Democratic banner., 1845-03-15
MESSAGE.
JEFFERSON. FEBRuAnY 10, lS45.
To the Honorable
The House of REPRESENTATIVES.

Ihe House OF Representatives..
GENTLEMAN-I have examined
the "Memorial TO the Congress Of the
United States, asking an arpropria-
ton for the Improvement OF White
rlver;" and alter the best investiga-
lion l have been able to give the
subject, | am still unable to persuade
myself 10 approve and sign il.
/ regret this the more, because, in
the firss place, Have already return.
ed one bill 10 the House; aud, in the
second place, | am decidedly in favor
Of improving White river, and there.
tore, do not wish to seem to be a.
gainst it; but | doubt, first, whether
Congress, has the power TO appIopri.
ate money to improve that river;
and, second, il the power was clear
ly in Congress, | should then doubt
the wisdom OF asking the exercise
of it.
Congress can exercise only such
powers as are delegated. There is
no dispute about the correctness Of
this proposition. or the seventeenth
powers delegated 10 Congress, in the
eighth section of the first article OF
the constitution OF the United States,
there is none expressly given 10 i'm
prove the navigation OF White river,
or of any other river. If, then, the
power exists at all, it must exist as
an implied power.
1t has seemed to me that our great
rivers might be improved under the
war power. Congress has power 'io
lay and collect taxes, TO
provide for the common defence i
of the United States" AS one
means Of providing for the common
Defence perhaps We have power to
appropriate money TO improve our
great national highways. One thing
Is certain; Il few hundred thousand
dollars appropriated and faithfully
applied To tie improvement of the
OHIO, and Mississippi, and Missouri,
Arkansas, and Red rivers. would do
more towards providing for the de-
fence OF the west. by opening these
great channels for concentrating
troops, provisions, and munitions oi
war Mt the points exposed 10 attack,
than forty millions expended on the
army and navy in the time of peace.
The Improvement of tie these rev.
ers is surely a good mode of provid-
ing for the defence" of the West,
whether it he Il good mode of prnvi-
ding for the common defence OF
the Union, or not.
Still, have considered the appro-
prlatlon Of money to improve rivers,
an unsafe exercise Of power by Con.
gress, because, i'll the first place,
there is no clear grant Of the power;
and in the next place, as there is no
clear grant Of the power, there can
be no well defined limit to its exer-
else; and the power is, therefore, al
ways liable TO be greatly abused
Alter improving these great rivers,
to use the language of the memorial.
we have only only ITO make another
step in this great work of improve
ment" 10 get tn " bite river, the O.
sage, the Des MONIES, Illinois, the
Wabash, the Kentucky, and ten
thousand other streams of greater
and less magnitude, till we have rem.
dered the internal improvement sys-
tenn of the United States, even worse
on its magnificent and extended scale,
than has been that Of a sister Stale
on a scale more humble and contrac-
ted; and debt and ruin, stlll more ir.
retrievable, both to the government
and the people, would follow as its
consequences. IL will be unwise in
US TO give encouragement to such Il
system.
If Congress has the implied power
to, improve the great navi.able riv-
ers, still there should be some limit
to prevent the exercise Of that pow
er from extending to all the rivers of
every class in the country. What
that limit should be, it may be diff.
cult to define: bu, il seems 10 me tina,
The power has already been pushed
ar enough. ! do not think Con-
,ress can constiintionally exercise
he power OF appropriating money
% improve White river; because il
be necessary TO do so, in pro-
for the "common defence" of
he United States; the only source
rom which ] can derive the power. L
II the Improvement of White riv. {
n were necessary in defending the I
country, the memorial does not place I
he application upon that ground; c
u, upon the ground, that no "sub. e
and lasting Improvement. /