Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-08-12

cence OF the government through all Pre-,
cedipe administrations, / am not disposed
10 aues,ion or disturb the authority 10
make appropriations for such purposes
When we advance a slep beyon tnis
point, aud iu addition 10 the establishment
and support. by appropriations from the
treasury, of light houses, heacops, ouoys'
piers, ard other improvements within the
bays, inIets, and harbors on our ocean and
lake coasts Immediately connected with
our foreign commerce. aud attempt TO
make improvements iu the interior at
points unconnected with foreign COM
merce, and where they are not needed Tor
The protection and security of our navy
and commercial marine, the difficulty arI'
ses 10 drawing line beyond which ap.
preparations may not be made by the led
eral government.
One of my predecessors, who saw the
evil consequences Of The system proposed
10 be revived by This hill, attempted 10 de-
fine this line by declaring that, "exPendll.
lures Of this character" should be "conh-
ned belo,o The ports of entry or delivery es'
lablished by law? Acting on this re-
stric,ion, he withheld his sanction from a
bill which had passed Congress ITO I'M
prove the navigation Of the Wabash nv
en-" He was at the same time sensible
that This restriction was not as satisfactory
as could be desired, and that much en-
barrassmeut may be caused to the execu-
tive department in its execution, by ap-
proprations for remote and not well un-
dersrood objects" This restriction, it
was soon found, was subject 10 be evaded'
and rendered comparatively useless ln
checking tho system of improvements
which il was designed to arrest, 10 conse-
quence of The facility with which ports Of
entry aud delivery may be established by
law upon the upper waters, and in some
instances, almost at The head springs Of
some Of The mos, unimporlant Of our rlv-
ers, and at points on our coast possessing
no commercial importance, and moi used
as places of refuge and safety by our navy
and other shipping. Many of the ports Of
entry and delivery now authorized by law,
SO far as foreign commerce is concerned,
exist only in the statute books, No entry
of foreign goods is ever made, and no du.
Ties are evor collected at them. No ex-
rors of American products bound for for.
eisn countries, ever clear from Them. To
assume that their existence in the statute
BOOKS as ports Of entry or delivery war
rant es pendilures on The waters leading 10
them, which would be otherwise unau.
ihorized, would be to assert the PROPOSE
ton, that Tho la W. making power may en-
graft new provisions on the constitution.
If the restriction be sound one, il can
only apply to the bays, inlels, and rivers
connected with or leading 10 such ports
as actually have foreign comnerce; ports
at which foreign importatiuns arrive IN
hulk, paying the duties charged by law,
and from which exports are made 10 ior-
eigu countries. 1t will be found by ap-
plying the restriction thus understood to
The bill under consideration, that it con-
tains appropriations Cor moro than twenty
objects ofinterual improvement. called in
the bill harbors, at places which have new
er.been declared by law either ports ofen-
Try or. delivery, aud att which, as appears
fromathe records Of the treasury, there;has
never been an arrival Of foreign merchan-
disc, and from which there has never been
vessel cleared for foreign country. 1t
will be found that many of these works
are new, and AT places for the improve
men, Of which appropriations are now for
the first time proposed. twill be found,
also, lbat The bill contains appropriations
for rivers upon which there not only ex.
lists no foreign commerce, but upon which
there has not been established even pa
per port of entry, and for The mouths Of
of creeks, denominaled harbors. which if
improved can benefit only Ibe particular
neighborhooL in which they are situated.
1t will he found, TOO, 10 contain appropri.
ations The expenditure Of which will only
have the effect Of improving one place at
the expense of The local. natural advau,a-
ges Of another in its vicinity. Should this
bill become law The same principle which
authorizes The appropriations which il pro-
poses to make, would also authorize simi
lar appropriations for the improvement. Of
all the other bays, inleIs, and creeks.
which may with equal propriety be called
harbors. and Of all the rivers, important or
unimporlant, in every par, of The Union.
To sanction the bill with such provisions.
would be to concede the principle that the
federal government possesses the power
10 expend the public money in a general
system of internal improvements, limited
in its extent only by the ever varying dis
crelion Of successive Congresses and sue
cessiye Executives. II would be TO ef.
face and remove the limitations aud re.
strictious of power, which the constitution
has wisely provided 10 limit the authority
and action oflhe federal government to q
few we'll defined and specified objects.
Besides these objections, the practical evils
which must flow from the exercise, on rho
part ofhe federal government, Of the pow.
ers asserted in this bill, impress my mind
with a grave sense of my duty 10 avert