Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-08-08

commerce, aud where they are not needed for
the protection AMI security OF our navy and
commercial marine, the difficulty arises in
drawing a line beyond which appropriations
may not be made by the federal government.
One oil my predecessors, who saw the evil
consequences OF the system proposed To b. re-
Nired by this bill, attempted TO define this
lane by declaring that, expenditures OF this
Character should b. confined b,io,c the ports
OF entry or delivery established; 10y law" Act
ING ON this restriction, he withheld his SANG
Oon from a bill which had passed Congress
Ito Improve the navigation of the WABASH
uNer. lie WAS at the same time 'scnsible
mat thls restriction was not a. satisfactory as
could b. desired. and that much embarTass-
ment may b. caused TO the executive depart
ment IN It's execution, by appropriations Tor
remote and not well understood objects
Tins restriction, ii was soon found, was sub.
Ject To be- evaIed. and rendered comparative
~ useless in checking the system of improve
nlenis which il was designed TO arrest. in
consequence of the facility with which ports
of entry and delivery NAV be- established by
law upon the upper waters, aud in some in.
stances, alnos, at the head springs of some of
The most important oi our rivers, and at points
on our coast possessing no commercial i'm
poftance, and not used as places of refuge AMI
safety by our navy and other shipping. MANY
OF The ports OF entry aud delivery now author
lied by law, 50 lar as foreign is con
cerned, exists only in the statue books. No
cniry OF foreign gods is ever made, and no
duties are ever collected at them.
No exports of American products bound
Tor foreign countries, ever clear from them.
To assume that their existence in the statue
book as ports OF entry or delivery warrant ex-
pendItures on the warers leading To them,
which would be otherwise unauthorized, would
be to assert the proposition, that the law-md-
king power may engTait new provisions on
the constitutions. Ii the restriction be a sound
one, IL can only apply TO the bays, inlets, and
rivers connected with or leading TO such ports
as actually have foreign commerce.; ports Of
which foreign importations arrive in bulk,
paying the duties charged by law, and from
winch exports are made TO foreign countries.
II Will be found by applying the restriction
thus understood Ia the DILL under considera-
non, that at contains appropriations for more
tlan twenty objects OF internal Improvement
called in the bill hdrGOrs, at places which
have never been declared by law either ports
oi entry or delivery. and at which, as appears
bom the records of the treasury. there has new
CT been an arrival OF foreign merchandise, and
rom which there has never been a vessel
cleared Tor q foreign country. twill he found
That many of these worksare new, aud al pla-
Ces Tor the improvement oi which appropria-
tons are now for the first time proposed. IL
Will be- found. also, that the bill contains an
propositions Tor rivers upon which there not
Only exists no foreign commerce, but upon
which there has not been established even a
paper port OF entry, and for the mouths OF
creeks, dcnominated harbors, which If i'm
proved can benefit only the particular neigh
borllood IN which they are situated. Itwinl
Dc found tDO- Tn Cppt,iu nnrnnt,.t;no. a..
OF which will only have the ef.
itct oil Improving one place at the expense of
the local, natural advantages Of another in It's
vicinity. Should this bill become "A law the
SahIc principle which authorizes the appro-
pIldllons which 1t proposes To make, would
fiso authorize similar appropriations Tor The
Improvement OF all the Other BAYS, iiAets, and
rreeks, which may with equal propriciy be
called harbors, and of all tie rivers, import
int or nnlmportant. IN every part OF the L.
mon 10 sanction the bill with such provis-
l,nS, wouiu DC 10 conCedc The principle that
Use 'eoeTdi government possesses the power
to eXpend the public money in a general sys.
'elh OF internal Improvements, limited i'm It's
extent only by the ever VARYING discretion
nI successive Congresses and successive Exc
rutlves. IL would bc TO efIace and tcmoye
ne limitations and restrictions at power.
"hlch The constitution has wisely provided
In UNIT the authority aud action oi the ictlcr-
81 government toa lew well defined and spe.
-Iiird objects. Besides these obicctious ,b.
evils which must flow from the cX-
fIuse. on the part of the federal COVE rnmen,
oI the powers asserted in this bill impress my
l''hu WIN a grave sense of my duty To avert
,nem from the country, as far as my conslitu-
'lonal action may enable me to do so.
IL not only leads to- consolidation of pow
- il the federal government at the expense
OF Tie ughtiul authority OF the States. but It's
tendency is, to embrace Objects fcr
TIC expenditure of the public money, which
are local III their character, bcncftting but
lew at the expense OF the common treasury of
Tue whole. twill engender sectional feelings
ahu pIeJudices calculated 10 disturb the hdr-
Inony OF the Union. IL will destroy the hsr.
inony which should prevail in our legislative !
c~JunCils. e
IL Will produce combination Of local and
sectional interests, strong enough, when NM.
Ied, tn carry propositions for DENOMINATIONS
public money which could not OF them. I
selves, and Il nding alone, succeed. and can.
lot Iail To lead TO wasteiul and extrayapant
expenditures. o.
II must produce a disreputable scramble for
M public money, by the conflict which is
nsePdrable from such a system, between lo.
'NN'A AiiAElNoA0 anu the general
OF the whole. II is unjust TO those
states which have with their own means con
'iructed their own internal improvements, to
make from the common treasury appropria.
.'ous Tor similar improvements in other States
In It's opeatlonit will be oppressive and
unjust towards those States whose representa-.
i'esand people either deny or doubt the e,.
ls'enCc OF the power, or think its exercise IN.
ehPedient' aud who, while they equally con.
tribute 20 the treasury, cannot ,ops;st.u,I,
win Their opinions engage in the general con .
petition Tor a share Of the public money. Thus
Z large portion Oi the Union i'm number and
IA geogra plical extent, contributing it's eoupl
proportion OF taxes tn the support at the GOV.
erninent, would, under thc operation nf such
. system, BE compelled TO see the n~ationsl
,Lessure-th e common stock oil all-unequally
dtsburscd, aud often impro,idently UsstsI
Tor tic advantage Of small SECTIONS. instead o(
being applied To- The great national p,rnoee -