The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-03
THE DAILY UNION.

one, It only apply to the bays inles, and rivers
connected with or leading to such ports as actually
nave foreign commences ports at which foreign I'M
portatlons arrive IN bulk, paying the duties charged
by law, and from which exports made 10 foreign
countries. II will be found by applying the resrlc-
ton thus understood the bin under consideration,
mat II contains appropriations for more than twenty
objects Of internal improvement, called IN the bill
hGrbOrS, " places which have never been declared by
law either ports Of entry delivery, and at which,
as appears from the records Of the treasury, there
has never been an arrival Of foreign merchandise and
from which there has been vessel cleared for
foreign country. IL will be found that many of
these works new and at PAGES for the improve
ment Of which appropriations now for the FIRST
time proposed. II will be found, Also that the bill
contains appropriations for rivers upon which there
not only exists no foreign commerce, but upon which
there has not been established even paper port OF
entry and for the mouths of creeks denOmlnaed har
bors, which fmproved can benefit only the particular
neighbOrhOod in which they situated. IL will
be found too, TO contain appropriations the expen-
diure Of which will only have the effect of lmproy-
Ing one place at the expense Of the local. natural ad
vanlages OF another in its vicinity. Should this bill
become law the same principle which authorizes
the appropriations which It proposes TO make, would
also authorize similar appropriations for the i'm.
4 provement Of all the other bays, Inlets and creeks
which may with equal propriety be called harbors,
and OF all the rivers, important or unlmpOrtant, IN
every part Of the Union. To sanction the bill with
such prssisions, would be to cOncede the principle
tnht sutfhl government possesses the power 10
expend the puSc money IN general system OF IN
erna Improvements, limited IN its extent only by the
ever varying discretion Of successive Congresses
4 and successive Executives IL would be to eface
and remove the limitations and restrictions of power,
which the constitution has wisely provided to limit
the authority and action of the federal government
to a few wel-dehned and specified objects Besides
these objections, the practical evils which must flow
from the exercise the part Of the federal govern
ment, Of the powers asserted in this bill, impress my
mind with grave sense of my duty to avert them
from the country, as far my constitutional action
may enable me to do 50.
Il not only leads TO u consolidation of power in
the federal government the expense Of the rghtful
authority Of the States but its inevitable tendency
10 embrace objects for the expenditure Of the pub
lie money, which local their character, bene-1
fitting but few at the expense Of the common Ireasu-
ry Of the whole. 1t will engender sectional feelings
and pre- JUDGES calculated TO disturb the harmony Of
the Union. II WI destroy the harmony which
should prevail in our legislative counses.
Ii will produce combinations Of local and sectional
interests, strong enough, when united, TO carry
: propositions for appropriations of public money
which could not Of themselves and standing alone
succeed, and cannot fail to lead to waslefu and ex-
traysgant expenditures
IL must produce dsreputabe scramble for the
4 public money, by the conflict which is nseparable
from such a system, between local and individual
interests and the general interest Of the whole. 1t is
unjust to those States which have with their own
means constructed their own internal improvements,
, TO make from the common treasury appropriations
q for similar Improvements in other States.
In Its operation it will be oppressive and unjust
towards those States whose representatives and peo-
pie either deny or doubt the existence Of the power,
or think It's exercise inexpedient and who while they
4 equally contribute to the treasury, cannot consis.
i tently with their opinions engage in the general
competition for share of the public money. Thus
= large portion ofthe Union in numbers and in geo.
graphical extent, contributing its equal proportion OF
taxes to the support Of the government, would, un.
der the operation Of such system, be compelled to
the national treasure-the common stock of all
unequally dlsbursed and often improvldenty vast
ed for the advantage of small sections instead of be-
p ing applied TO the great national purposes in which
: all have a common interest, and for which alone the
il power to collect the revenue was given Should
. the system of internal Improvements pro-
posed prevail, all these evils will multiply
STATES and Sas s9en ns nun 81
the geographical limits of the settled portions Of our
country. With the increase of our numbers and
i the extension Of our settlements the local objects
, demanding appropriations of the public money for
their Improvement will be proportionatey increased.
y In each the expenditure Of the public money
= would confer benefits, direct indirect only on a
;, 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 fede
- raj government, and leaving them the local gov
- ernments of the States becomes more and more
f manifest with every years experience of the opera
4 tons of our system.
u In country of limited extent, with but few such
:, objects of expenditure If the form ef government
- permitted it,) 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 rlvcr
n, -"ntry which might be supposed TO pro-
IN our CO.. manufacturing, or commercial
mote the agricultural, -.
interests OF u neighborhood. \ in It's
- The federal constitution wisely adapte.
, provisions to any expansion of our limits aud popu-
laton; and with the advance Of the confederacy of
the States in the of national greatness it be-
. comes the more apparent that the harmony Of the
Union, and the equal justice to which all It's parts
. are entitled, require that the federal government
should confne its action within the limits prescribed
, | by the constitution to its power and auth ,rjty
Some of the provisions Of this bill not subject to
= the objections stated and did they stand alone
9 should not feel 1t to be my duty to withhold my
% approval.
. If no constitutional objections existed to the bill,
there others of a serious nature which deserve
some consideration IL apprepriates between
~ and two millions OF dollars for objects which are of
pressing necessity and this is proposed time
l., when the country is engaged in foreign war, and
p when Congress at its present has authorz
" ed a loan the issue of treasury notes defray
the expenses OF the war, to be resorted # the
. "exigencIes of the government shall require it." |;
would seem 10 be the dictate Of wisdom under such
% circumstances to husband our means, and not to
p waste them on comparatively unImportant objects,
# that may reduce the loan issue of Treasury
% notes which may become necessary to the smallest
# practicable sum. 1t would to be wise too, to
o. abstain from such expenditures with a view to
;, avoid the accumulation of large public debt, the
y, existence OF which would be opposed the interests
# Of our people, well to the genius Of our free
l., institutions.
. Should this bill become law, the principle
which establishes will inevitably lend IN LARGO
d and annually incre lsIng appropriations and drains
y, upon the treasury for it is not to be doubted that
J., numerous other localities embraced in it's pro-
visions but quite as much entitled to the favor of
% the government those which are embraced, will
l., demand, through their representatives in Congress-
!, to be placed on an equal footing with them. With
such increase of expenditure must necessarily
ID follow either increased public debt or increased
IL. IL