The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-16
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6.


WEpSEsDAY, Feb. 6.
The bill making appropriations for the support Of
ne army Tor the year 1880 being under cons idera-
on and the pending question being on the motion Of
MI Nefcer 70 amend the bin by adding an appro-
pnSsr =, Sovv0 for the prosecution OF surveys
Mr.. BELL said he did not intend to enter into the
discussion OF Inc propriely Of adopting the amend
menl before the House: But he would inquire from
the gentleman from Virginia. (Mr. Mercer) and
the gentleman from New York, (Mr Cambreleng,)
whether he was correct in understanding that this
appropriation had received the sanction OF the Exc
culive branch Of The Government
Mr.. MERCER said he would again ask the Clerk
10 read The letter from The War Department to the
Committee on Roads and Canals having refereneet TO
the subject
Mr.. BELL said he did not recognise that as pro.
per channel through which the Executive should
make communications Mr.. B. cast no imputation
on the committee, nor upon the gentleman from
virginia, (Mr Mercer) But surely, when these
questions were coming every day TO be Of more vital
Importance at all events In the estimation OF gentle
men from the South, the House ought 10 know upon
what sanction, upon what extent Of authority II was
called upon 10 make such appropriations, or in what
respect there was deficiency of Official sanction.
de had some experience Of the effect Of shifting the
responsibility OF these matters. he knew that APP
preparations had sometimes found their way through
this House from the mere fact Of the members being
told that they had the Executive sanction and yet,
when the proceedings or journals Of the House came
10 be examined there often no 10 be found
OF Executive Recommendations. II the committees
did not chance TO get an order for the printing OF
such recommendations, the Public had usually no
means of ascertaining upon whose responsibility
such appropriations were made.
Mr.. MERCER said that in the estimates made OF the
military expenditures of the year by the Department
Of War, there would be found request for an APP
preparation Of $4,000 for military and civil surveys,
and designated 10 be surveys preparatory TO The de-
fence of the Eastern and Western frontiers OF the
United States. ...
Nh hat
this appropriation came before Congress al the com
mencement Of the session, and ulder the sanction OF
The President Of the United States, Mr.. Mercer
bowed assent) This brought him TO the point on
Which he wished to say few words. These appro-
priatons for internal improvements generally came
under the highest known sanction--under the sane
ton OF the regular constitutional head of the Go
vernment. He would call the attention Of the House
TO The fact that attempts were made give to these
expenditures a new and particular importance at
inns moment. II often happened that appropriations
had me iull sanction of the executive yet The re-
sponsblity was thrown upon Congress And he, as
member of this body. had had such responsibility
thrown upon him hundreds Of miles from this Capt.
ol, and In cases where il not possible to bring
forward evidence that the Executive was the true
responsible party. He had been charged not only as
an individual, but as member Of the Committee on
Indian Affairs with recommending appropriations,
when, if the truth Of the case could be known, it
would have been asceraned that they came directly
from one of the Executive Departments Of this Go
vernment The gentleman from Virginia, Mr..
Mercer) had now informed the House that this APP
preparation had the sanction OF the Executive
preparation had; and he (Mr. b. commended that
the responsibility in these matters rested mainly
with that branch Of the Government, whose duty it
was 10 give information 10 this House. II was al
WAYS very serious responsibility which this House
assumed when il undertook 10 say that 1t would not
make those appropriations which had been asked for
the defence oil the country 10 prevent the dilap-
dation of the public works of any kind. This was
a1,, e I'M Lac, 81.
House exercised its power in this respect, it should
not fail, in the first instance 10 assure itself Of the
fact that the Executive was wrong, and that 1t was
right. He made these remarks not SO much in re-
ference TO The particular appropriation now called
for as TO the class of appropriations Of which this
was one, and with view 10 point the public eye TO
that true with which, by the Constitution of
the land the chief responsibility rests.
As to this particular question, he would say that
he had uniformly voted against these appropriations
and he saw no now why he should depart
from his course; because, by the acknowledgment
of the gentleman from Virginia himself, (Mr. Mer
cer) it was not for the military defence OF the coun-
try alone that this appropriation was wanted il was
for the support Of that branch Of the public service
under which appropriations had heretofore been
made for The advancement Of what were called the
internal improvements of the country. And he
(Mr. b. did not forget, and the gentleman from
South Carolina near him {Mr Pickens,) would not
forget that, at the last session Of Congress- although
opposition was made bya few members on this floor,
upon the question Of increasing that branch Of the
public service which had direct reference to these
improvements, and when the bill which proposed
the increase Qhe Army billy was hurried through,
under the pretext that il necessary tor the militia
ny defence of the Western frontier he (Mr. B. had
urged that this was feature which could bear no
construction except with reference to a design TO
give new impetus to internal Improvements. OPP
position to that bill was scarcely tolerated. and any
gentleman who opposed il rendered himself obnox-
ious TO severe denuncation. There were gentle
men present who could bear testimony to the truth
of what he said.
He had not intended however to say so much.
He had risen only for the purpose of showing where
the responsibility was; and of pointing out how
small must be the effect OF recommendations OF re-
trenchment coming from committees OF The House,
in opposition TO the views and recommendations OF
the Executive.
Mr. GARLAND, of Virginia, said am OPP
posed, Mr.. Speaker 10 the amendment proposed by
my honorable colleague, (Mr. Mercer,) and shall
vote against it, first because il authorizes surveys
which are in violation of the Constitution; and,
second, because, if constitutional il is highly mex
pedent and dangerous, and il adopted will lay the
foundation of an interminabe system of internal
Improvements by the Federal Government, in viola
ton Of the rights Of the States, exhausting to the
public resources, and adding to tina, mass of patron
age already so learlnlly great in the hands Of the
Federal Government
Ii cannot have been forgotten that the States have
already in their possession SOS 0O0000 OF the public
money which they are not Hkcy to refund. When
the bill providing for the depose of the surplus oil
the public revenue in the State Treasures was I'M
der consideration in 1886, il was argued in support
ofihat measure that this fund would be employed by
the States in the construction of works OF internal
improvement, and that the Federal Government
would in future be entirely relieved from that bur
den. What had been the result2 Appropriations
TO such objects, far from having been diminished,
had been increased; and now We are about TO lay
the foundation Of still greater increase.
The proposed amendment seeks, and If adopted,
will reenact The law Of 1924 which conferred upon
the President of the United States the authority 70
direct surveys for roads, canals and other wokS .,
improvement, either on the coast the frontiers, ~ he
the Interior without limitation RESTRICTION, - ~ 80;