The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-13

Military Affairs. And that he would, on that mo-
tion, if sustained In the call give gentlemen OPP
portunity Of recording their votes for or against
further delay in providing for the defenees OF the
country. and acting upon the other important meas
sures reported from that committee by calling Tor
the yeas and nays.
THE PRIVATE CALENDAR.
Mr.. DANIEL addressed a few remarks 10 the
chair, of which only the general tenor was heard by
the reporter He felt il To be his duty, inasmueh
as but small portion Of time had been devoted 10
the consideration Of private bills, TO move that the
House go into Committee Of the Whole on that
calendar.
The motion received but 80 votes
So il was rejected.
And the question on the motion Of Mr. J, r. In
GERsoLL was taken and agreed TO-
HARBoRs AND RIVERS
Whereupon the House resolved itself into Com
mitee Of the Whole on the state Of the Union, Mr..
Thomas Smith, Of Indiana, in the chair,) and re-
sumed the consideration Of the bill making appro-
pnatons for the improvement OF certain harbors and
rivers.
Mr.. YELL gave notice that he would, when in
order, move to amend the bill, by inserting at the
end OF the l09th line the following proylso:
yoridsd That the Of sasOOO out Of the said sPPTo
Prs,CR be and the same hsssS sPSosI sSd
nvsr, in the state Of Arksnsss"
Mr.. JAMES THOMPSON, who was entitled to
the hosr from last evening" after brief preliminary
remarks, proceeded first TO the examination Of ths
constitutional question involved in the bill under
consideration. Notwithstanding twenty three years
had elapsed since the commencement Of this sys-
TEN, and Notwithstanding almost uninterrupted APP
preparations had been made from that time, yet they
were now thrown back upon the constitutional
question, and had TO argue IL ab milo. Replying
krst To the protests entered by Messrs. RHErr,
PAYNE, and Others 10 the claim Of this power as an
incidental power, by reading from MIR. Madison,
distinctly svowing the doctrine Of incidental pow
ers he took the position, and defended Il at length,
that the power to make these improvements Of har-
bors and rivers does reside in Congress, and is incl
dent 10 the power 10 regulate commerce; standing
in the same category OF incidental powers as the
power to grant pensions, TO send out an exploring
expedition, erect building for the assembling of
Congress, &c.
lie alluded to the great rivers Of the West and
with reference TO the term finland seas" which had
been applied TO them by the Memphis convention,
said il needed not this extravaganza Of that
ton TO convince US Of what everybody knew before
of the national character and importance Of those
rivers He then proceeded generally TO argue the
constitutional power Of Congress the rivers and
haTbors proposed 10 be provided for and to enforce
the expediency Of the exercise Of that power Yield
ing, for purposes Of explanation and inquiry TO Mr..
RHIrT, upon the question Of the extent and bearing
OF the ordnance OF 1901, ana TcdulnS from the
writings, and citing the official acts Of Presidents
Monroe, Jackson, and Van Buren, in endorsement
Of appropriations for these Identical rivers and hsr
bors, provision for which strongly de-
nounced as system Of plumber and robbery by
gentlemen who assumed to speak under the author
ty Of these distinguished statesmen.
He also noticed the comparisons which had been
made between the respective amounts Of appropra-
lions heretofore made by the general government for
the North and for the South, and referred TO some
Of the items for the latterthe fifteen millions paid
for the purchase Of Louisiana the FIVE millions Of
Florida the amount Of cost Of the Seminole war
which he located between five millions and forty
millions Of dollars, and others-to show that, in
point of fact, the South bad right to complain
But he regretted all such comparisons. He assured
gentlemen and the gentleman from Mississippi that
Il he had any proper measure which he wished TO
carry out, he could appeal to no man for aid with
better hopes Of success than him. and in reference
to the structures Of Mr.. A. JOHNSON upon the COM
position Of the standing committees OF the House,
he considered il unkind in Tennessee, democratic
Tennessee, to complain that she had not power
enough in this House.
He then passed TO the subject Of the lakes, refer
ring to the vast and increasing amount Of their COM
msrce the rapid growth Of the cities and settlement
Of the bordering country consequent thereon, the
great number DOC, 0O0) Of human beings hoated an
nually upon their BOSOM the number Of vessels and
steamboats,, and Of Sailors and made an earnest ap-
peal for the protection of the lives and property in
terested; urging also the expectancy, as the best
means Of defence, of improving the harbors on the
lakes for the protection Of our MARINE which was
efficient substitute for Notifications In the course
Of hieFomarks he touched upon many other inciden-
al topics.
Mr.. WOOD said il was too much to SUPPOSE he
could make speech commensurate with the impor-
lance Of that Of the upon which il was his
good fortune to reside. What Hendrick Hudson
supposed was a strait leading to the north sea, sub
sequent events had made true. The Hudson river
was now the channel leading to great and import
ant northern seas-the grcat-lskes.
As regarded one item in the bil--lhe appropriation
for the Portland canal-there was general unanim-
ity He would go further in relation to this than
any other gentleman who had spoken on this bill.
He would authorize the President TO sell out the in
terest Of the government in that canal. The govern
ment should never own any stock. All the other
items had been sanctioned by successive Presidents.
He noticed the sectional and other objections to this
bill. He said that a larger Appropriation was need
ed for a commercial than an agricultural people.
II was not the fault Of the North that the commerce
Of the South was not equal to that Of the North.
The cause of this lay deeper than any appropria-
ton could cure than any free-rade doctrince, al
though, in one sense, he was a free-trade man; he
went for revenue tariff. He was opposed to log
rolling and to- prevent had voted for that resolu
ton which placed each measure on its own merits.
He had as much reverence for the constitution as
was not strict at one time and aditudinarian at
another as might suit his own purpose. He read
from the Madison Papers TO show that the APP
preparations for harbors was constitutional. That
the States having surrendered the right of i'm
posing tonnage and other duties to the general
government, the general government was bound to
do that for them which they would have done for
themselves had they not surrendered these rights
The government was either bound to make these
appropriations give back to the States the means
Of doing it, which they had surrendered
He commented upon the doctrine of jurisdiction
Of the government being coextensive with tde-wa-
ter. He commended that the appropriations for the
lake harbors were constitutional; that the appropr-
alton for the Hudson was conceded to be constu-
tonal because within Underwater; and because the
government had a post above the point where these
appropriations were to be expended, stated by
gentlemen who had addressed the committee.
Mr.. RHETT explained
Mr.. WOOD laid down the rule that appropria-
tions were proper for large rivers, with import
ing well as exporting commerce, and which could
not be made by any one State. He did not include
streams like the Mohawk, and similar streams,
IL. -..al. Al