Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-09-02

ing the restrictions mus understood TO the
bill under consideration, that it contains
appropriations for more than twenty OBJ
iects of internal Improvement, called in
the bill harbOrS,- at places which have
never been declared by law, either ports
of entry or delivery, and at which, as ap-
pear from the records of the treasury, there
has never been an arrival of foreign mer-
chandise, and from which there has never
been vessel cleared tor a foreign cOun-
try. 1t will he found that many of these
works are new, and at places for the i'm
provement of which appropriations are
now for the first time proposed. X will
be found, also, that the bill contains APP
preparations for rivers upon which there
not only exists no foreign commerce, but
upon which there has not been establish
ed even paper port of entry, and for the
mouths of creeks, denomnated harbors,
which if improved, can benefit only the
particular neighborhood in which they are
situated. 1t will be found, too, to contain
appropriations the expenditure Of which
will only have the effect of improving one
| place at the expense of the local, natural
advantages of another in It's vicinity
Should this bill become law the same
principle which authorises the appropria-
tons which it proposes to make, would
also authorize similar appropriations for
| the improvement of all the other bays,
inlets, and creeks, which may with equal
proprIety be called harbors, and of all the
rivers, important or unimportant, in every
part of the Union. To sanction the bill
with such provisions, would be to concede
the principle that the federal government
possesses The power to eXpend the public
money in 4 general system of internal i'm
prOVemens, limited in its extent only by
the ever varying discretion of successive
Congresses and successive Executives. 1t
would be t. etface and remove the imita-
tons and restrictions of power, which the
constitution has wisely provided to limit
the authority and action of the federal go
vernment to few well defined and sDe-
CITED objects. Besides these objections,
the practical evils which must flow from
the exercise, on the part = the t=oeral 90
vernmen', of the power asscr / in III :
tbsiI, imp. ;ss my mind 49,. = e.4s7 sens
Of NJ = TO av.r Their .aou- .11 c0un
-
-54Di6 ne TO q H.
- not only aa!s to a consolidation c!
ser IN the federal government at the
expense of the righful authority of the
States, but its inevitable tendency is, to
mbrace objects for the expenditure of the
public money, which are local in their
character, benefting but few at the ex-
pense OF the common treasury of the
whole. 1t will engender sectional feelings
and prejudices calculated to disturb the
harmony of the Union. 1t will destroy
, the harmony which should prevail in our
Legislative counsels.
/ 1t will produce combination of local and
sectional interests, strong enough, when
united, to carry propositions for appropria-
lions of public money which notof themsel-
: yes, and standing alone, succeed, and can
not fail to lead 10 wasteful and extravagaat
expenditures.
: 1t must produce a disreptuble scramble
for the public money, by the conflict which
7 is inseperabe from such a system, be.
tween local and individual interests and
the general interests of the whole. 1t Is
unjust to those States which have with their
own means constructed their own internal
t improvements to make from the common
S treasury appropriations for similar I'M
proVements in other States.
b. In It's operations it will be oppressive
and unjust towards those States whose
d representatives and people either deny OIL
n doubt the existence of the power, or think
/. its exercise inexpedient, and who, while
o they equally contribute to the treasury
S canno: consistently with their opinions en-
e gage in the general competition for share
: OF the public money. Thus a large por
e ton of the Union IN numbers and in geo
: graphical extent, contributing its equa
e proportion of taxes to the support of the
S government, would under the operation 0
!. this system, be compelled to see the nation
e al treasure-the common stock of all-un
j. equally dsbursed, and often improvident
: ly wasted for the advantage of small sec
S tons, instead Of being applied to the grea
Y national purposes in which all have com
J. mon interest, and for which alone the pow
IS err TO collect the revenue was glVen.-
S Should the system of internal improve
il ments proposed prevail, all these evils vii
s. multiply and increase with the increase O
;, the number of the States, and the exten
r sion of the geographical limits of The sci
Q tied portions of our country. With tn
!. increase Of our numbers and the exten
j. sion of our settlements the local object
J. demanding appropriations of the publ
n. money would confer benefits, direct or in
n direct, only on a section, while these SCI
rs tons would become daily less in compar
Is son with the whole.
~ ,;sjn,, of tho crapoors of the coT