The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-10

Il before the amendment "o5 u''PN -
i lion was now different.
The sPEAkER overruled the point Of order, OF
the ground that there had been intervening action
4 When the first motion TO lay on the table had bee
1 made, the resolution and amendment were Dot
/ oending. Since then, the amendment had been DIS
posed Of, and the resolution alone was now oefon
/ the House. -
Mr.. @. DAVIS asked the yeas and nays on hi
motion; which were refused.
1 And the question being taken, the House decided
that the resolution should NOT be laid on the table
/ The question again recurring on It's adoption,
Mr.. B. MARTIN said he was not disposed 10 nc
eaplous in relation to the printing -.
The SPEAKER, (intsrposing) Noming III une
way Of debate Is in order. -
/ Mr. MARTIN desired, he said, 10 put an inquiry
10 the chairman of the select COMMITTEES, Mr' HEN
IEr.l What would be the cost OF pruning uese
5000 copies ,-.-.-,
from calls to order.
The yeas and nays were ordered on ihe adopaon
Of the resolution.
M HENLEY again rose to reply to the inquiry
l Of Mr. MARIN, but was again interrupted by calls
70 order.
was then taken, and decided in the affirmative, as
follows:
YEAs-Ms..nL Abbott. John Quincy Adams, Arnold.
AtEinson, Bsdingsr. blanchard, Brnksih0n William o.
bell. CARROLL c.,he.r. Augusta, <; Chapman. Chase
ChIpman Cooke Collin crsnston Culver Cunning ham
Dss,S. Fs1.a. F,stin. Fooi' fo.asr. fss., Gavin
Gentry, Giddnss Giles, ooodyssr Gordon J usnian
HoEs Ehss b Holmes, HoIklns, HOush. John w Hoas-
ton, Edmund w. HUBBARD samuel d. huheshd hun
."'f S..S.oiS 1.sHn,, mum jane. Il Johnson, Andrrw
Johnson, George W. Jonas. Kennedy, Daniel y klng
is ss%'i Ma sai a.'s aocssas Joseph Mcdowell.
Jane, McDoxsll. NoGaaghsy, Meiirnry, Marsh; Jonn
r.pai.son rssSI Ferry Pst,i,. Phelps. Pollock Price
Ramsey Relfe Ritter, Roberts, Julius Rockwell John
Rs~s Root a..s ns..s sssssi s's SIM.
truman smith, Cslss D. smith, Robert smith stanton
sassthsr St yoAn strong sys.'T hSs, Sods TTsa
way vinton, wsn,~orh, Wheaton, Wick williams
Winthrop, and woodworth-l7 n-
NAYs-Messn. Stephen Adams Ashmun bsrTnger'
Bell Benton. Bigxs James Slack. James Black. Bow
lin Royd, Brolsead, Bur, Reuben Chapman, Clarke
Dro@goois. ErdHsn. John II. Ewing Edwin II. Ewing
OrOver Harmanson, Bsrriok. George s Houston, James
SccssS. Mckay. barclay Martin Morris, Morse, Payne
RsAbun Reid Rhstt severance, simpson: Thomas smith
woodward Ysncsy, Ysl. Young, and YOst-SS.
So the resolution was adopted.
Mr.. McCLELLAND moved that the House
solve itself into Committee Of the Whole on the state
Of the Union.
Mr.. SCHENCK asked him to withdraw the mo-
ton, TO enable him to present paper touching the
bill under consideration in committee, (the river and
hIrbor billy
The motion was not Withdrawn.
And the question having been taken, and decided
in the affirmative, the House resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole the state Of the Union,
| Mr. THos. Smith, Of Indiana, in the chair)
CANAL BOATS.
Mr. BRODHEAD made an Intellectual effort to
take up the bill in relation to the licensing Of canal
boats.
MYERS IND HARBons.
-. ,oFI
the bill making appropriations for the improvement
Of certain harbors and rivers, and the amendments
thereto pending.
Mr. YANCEY gave notice that he would, when
in order, offer the following amendment which was
read for information:
For the deepening Of the channels over Dog river
and Ghoetaw Pass bars, in Mobile bay, $50, 900.
Mr. FARAN said, before voting for any work Of
internal Improvement, he must be satisfied Of its
eonstitutonality, as well as Of its expediency. He
would like to amendment Of the constitution so
to define the powers of the general government over
this subject as to enable distinctly TO determine
whether work il national in its character. In ref
erenoe to every work Of this kind he inclined to
rigid rather than 10 loose construction ofthe const-
tuition. For these reasons, he approved of the veto
Of General jackson Of the Maysvile road bill Had
the principle embodied in that bill been adopted by
the government, and the works in contemplation
been carried out, they would have required hun
bred million dollars, and have rendered the govern
ment bankrupt. That message saved the government
and the people from such catastrophe.
But those works which were clearly national in
character, which came within the pale of the con-
,itu,ion and which the public interests required to
tose taken Of not to be neglected. there
many Of this character, although they were not
specifically provided for in the constitution. They
were clearly included under, and dedusibe from,
general grants, were the powersto grant pensions,
to pay fishing bounties, to make Notifications and
haT,o he aaat-- IF whI wer spe-
cifcaly granted, but which were admitted by all,
and acted upon every day.
This bill provided for two classes Of WORKSHOP inn
provements Of harbors and ofrivers. As the former
had been dwelt upon, and conclusively defended,
heshoud direct his remarks the subject the rivers
provided for in this bill. These rivers had been de-
cared common highways, and forever free to the
citizens of the United States; they belonged equally
to the citizens of all the States. The gentleman
South Carolina, [Mr. RHETr,l had said that the
States of Virginia and Kentucky owned the Ohio
river; but no State had the right TO levy
toll, or to interfere with the navigation of
that river; and what kind of ownership
is that which authorizes the exercising no control
over the property. These great channels of COM
merce belong to the people of the United States;
they should be improved by the people, the fund to
come out of the common treasury Of the country.
We sent our navy abroad TO protect our commerce
against pirates and to this he had objection; but
in our western rivers we had obstacles dangerous
to navigation and requiring in as great degree de-
fence against them. The improvement of these
rivers he looked upon measure Of public de-
fence and general welfare. The commerce upon
them equally with the commerce upon the high seas,
required protection. Mr.. F. presented statistics
showing the value and extent Of our western COM
merce; the number of boats employed; their rapid
Increase; and its great importance generally. The
amount of commerce annually aoated on our western
waters was $3.50, 0O0, 000-a greater amount than
the whole ofour foreign commerce put together,
both imports and exports We appropriate annu-
ally IS 900 900 or $4,000 900 for the navy, for the
protection ofour commerce on the high seas, and
scarcely paid any attention to our western commerce,
which needed protection to fully equal degree.
IL was said by gentlemen that Notwithstanding
the immense amount expended on these works, no
good had been done. But Mr.. F. contcnded that
the benefit should be looked for in the vastly I'M
proved condition Of the country.
Mr.. F. next passed to the item approprianng
for the Louisville and Portland canal, and gave his
views in advocacy Of this measure, as designed for
the relief Of the commerce Of the country from the
Oppressive taxation imposed upon it,