The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-11

/ VI, q
fgate at Pittsburg, which will be ready 70 descend
the river in few months. Should Il be necessary
| 10 remove snag, OF 10 cut through Oar, 70 carry
this vessel out TO the gulf, would any gentleman
argue that the government could not do ms BECAUSE
il has no jurisdiction on the rtyer' what power
| would arise and confront the officer IN command OF
that vessel and say TO him, SIr, you shall not pull
no that snag-your government has no jurisdiction
here. % Would Virginia step forward and say, "this
is nv iurisdetion--thst snag shall remain monu'
/ ment 10 my power, sacred TO the rghtroi eminent
| domain which claim upon this streamE' appre-
hsnd The sons of Virginia upon this floor would
| blush for the honor OF the Old Dominion II such
| pretensions should be set up.
But will direct the attention Of the committee to
/ a magnificent work, the importance and constitu-
tiopaliiy Of which, ! believe, are unqueslloned.
What have we been doing for years past, and what
are we now doing, upon our Atlantic coastl At
an expense Of more than one hundred thousand dol
| lars per snnpm, we are conducting survey, which
will reflect Infinite credit upon this government.
| By the most minute 0ad laborious measurement,
observation, and investigation, We are fixing the ex-
act latitude and longitude Of every poInt-the shape
OF every inletie depth Of the water, aod the force
and direction Of the tides and currents at every point
the geological character of the bottom OF the sea,
whether il be Of sand gravel, mud, or rockln short
SIR we are making ourselves intimately acquainted
with every part OF the coast are dong that which
this government is bound to do in order to dispel
most disgraceful and disastrous ignorance OF the
character and capacities OF the noble continent
which we possess. hope 10 see this glorious work
proceed until il shall embrace not only the whole
Atlantic coast but that of the Gull OF Mexico, as
far as the Rio Grande and at some future day that
of the Pacific, along the whole extent OF Oregon.
repeat, il is a magnhcent-a glorious work And
ask il there is much vandalism IN this House,
that single gentleman here would wish 10 see its
operations cease.
ahad rim ten-
dent have lately led to the important discovery OF
new channel 10 the port Of New York. Some
gentlemen on this floor would doubtless say, the
government has no power to make an ARTIFICIAL
channel TO that any other city. Yet, sir, what is
the difference in expending thousands Of dollars TO
find a channel, and spending equal amount to
make one Or where is the difference in principle
between the appropriation OF large sums for the
survey of our coast, in order that our intimate
knowledge Of il may make 1t secure, and the expen-
diture Of an equal amount to make 1t secure 6y ari-
fetal means' And IL the government may do this
for harbors the Atlantic, why not for Pitsburg,
81. Louis, and Chicago
And let me ask the gentleman from South Carroll
ma when one of the base lines Of this great work,
from which its important trianguations proceed,
and by which they are verified, was laid down up
on Fire island, did the government possess any
particular jurisdiction there, or was its power ques
toned because it had no jurisdiction And when
the officers in charge Of this work shall lay down
base line somewhere in South Carona-when they
shall FIX their permanent marks at the ends Of this
line will that gentleman, or the public authorities Of
the State, quarrel with the government upon this
question OF jurisdiction' And IL the government
may Ak its permanent marks, and conduct its geo.
detical operations upon the soil Of South Carolina
may il not likewise remove rock or snag from
n western river when the object is the same-the
Improvement Of navigaton' II there be any distinc-
ton in principle between the two cases, have been
unable to discover it, and will be grateful to any
gentleman who will point IL out The western riv-
ers have been truly and appropriately denominated
Finland seas" Their greatness, and the immense
commerce which they convey, entities them 10 this
name. More than one hundred millions OF exports
are bore upon the bosom of the Atlantc-more than
one hundred millions of domestic productions float
upon the Mississippi and its tributaries, and nearly
an equal amount ofcommerce exists upon the lakes.
If you build lighthouses and make harbors for the
security Of the frst how can you refuse to remove
snags and distractions, and improve harbors, for
the two latter Are they not equal in magnitude
and importance, rs well as equal in justice'
Thus far, sir, have been arguing from principles
settled by the uniform practice of the government,
and the acquiescencc Of the States and the people
Upon this subject the opinions Of General Jackson
were referred to by the gentleman from South Caro-
lima. Surely that gentleman cannot expect to find
any support for his extreme views in the political
history the recorded opinions Of that distinguish
ed statesman. As explaining fully the views of
from the annual message of 1880, which sub
sequent to his veto of the Maysvile road bill:
"The practice of defrayng of the treasury of the
United States the expenses incurred hy the establishment
piers within the bays nles harbor and ports of the Uni
ted States render the thereof snfe and
coeval with the adoption OF the constitution and has been
continued without interruption dispute"
"As foreign commerce ncreaSed and was extended
ports Of entry delivery upon navigabe rivers
sphere of those expenditures received corresponding
and the removal OF sandbsrs sawy and other partial
temporary impedments in the navgabe rivers and harbors
time established by law authorized upon the
principle and the expense betrayed in the same manner
From bill making direct appropriations for such OBJ
jects should not have withheld my assent The
does in several particulars but it also contains
appropriations for surveys oil local character which
in my Objections to the bills authorizing subscriptions
ITO the Maysvc and road companies expressed
my views fully regard to the OF Congress to con
struct roads canals within state, to appropriate
time ntimated my belief that the right to make APP
preparations for such of national character had
the federal and State governments and The constituents
each to justify Its exercise the ground of continued
| and uninterrupted usage"
| approve heartily Of the veto of the 'Maysville
| road BILL because there is no question of the local
and comparatively unimpor,ant character Of that
work. But from these quotations, il is perfectly
clear that Gen. Jackson considered improvements
| of a national character within the constitutional
mower of the government. We have not only this
language OF that distinguished patriot to determine
his sentiments, but we have what will be considered
more important In every point Of vicw-1 mean his
action upon subjects OF the very character Of those
contained in this bill. For, in looking at:the va
rious improvements begun upon the lakes, we find
that many Of them took their origin under the ad-
mnstration of Gen. Jackson and therefore received
his sanction. He not the man to hesitate in his
Opposition to measures which he believed TO be UNI
constitutional or unwse. Mare than ak hundred
thousand dollars appropriated TO these lake
Improvements during his administration. How
then can it be contended--as understood the gen.
tleman from South Carolina to do-that the author
ity Of his great name is orroyed against the policy
or consttutionalty Of these most important and in
dspcnsable improvements
/ Something was said, too, by another gentleman
| mfr. ScHEScK,l as to the opinions of President
Polk. The chief magistrate was seriously con-
demned for having made no reference to this sub.
ect in his annual message, delivered to us at III,
opening of the session. | consider this criticism
altogether unjust. If the gentleman from Ohio will