The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-08-14
CALHOUN'S REPORT
Synopsis Of Senator Calh0uH's Report On irte'
nal IuDr0rsfqrgf

Synopsis Of Senator CalhouH's Report % Inter.
nal improvement
Mr. Calhoun takes the ground, and
makes It the foundation of his Report, that
there is power under the Constitution to
prosecute the works Of Internal Improve.
ment. This power he derives from the I
provision authorizing Congress 10 regu. |
lato Commerce. The general welfare
power he dcfGes as having reference TO
the common defence Of the country, and
as having 40 direct al,usiou to peace meas
ures.
lie supposes that with the assent Of Con.
eTess any tao States may enter into q
compact for the completion Of any public
work but as tie Constitution torblds d
compact between more than two States, he
admits the power Of Congress, and defends
il, Of making appropriations for any work
Of Internal improvement which may be
regarded necessary.
The Government, Cor example, is bound
to improve the Mississippi River, because
that river passes by or through more than
two States, and only two States can make
a compact. The Instructions in the river
are distractions 10 the commerce Of the
country, If it would be constitutional to
put q light house where there are SHugs, it
could remove the suag, but this could only
be done according to the arguments ot the
Senator, where the river does run through
more lhan any three States.
( Congress could improve tie mouths o.
rivers, BY the erection of Light houses, bu
harbors could not be improved, except tina
/ Congress could give It's assen; 10 the States
to impose u local lax upon commerce for
the purpose Of improving the commerce Of
the State.
The Memphis Convention met in No
yembcr last, aud adopted twenty reso,u
tons. There were 5S3 Delegates from
the West aud South Western States, fror
. 10 States. and one territory. The improve
menl Of the Navigation OF the Mississippi
was the great object Of the Convention, 5u
other objects were also proposed.
! Mr.. Calhoun, therefore, confines himse'
mainly to this brunch Of the Report
, Wha, was 60 years ego vast region o
! forest and prairie over which q few hun
bred thousand suvages wandered has nov
become q country covered with popuIn
ton of nine millions Of people. Tbis o
the Valley of the Mississippi According
c to the census Of 1870, the country drain
: ed by the Mississippi did not exceed 200,
= GOO. In $500. there were 56O,O0O-n
. 1910, 100000, in 1920, 2,5s0,000, i
D 1880, 100000, in 1856 there would b
e 90, 900, 900, in the valley Of the Misslssip
n pi. He believed that in the next twent
= wears the population would be at least 20
}, 600 600; forty millions in the next fort
+ wears, and sixty in the next sixty years.
!. As late as in 1877, the whole commerc
from New Orleans to the upper countr
was transported in about 90 barges, of 10
: tons each, and making one trip year
I The number OF keel boats could not hav
. exceeded $50 Of 80 tons each. Abol
. three trips were then made between Pitt
/. burg and Louisville in a year, and thes
= trips took two months each. The tonnag
!, of all then ascending The lower Mississippi
# did not then exceed $4,000. In Isl
c there were four hundred and fifty steam
i boats onthe Mississippi and its tributaries @
Il an average of 200 tons each. The aggre
). gate value of which was S., 100000, ana IN
= expenses incident to their navigation ST.
$50, 900. Besides this, there were 400
flat boats. and 10000 persons employed a
a cost of 81. $50 600. The amount c
), freight on the boats was 1000 600, and tn
,. annual value ofthe products $4,000, o0C
5 That from other portions Of the Union wa
} 500 600 600, and thus making S220, 900
b. 600, per annum in ls43.
e BY the report of the Secretary Of tn
4 Treasury for Is45, the steamboat tonnag
y on the rivers was 1878. ITO boat
were built in the year, or 1880 TONS