The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-16

-. =, 6oeeu wears past, having received the sanction
N ho,h branches OF the legislature and OF several Exc
eu,yes The money has been appropriated no, TO sea
wandering corps uf engineers, ranging over the eou"
try, az the gentleman tMr Garland) says, and msAng
surveys just where they please, but 10 be sppeu as
creey aud carefully, altar full examination in'S W
nature OF The objects asked Tor 80 lar mas ms 49,
from wsnlon aud wasteful expenditure 'na' = M
been found far short OF what is necessary 70 -
| public demands for lis application You nave hs'
merous resolutions OF different State legislatures 49,
| after year petilionng Congress 'o' $500 1i. /. mem
respective quarters Of the country sna mon
| Der upon this floor but has put ~ DIS rsoS In
| -: ..,ino for examinations and surveys my
.nnn,, calI. FOR i loudly and necessarily HOW WIN
M. hs amended Under Executive Responsiveness
/, has heretofore teen or, Mnat was me e.Pres'.u
N Congress, at its last session, IN regard 10
Jssa examinations and suyeysl You increased very
i.rasly YOUR corps Of typographical engineers ailer
nr,s.ne aud repeated applications aud recommends
1 I ons from the Executive aud tho War Department,
I,peaed in successive years past You have nov me
officers requisite do the work. and now viii you with
hold the funds On what other duty will you put your
typographical engineers or are they TO remain totally
idle
The gentleman says it is not only unconstitutional,
but inexpedient IasxpSdeHf TO have some knowledge
Of the face Of the country we inhsbt! TO become ac-
quained with it, capacities, whether Tor commercial or
mechanical aud manufacturing purposes! inexpedlent
TO know its capabilities Of military delence-to ascer-
tain how far its facilities OF intercourse may be multi
Piled Is this inexpedienti Are we to remain OF
choice in darkness aud ignorance OF the great and grow
ing nation whose destiny IN part committed to our
hands
But gentlemen say these surveys the beginnings
OF system Of waseiul aud pohlgate expenditure. For
one sir do not hold these expenditures to have been
waselnl or useless. On the contrary am convinced
that much aud important public good has been done,
and that much may and will yet be done n appro-
priaons for these objects be continued differ wholly
from many gentlemen here as 10 what Is extravagant
and wasteful The fund for surveys has Obtained for
W. under The direction Of preceding Presidents, much
information Of great value, both 10 peace aud war; and
there many valuable results 10 come out Of them,
which cannot yet see, but which will hereafter he
gradually developed by the Of events and have
no doubt this OF early and careful survey OF
the geographical communications and the various other
pabes and OF country will be esteem
ed by those who shall come after us monuments OF
sound wisdom and legislative foresight. Though many
of these surveys have been conducted under the dcc-
ton Of the President, many have also been made under
the express orders Of Congress have heard complaint
by gentlemen that in the money has been
discussed under the resolution OF one branch Of Con-
giess only and they have cited these very objects men-
toned by the Secretary Of War in the letter which has
been read here examples IN point From this paper
il that, by resolutions Of the Senate alone, three
works have been pointed out TO the attention and con-
sderaton OF the Executive suitable TO be undertaken
SO far as to have survey and examination made OF
them the survey OF portion Of Tennessee nver, the
survey Of the southern debouche termination OF the
Dismal Swamp Canal, SO as TO determine the practical
bilty Of extending into the State Of South Carolina,
with view to inland navigation aud the survey
i OF Tanger Sound aud the harbor Of Annapolis Now,
sir it is not supposed that these resolutions OF the Sc
| late alone have tie force Of law and are obligatory
upon the Department Of War They to be regarded,
and presume regarded only eudence OF the I'M
portance Of the main objects sought to be accomplished
The House has often done the same thing; II has often
requested the Secretary of War 10 cause survey to be
made Of particular objects and he has done II, not as
| under law but because the request was properly
deemed by him evidence Of the Importance and propre-
~ Of the surveys specified, and proper respect his
part for either branch Of Congress would naturally in
duce him 10 receive such request IN favorable man
ner. H..
II seems from the commune aon that the Secretary
OF War so far respects the resolutions Of the Senate
that he wishes $4,000 out Of the $4,000 contempa-
ted in The amendment for the surveys they recommend
And why should they not be made! Why should we
not know something in regard to those objects Gentle
men say that they will be but the beginnings Of many
works Of internal improvement. That depends on cir
cumstances. They may or may not be. If the result
Of the survey shall show that the works can be
ted reasonable expense, and important and USE
full why should they not be carried on We not al
ways to be under financial endorsements, hope
We often applied to for the construction OF mpor-
works both commercial and military and what the
objection invariably urged The of survey and
tstlHate i nat is the very HTst question. Is neTe
any survey! Where is the estimate Of the Depart
ment Why, sir, the propnety Of such works never
can be shown to this House if you PROSTATE these pre-
limnary inquiries. Gentlemen who 90 against spending
any money, any where, for any thing may, consistent
enough, go against these surveys but those who are
willing that the Improvements of the country should 60
on ought now to take that the OF doing it
shall not be suppressed. The rejection Of such an
em at this day, after il has been granted annually for
thirteen or fourteen years, would be singular indeed
and not less so. that the House, after augmenng the
Typographical force Of the Department, for the express
that Inadequate to the service required of
it by the country, should take away the Of en-
ploymg II. hope the appropriation will be made will
not attempt 10 discuss the question whether it is to be
made under such standing law or not. While admit
that when The appropriation withheld, the law has for
the time no practical effect, yet insist that
gard ought be had what has been done by previous
Congresses, and the construction which has uniformly
been given to the law The Department recommends
There was no appropriation for this olJect made the
last session. The surveys have therefore, in great
degree, been suspended whilst the demand for them has
the 800 900 proposed, $4,000 already apparently
pledged because no appropriation was made last year to
enable the Executive render the service recommend
ed by the Senate should be glad to comply With the
recommendation of the Executive in granting the $50
and appropriately extended and that the country will
hereafter derive rich benefits from it,
Mr. Mason, of Ohio addressed the House.
From Tie Nep York Times, of Feb IL.