Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-07

acquiescence of The Government through all pre-
ceding Administrations, | am not disposed 10
question or disturb The authority 10 make appro-
priations Tor such purposes.
When We advance step beyond this point,
and in addition 10 The establishment and support,
by appropriations from the treasury, Of light
houses, beacons, buoys, piers, and other improve
ments within the bays, inlets, an! halhors on our
ocean and lake coasts Immediately connected
with our foreign commerce, and attempt TO make
improvements In The interior al points uncon-
nected with foreign commerce, and where they are
not needed Tor the protection and security of our
navy and commercial marine The difficulty ari-
SEES in drawing line beyond which appropria-
tons may not be made by the Federal Govern
ment.
One OF my predecessors, who saw the evil con
sequences OF The system proposed to be revived
BY this bill, attempted 10 define this line by de-
claring that expenditures Of this character"
should I've "coniined bsiow the ports OF entry or
delivery established By law" Acting on This re-
slriction, he withheld his sanction from bill
which had passed Congress ITO improve The ma
yigaion Of the Wabash river" He was al The
same time sensible that this restriction was not
as satisfactory as could be desired, and that much
embarrassment may be caused 10 The Executive
Department in lis execution, b. appropriations
This restriction, il was soon found, was subject
TO be evaded, and rendered comparatively useless
in checking The system OF Improvements which
ii was designed 10 arrest, in consequence Of the
facility with which poris OF entry and delivery
may be established hy law upon the upper wa
tiers, and in some instances almost al the head
springs oil some OF the most unimporIant oil our
rivers and at points on our coast possessing
no commercial importance, and not used as
places OF refuge and safety by our navy, and
other shipping. Many uf The ports OF entry and
delivery now authorized By law, so far as 10
reign commerce is concerned, exist only in The
statute books. No entry Of foreign goods IS ever
made and no duties are ever collected al them. NO
exports OF A merican products bound Tor foreign
countries ever clear from them. 10 assume maj
their existence in the statute book rs ports OF entry
or delivery warrant expenditures on The waters
leading oihem, which would be otherwise unall-
,honzed, would be 10 assert the proposition, that
the law-making power may ensralt new provi-
sions on the constitution. Ii The restriction be
sound one, il can only apply 10 the bays, inlets
and rivers connected with or leading TO such ports
as actually have foreign commerce. ports al
which foreign imronations arrive in bulk, payiEs
the duties charged by law, and from which ex-
ports are made 10 foreign countries. II Will be
lound, by applying the restriction thus understood
10 The bill under consideration, that II contains
appropriations Tor more than twenty objects oil IN
lernal improvement called in the bill harb0rS, al
places which have never been declared by law
either potts OF entry or delivery, and al which as
appears from the records OF the treasury, there
has never been an arrival of foreign merchan-
disc, and from which there has never been YES
sci cleared Tor foreign country. II VIII be iouhu
that many of these works are new, and al places
for the improvement Of which appropriations are
now for the first time proposed. II will be lound,
also, that the bill contains appropriations lof
rivers, upon which there not only exists no To-
reign commerce, but upon which there has not
been established even paper port OF entry, and
for The mouths OF creeks, denominated harb'rs,
which il improved can benefit only the pailicn-
Iar neichbalhood in which they are situated. !.
will he found, too, 10 contain appropriations, The
expenditure OF which will only have the effect ol
improving one place n the expense oil The local
natural advantages OF another IN lis vicinity
Should this bill become law, the same piac'ps
which authorizes the appropriations which IL
proposes to make, would also authorize similar
appropriations for the improvement of all the
other bays, inletS and creeks, which may, WIN
equal proprely, be called harbols, and oil Ill the
rivers important or unimpodani, in every part Of
The Union. To sanction the bill with such pro-
visions, would be 10 conccde the 1'rimeIls that The
Federal Government possesses the power Ia ex-
pend the public money in genera system Of ~
lcrnal Improvements, Limited in is extent only by
Nh. ever varying discretion OF successive Con-
PRESSES and successive Executives. II would he
10 eface and remove the Limitations and restric-
lions ol power which the constitution has wisely
provided, To limit the authority and action 81 IN"
Federal Government Ia a few %ellaeiIned aId
specified objects Besides these objections, the
Al. frn,p - =
else. on the part OF the Federal Government, Of
The powers asserted in this bill, impress my mind
with grave sense # my duty 10 avert them
from the country, as far as my constitutional ac-
lion NAV enable me 10 do 50.
Il not only leads 10 a consolidation oi power IN
The federal government al the expense OF the right
lul authority Of the States, but lis inevitable ten
dency is 10 embrace objects Tor the expenditure OF
The public money, which are local in their char
acer, henefltns bnt lew al The expense Of The
common treasury Of The whole. II Will en2endef
sectional feelings and preJudices calculated 10 dis
tufh the harmony of The Union. II will destroy
The harmony which should prevail in our legisla-
tive counselS.
II will produce combinations Of local and sec
t:onal Interests strong enough, when united 10
carry propositions Tor appropriations OF PUBIC
money which could not Of themselves, ana stand
wasteful and cxtravagant expenditures.
Il must produce a dis!eru,able scramble Tor The
public money, by the conflict which is insepara-
Bile from such system, between local and lndi-
vidual interests and the general Interests of the
whole. II is unus; 10 those States which have
with their own means constructed their own inter-
nal improvements, 10 make from he common
treasury appropriations for similar Improvements
in other States.
In its operation i, will be oppressive and IN
lust towards those States whose representatives
and people either deny or doubt The existence 81
the power or think lis exercise inexpedient. and
who while they equally contribute 10 The Urea
sury, cannot consistently with their opinions en-.
gage in The general competition for a share oil The
public money Thus a large portion OF the
Union in numbers and in geographical extent,
contributing its equal proportion Of taxes 10 The
support ofthe Government, would, under the OPP
GRAFTON Of such a system, be compelled to see the
national lreasure-the common stock oil alum
equally disbursed, and often improvidenuy vast
ed Tor The advantage of small sections instead
Of being applied 10 the great national purposes 10
which all have common interest, and Tor Wnlcn
alone the power 10 collect the revenue was given.
Should The system Of internal improvements pro.
posed prevail, all these evils VIII mn'liply ana
increase with the increase OF the nnnper OF the
States and The extension OF inc Seos'dphiedI ~
mits olthe settled portions ofour country. Win
The increase Of our numbers and the extension
of our settlements, the local objects demanding
approximations OF the public money for their i'm
proyement will be proportionately increased. In
each case The expenditure OF the public money
would confer benefits, direct or indirect, only on
section, while these sections would become
daily less in comparison with the whole.
The wisdom Of the trainers OF The Constitution
in Withholding power over such objects from The
Federal Government, and leaving them 10 Inc
local governments Of the States, becomes more
and more manifest with every years experience
of the operations Of our system
In country Of limited extent, with but few
such objects OF expenditure, (iflhe form OF Gov
ernmeni permitted it,) common treasury might
be used for their improvement with much less IN
equality and injustice than in one oil The vast ex
tent which ours now presents in population and
territory. The treasure Of the world would hard
" be equal to the improvement of every bay in.
ii, creek, and river in orr country when misn'
be supposed 10 promote the agricultural, manu-
featuring or commercial interests OF neighbor'
hood. ,,, ,5,,,oa :,