Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-21
yGEes MEAS fGE.
Veto of the River and ,yarbor Bill.


senta,iyes on WEDNESDAY las,, a message from the
President of the United States, as follows:
To The House of Representatives,:
On the last day OF the last session OF Congress
bill, entitled can act 10 provide io' cohi'uiui;
cerlain works in Tie Territory Of Wisconsin ana
for other purposes" which had passed U"'',
Houses, was presented 10 me Tor my approval
entertained insuperabie objections To lis oecom-
ing Law; but the short period Of Inc session
which remained afforded me no suflcieh' oPpo!-
tunity to prepare my objections, ana commune
cafe Them, with the bill 10 me house vi nep. s
senra,ives in which il originated. For tnis rea-
SON the bill was retained, and deem It proper
nuw 10 slate my objections to ii.
Although, from The title OF the bill, II wouio
seen that lis main object was 10 make pfo'is'"1
for continuing certain works ALREADY co''"e"ee"
in The Territory of Wisconsin il appears On eA
animation Of its provisions, that II contains c'hy
a single appropriation ui SIX thousand u"'laIS 10
be applied within lha territory, Wh,'e IL appropii
a,es more than half million OF dollars LOT the
Improvement of numerous harbors and rivers ~,
ing within the limits and lurisdlcuon Oh se'eiai
of the States Of the Union.
Al the preceding session Of Congress il became
nv duty 10 return, with my objections, 10 lhe
House in which it originated, bill making SUM
lar appropriations, and involving IKE PIinc'Pies'
and the views then expressed remain unchdhseo'
The circumstances under which this heavy ex.
peuditure OF public money was proposed were OF
imposing weight in determining upon lis Peolen-
cy. Congress had recognised the existence ol war
with Mexico, and to prosecute tito "speeoy ana
successful termination" had made appropriations
exceeding our ordinary revenues. 10 meet the
emergency, and provide Tor the expenses oil inc
Government. a loan OF twenly-three millions oil
dollars was authorised al the same session, wnch
has since been negotiated. The PRACTICAL elect
of This bill had il become law, YOU'D have oeeh
10 add the whole amount appropriated ny II 70
The national debt. l, would, in fact, have mace
necessary an additional loan To that amount as
efectually as il in terms il had required Inc ee-
cre,ary OF the Treasury 10 borrow The money
therein appropriated The main question in that
aspect is whether il is wise, while all Inc means
and credit OF the Government are needed 10 of'ns
the existing war TO an honorable close, 70 impair
the one and endanser the other by borrowing
money 10 be expended in system OF internal
improvements capable of anexpansicn sufficient
10 swallow up the revenues not only ol our own
country but of the civilized world. IL Is 10 Ne
apprehended that By entering upon such Ca
reer al this moment, confidence, al nome ana
abroad, in the wisdom and prudence OF the Gov
eminent would be so lar impaired as TO make II
difficult. without an immediate resort to heavy
taxation 10 maintain the public credit and 10 pre-.
serve the honor OF the nation nd the S!ory Vi
our arms, 10 prosecuting the existing war 10
successful conclusion Had this oil become
law, it is easy to toresee that largely increased ae
mauds upon the Treasury would have oeen maze
al each succeeding session Of Congress- lor the
improyement OF numerous other harbors, bays,
inIe,s, and rivers, OF equal importance with those
embraced bv its provisions. Many millions
would probably have been added TO the necessary
amount OF the war debt, the annual interest on
which must also have been borrowed, and hnaiy
a permanent national debt been fastened on lhe
country and en,aed on pos'er!y
The policy of embarkne the Federal Govern
ment 10 general sys sem OF internal Improve
ments had IFS origin but little more ihan ;"en'i
wears ago. In very lev years, HE applications
to Congress for aPprop iations, in iuitherance 81
such objects. exceeded Two hundred millions OF
dollars. In his alan ming crisis, President jack
son refused 10 approve and sign the Maysvllle
Road Bill, The Wabash River Bill, and other bills
of similar character. His inlerposition put
check upon the new policy OF throwing the cost OF
local improvements upon the National Treasury,
preserved the revenues OF The nation for their le-
climate objects, by which h. was enabled To ex-
Iingush The then existing public deo, ana 10 pre-
sent 10 an admirns world the Unprecedented spec
lacle in modern times, OF uatton Tree iIcm
debt. and advancing to greatness with unequal!ed
to act within its appropriate sphere in projecting
the States and individuals in their own chosen
career of improvement aud Of enterprise. Al
though The bill, unde: consideration. proposes no
appropriation tor road or canal il is not easy to
perceive the difference in principle, or mschie-
vous tendency between appropriations Tor MAKING
roads and digging canals, and appropriations to
deepen rivers and improve harbors. All are ALIKE
within The limits and jurisdiction OF tine States,
and rivers and harboIs alone open an abyss Q! ex-
penditure sufficient TO swallow up the wealth OF
The nation, and lead it with debt, which may
teuer its energies and tax lis industry Tor ages to
come.
The experience of several of The States, as
well as that of The United States, during the pc
Rod that Congress exercised the power o' aprro-
priating the public money for internal improve
menls, is foil Of eloquent WARNINGS II seems I'M
possible in the nalu;e OF the subject, as connect.
ed win local representation that the several ob.
iecls presented for improvement shall ne weighed
according 10 their respective merits, and apPEoPri.
atoms confined 10 those whose importance would
Justify lax On The whole community TO effect
their accomplishment.
10 some Of The States systems OF internal I'M
prove,nenls have been projected, consisting OF
road, and canals, many OF which taken separate
ly were not OF sufficient public Importance TO JUS
tiy tax on The enife population Ol The Stale, 10
eff-cI their CONSTRUCTIONS; ani vet, by Il comoi"d'
nation OF local iaielesis operating on inalothy
Of he Legislature, the whole have been auth0G-
lied, and the States plugged ;nlo heavy deo;s. 10
an extent So rninous has this sys,rm oil leSlSia-
ton been carried in some portions oil the Union,
that the people have found il necessary helr own
safety and prosperity, 10 forbid their Legislatures,
by constitutional restrictions, 10 contract pubic
debts for such purposes without theft immediate
consent.
II the abuse of power has been so fatal in The
States. where the systems of taxation are direct,
and the representatives responsible at short perl
DDS 10 small masses OF constituents, how much
greater danger vi abuse is 10 De apprehended 10
the General Government, whose revenues are
raised by indirect taxation, and whose inncliona'
lies are responsible 10 the people in larger masses
aud for longer terms}
Regarding only objects OF Improvement OF the
nature of those embraced in this bill, how mex
hauslible we shall find them LIE, the magma.
ton run along our coast, from the river 81. CroiS
TO the Rio Graude, and trace every river empty
ing into the Atlantic and Gulf OF Mexico TO its
source let it coast along our lakes and ascend al
their tributaries; lie! il pass Oregon and explore
all lis bays inlets, and streams, and then let II
raise the curtain Of the iulure, and contemplate
the extent of this Republic, ADD the objects OF i'm
provement il will embrace, as ii advances 10 lis
high destiny, aud the mino VIII De started al inc
immensely aud danger Of the power which the
principle of this bill involves.
Already our Confederacy consists OF twenty
nine States. Other States may at no distant pc
riod be expected to be formed on the West oi on'
present settlements. We own an extensive coun'
try in Oregon, stretching many hundreds OF miles
from East TO West, and seven degrees oi latitude
from South 10 NoIlh. By the admission OF Tex
as into the Union, we have recently added many
hundreds OF miles TO oar seacoas. In all thi:
vas, country, bordering on the Atlantic and Paci
6c there are many thousands of bays, inle's anc
rivers equally entitled 10 appropriations for lhei
Improvements with The objects embraced in lhi:
bill.
We have seen in our States that the interests @
individuals or neighborhoods, combining agains
the general interest, have involved their Govern
ments in debts aud bankruptcy; and when The sys
TEN prevailed in The General Government, ant
was checked BY President Jackson, il had begun
10 be considered the highest merit in member o
hr okI Ia -,