State journal & flag., 1846-08-21
STATE JOURNAL x FLAG OF THE UNION.

l appropriations of the public money for their inns provement will be proportionatey increased. In each cese the expenditure of the public money would confer benefits, direct or indirect, only on a section, while these sections would become daily less in comparison with the whole,
 The wisdom of the framers uf the consttu- ton in withholding power over such objects from the federal government, and leaving them to the local governments of the States, becomes more and more manifest with every years experience of the operations of our system
 In a country of limited extent, with but few such objects of expenditure, eff the form of gov ernment permitted ii,) a common treasury might be used for their improvement with much less inequality and injustice than in one of the vast extent which ours now presents in population and territory. The treasure of the world would hardly be equal to the improvement of every bay, inlet, creek, and river in our country which might be supposed 10 promote the agricultural, manufacturing, or commercial interests of a neie ehborhood.
 The federal constitution was wisely adapted Tn its provisions 10 any expansion of our limits and population and with the advance of the contederacy of the States in the career of na- tlona greatness, 1t becomes the more apparent that the harmony of the Union, and the equal justice to W hch all it's parts are entitled, require that the federal government should confne It's acton within the limits prescribed by the con stuilon 10 it's power and authority. Some of the provisions of this bill are not subject to the objections stated, and did they stand alone 1 should not feel 1t to be my duty to withhold my approval.
 II no constitutional objections existed to the oill there are others ot a serious nature which deserve some consideration. It approprates between one and two millions of dollars for ob- Jects which are of no pressing necessity and thls Is proposed at titne when the country is engaged In foreign war, and when Congress at It's present session has au horized loan or the issue of treasury notes to defray the expen. ses of the war, to be resored to if the "exIgen cles of the government shall require it." It would seem 10 be the dictate of wisdom under such circumstances to husband our means, and not to waste them on comparatively unlmpor- tant objects, so that we may reduce the loan or issue of treasury notes Wkch may become ne- cessary to the smallest practicable sum It would seem to be wise too. to abstain from such expenditures wllh view to avoid the ao cumu lalon of large debt, the existence of which would be opposed to the interests of our D O. pie, as well as to the genius of our free nstitu- tons.
 o''oUu th'o oii uCCOtiic fdW, tUe pfI1clpIt which It establishes will inevitably lead to large and annually increasing appropriations and drains upon the treasury, for It Is not to be doubt ed that numerous other localities not embraced in it's provisions, but quite as much entitled to the favor of the government as those winch are embraced, will demand, through their represen- tatves in Congress, to be placed on an equal footing with them With such an increase of expenditure must necessarily follow either an increased public debt. or increased burdens up on the people by taxation, to supply the treasu- ry with the means of meeting the accumulated demands upon it.
 With profound respect for the opinions of Congress, and ever anxous. as far as can con slstently with my responsibility to our common constituents, to co opera'e with them in the discharge of our respective duties, it is with un- feigned regret that 1 find myself constrained, for the reasons whic h have assigned, to with hold my approval from this bi'l.
 JAMES K. POLK.
 WASHINGTON, August 3rd, lS46.