The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-17


constituents felt deep interest. He sent to tho
chair the following amendment, which he gave notice
OF his intention 10 Offer when in order:
Be enacted That the Secretary Of the Treasury be- and
he hereby HsthorLed and directed TO transfer to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company ali the stock os
nay subscribed Tor the part of the United states IN the
said canal company and also all the stock in said canal
company originally subscribed for BY the cities Washing
ton Oeorgeown and Alexandra IN the District Of Colum'
ba ami now held BY the United States under and by virtue
Of the Of act Of Congress- passed approved
relief Of the several corporate cities Of District Of Co
umba said Transfers 10 be made upon the condition that the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company to be granted
TO the United states In perpetuy the right the free
Of said canal without charge for the transportation Of any
troops small arms and camp equipPsse, &c, which they
may desire or any time have occasion TO transport upon
H. and also the free Aforesaid for the Of
ordnance and ordnance stores in time Of war lind PrOrdsd
That the said stock OF 80 much thereof may be
shall be disposed Of by said company for the purpose OF
paying the creditors OF said company, and the said
Pany 70 exchange aud transfer To iG creditors such amounts
oi SAID stock a. the said company deem right and
proper In payment Of the debts due any all of the said
creditors.
Mr.. P. went into history Of the origin, pro-
gress and present condition of the work. urging up
importance Of It's adoption TO the interests OF the
State Of Maryland. or the constitutional power to
adopt this amendment, he had no doubt, though
there were items in the bill not reached, he thought
by the constitution. And he should give his vote
on the items separately as they might, or might
not, In his opinion, come within the power OF Con-
gress.
Mr.. JOHN H. EWING followed; but yielded
Mr.. HERRICK, who made few remarks ex-
panatory Of the following amendment which he
gave notice Of his intention to offer at the proper
time
That 5000 Of the appropriation for the Improvement of
the navigation Of the Hudson river be applied to that por
ton Of said river lying between the state dams sloop
lock and the foot Of Grand Division street IN the city Of
Troy.
Mr.. J. II. EWING then proceeded with his re-
marks. He said il not his intention TO discuss
the general question before the committee, but to
say a few words upon other totally distinct matters
which had been logged into the discussion in order
that a speech might be based upon them. Oregon
had been introduced; the tariff had been introduced;
the consistency Of the democratic party had been
introduced in relation to the measures which were
TO be carried out at the present Congress ltYould
be important for the people to know what the dem
ocratc doctrine was, in order that they might know
beforehand what measures were TO be adopted
He admonished the party to write out their creed,
10 that the people might understand it, and not be
len, as they now were, cropping in the dark. Mr..
L. then proceeded TO make some general remarks
Of political character In reference to the Baltimore
convention, and the course of the democratic party
on the admission Of Texas and the protective pol
ICY.
for short time IN remarks IN favor OF some action
the part of Congress in relation to the Louisville
and Portland canal.
Mr.. RATHBUN intended TO vote for the bill,
and he belonged to the party which claimed TO be
the democratic party--that party which had been
charged with supporting, If they voted for this bill,
federal measure, the principle Of consolidation,
and measure which is TO destroy and anhihilate
the rights of the States. He had no objection to
gentlemen voting they thought proper, but he did
object to genteman's assigning to him or to any
body else for differing little upon constitutional
questions, (which he found was very common now
a-days,) place in the opposite party
This bill had been christened flor some purpose)
bin for internal improvements. He desired to call
the attention of the committee to Its items with one
single exception, and to see whether the term inter-
nal improvements was justly applied to it, or
whether il with desire TO render il odious TO
portion of this House, and thereby defeat this bill.
With regard to the Louisville and Portland cana,
it did come within the category of internal improve
ments and unless it was stricken out, he could not
for the bill. But, this stricken out he should
vote for it; and he denied that any man could lay
his hand upon any portion of this bill which was
Justly chargeabe with the condemnation Of internal
improvements. Take the harbors on our lakes:
they were on the very confines Of our territory,
facing foreign country, open to the use of that
country, open to our Intercourse with foreign ma
the protection of our coast, and against INVASION
from an enemy's country. So far from being works
of internal improvements, every one of them was as
much external and national in its character as
though they were upon the Atlantic coast. With
reference to these great rivers, they were natural
highways, navgable waters not constructed by the
hand of man. and the bill was not designed to
open any channels of communication which were
not marked out by nature, but for the removal of
distractions and the preservation of great national
and natural channels of communication for the
try Although, in common with the great democratic
party generally he was opposed to the construction
of strictly internal improvements, yet he had never
learned that it the creed of the democratic party
that it was unconstitutional and ant-democratic to
improve harbors and rivers to preserve the naviga
BILE character of any great stream useful to the peo
pie and beneficial to the government.
Mr. R., in view Of the fact that time was pre-
cious, and that many gentlemen were wishing to
speak, said he would not consume the time Of the
committee during his whole hour but would content
himself with stating the points of his argument
He rapidly passed these points, some of which
are the following: He insisted that these harbors
were all necessary for the of the navy, and that
it is the duty of Congress to provide for them; that
was no objection to the construction of them that
they may be used for the benefit of commerce; that
they are worth more to the country as matter of
public defence than Notifications, because they pro-
q
walton of the navigable character of the Mississippi
and the Ohio and other rivers included in the bill,
were all great constitutional measures; that it
the duty Of Congress to preserve that character for
the benefit Of Strengthening the arm Of public de-
fence in time of war; that it was not wise to wait
until we are in the midst of war to open the naviga
BILE streams which furnish channel Of communica-
ton and transportation Of troops and supplies; that
il is wise to provide for in time of peace, not by
building navy, not by raising great army, but by
preserving and keeping open these channels of COM
municaion by the construction and preservation Of
harbors, and building lighthouses, and providing all
the necessary means and facilities for their support
and efficiency. Let us save the money we were
wasting upon the navy and army-for the pay of
supernumerary officers to the amount of half mil
lion annually upon cach--and lay it out in wise
and prudent manner in the construction of harbors,
and improving the navigable rivers of the country,
which, whilst it facilitated commerce. and went to
the preservation Of the lives and property Of the
people, raised up provision for war more efficient
than could in any other way be secured.
Mr.. McCLERNAND obtained the floor, but
yielded it to
Mr.. BURLINGTON, who gave notice of the fol-
lowing amendment:
For the improvement ofthe Allegheny river for steam
Al. l.Ila~