State journal & flag., 1846-08-21

toreign commerce. and attempt to make improvements in the interior at points un- connected with foreign commerce, and where they are not needed for the protec. llon and security of our navy and commer- cial marine, the difficulty arises in drawing line beyond which appropriations may not be made by the federal government.
 One of my predecessors, who saw the evil consequence of tho system proposed to be revived by this bill, attempted to defend this line by declaring that, expenditures of this character" should be "contined below the ports of entry or delivery established by law!" Acting on this restriction, he with held his sanction from a bill which had passed Congress 10 improve the navigation of the Wabash river.' He was al the same time 'sensible that this restrlcton was not as satisfactory as could be desired, and that much embarriSment may be caused 10 the executive department in its execution. by appropriations for remote and not well understood oblecls.o This restriction, it was soon found, was subec: to be evaded. and rendered comparatively ust less in check
 ing the system of Improvements which il was designed 10 arrest, in consequence Of the facility with which ports of entry and delivery may be established by law upon the upper waters. and in some instances, almost at the head springs of some of the unImportant our rlyers and at points on our coasts possessing no commercial im> portance, and moi used as places of refuge and safety by cur navy, and other shipping. Mlny of the ports of entry and delivery fnow authorized by law. so lar us fcregn commerce iJ concerned, exists only in the statute books. No entry of foreign goods is ever made, anc no duties are ever collected at them. No imports of American products bound for foreign countries ever cleared from them. Toassume that their existence in inc statute book as port of entry or delivery warrant expenditures an the waters leading to them, winch would be otherwise unau thorIzed, would be to assert the proposition. that the law making power may engrafi new provisions on the constitution. 1.-the restriction be sound one it can only apply 10 the bays, lnets, and rivers connected with or leaIng to sachiports actually having foreign commerce; ports at which foreign lmpo'htions arrive in bulk, paying the duties charged by law, and from which ex- ports are made 10 foreign countries. IL will be found that by applying the restriction thus understood 10 the bill under considera- ton, that 1t contains appropriations for more than twenty objects of internal improvement, called in the bill har6ors. at places which have pever been declared by law either ports of entry or delivery, and at which, as ap- pears from the records of the treasury. there has never been an arrival of foreign mer. chanoise, and from which there has never been vessel cleared for d foreign country. It will be found that many of these works are now. at places for the improvement of which appropriations are now for the first time proposed. It 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 mouth of creeks, denominated harbors, which if improved can benefit only the particular neighborhood in which they are situated. It will be found. too, to certain appropriations the expenditure of which will only have the effect of improving one place at the expense of the local, natural, advanta. ges of another in it's vicinity. Should this bill become law the same principle which authorizes the appropriations which it pro. poses 10 make, would also authorize similar appropriations for the improvement of all the other bays. inlels, and creeks, which may with equal propriety be cailed 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 gov ernment possesses the power 10 expend the public money, in general system Of inter- nal improvements, limited in it's extent only hy the ever varying discretion of success sive Congresses and successive Executives. IL would be to effect and remove the limitations and restrictions of power, which | the constitution has wisely provided to lmir the authority and action of the federal gov ernment to a few well defined and specified objects. Besides these objections, the prac- tlcal evil which must flow from the exercise. on the part of the federal government of | the powers as asserted in this bill, lmpresses my mind with grave sense of my duty to avert them from the country, as far as my constitutional action may enable me to do so.
 It not only leads to consolidation of power m the federal government at the expense of he rghtful authority of the States, but it's inevlta- ble tendency is. to embrace ohj-cs for the ex. pendlture of the public money, which are To. cal Tn their character, benef tlng but few at the expense of ihe common treasury of the whole. It will engender sectional feelings and preludi- ces calculated to disturb the harmony of the Union. 1t will destroy the harmony winch should prevail in our legislative counsels.
 1t will produce combinations Of local and sec. tional interests, strong enough. when united, to carry propositions for appropriations of pubic money which could not o: themselves, and standing alone succeed, and cannot fa,l to lead to wastetul and ex'ravagam expen iitureS.
 1 1t must produce dsreputable scramble for the public money, by the conflict which IS insep arable from such a system, between local and individual interests and the general interest of the whole It Is unjust to those States which have with their own means constructed their own internal improvements, to make from the common treasury appropriations fer similar ina provements in other States.
 | in it's operation il will be oppressive and an. just towards those States whose representatives and people either deny or doubt the existence of the power, or think it's exercise inexpedent, and who, while they equally contributed to the ,tn