them, to his
election to the present Congress, find him quoting
the earlier message Of the President in which q mere
suggestion was made, coupled with doubt of its con-
suonaiity, as an authority 10 overthrow the welld
gcs,ed and confirmed conviction of the subseoueo, meg
sage, which invited by Judge White previous con-
duct aud sanctioned by his subsequent acts :.
The Judge sets down his Abandonment Of q great con-
su,ional principle, to Tie account of the surplus
surplus which he has contributed, with the Oonosi,;on
to raise by arrestng the necessary appropriations even
for the defence of the country Who they at The
last session, who rather than appropriate the three mil
lions contingent on war, which then threatened lost the
whole fertilization BILL and have damned up in the Trea
sury the expenditures for two years, making all the
for the present season unavailable that they may
make an cutlery about the surplus? Was It not Judge
White and the Opposition with which he casued him
SELF from the moment he became candidate for the
Presidency? And are they not still laborng 10 keep
back all the appropriation bills for the public service in
all the Departments to the present hour; that the
Secretary of the Navy cannot comply with his contracts;
SO that the Commissioner of the Land Office cannot en-
ploy persons TO discharge the functions Of his Office and
settle the claims of those entitled to grants that the
Quurtermaster is obliged TO borrow money his own
private account the essential interests of the
nation that in word, the business OF The country
in Congress and out of it, in state Of perfect
nation! And all to make ssurpus TO enable the Goa
lesced candidates of the Senate to hold forth an i'm
Inense surplus to the States, and say Go for u.s. and
oe ,cn rob tie General Goprnment Of its means make