Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-07-28

! the constitutional power, and propriety of
appropriations for Lake Harbors, as; much
as those for the Atlantic Coast.
have been of the opinion, therefore,
that to impress the minds of the people of
all portions of the Union with a realizing
sense Of the facts as they are in relation to
these inland seas, and their already vast
and increasing commerce, wouldbe all that
is required to secure such appropriations as
the state of the National Treasury will
from time to time permit, for the improve
ment Of Lake Harbors. mean the i'm
proyement of such Harbors as the body of
lake commerce requires for its convenience
and safety, as contardistinguished from the
numerous applications for these improve
ments, which the various conflicting local
interests upon the shores Of the Lakes may
prompt; and | make this distinction, be-
cause my own observation has shown that
applications for Harbor improvements, at
the public expense, are made and passed,
within distances Of very few miles, and at
locations where, from the natural position
OF the Lake and coast, good Harbor at Ell
ther point would secure to the commerce of
the Lake all the convenience and safety of
duplicate improvements. Much of the diff.
ficulty of obtaining appropriations grows
|. out.of these conflicting applications, and
the sternness with which all are pressed as
| necessary to Lake commerce impairs the
confidence of strangers to the local claims
and interests in the heimportance Of all.
1t is the duty of those who urge these i'm.
proyements, for the great objects for which
alone they should be made at the expense
of the Nation, viz: the convenience and
safety OF the Lake commerce, to be honest
with Congress, and to urge appropriations
only at points where these considerations
| demand them.
1he River improvements constitute O.
much more difficult subject, and the connec-
ton ofthem with the Lake Harbors has of.
ten to my knowledge, lately preiudiced the
former. There are applications for i'm
provement of Rivers, about which, as a.
matter ofprincple and constitutional power,
| have no more doubt than about the har
bors on the lakes, or on the Atlantic coast,
and there are those, which, in my judgment,
come neither within the principle nor the
constitutional power; but to draw line
between the two classes of cases cannot.
have witnessed numerous attempts to do
this, but none ofthem have appeared very
sound or very practical. The facts and
circumstances are so varied between the
various applications, that doubt whether
any general rule can be laid down, which
will be found just and practical; and I think
the course most likely to secure satisfac.
tory result, with the least danger to the vi
olation of principle, would be for Congress
to act separately and Independently upon
each application. There has appeared to
me one broad distinction between these cas-
es which has not always been regarded,
but which think always should be. 1t is
between the applications TO protect and Sc
cure the safety of commerce on Rivers
where it exists and is regularly carried on
in defiance Of the distractions sought to be
removed, and in the face of the dangers
they place in its way; and those applica-
tions which ask the improvement of Rivers
that commerce may be extended upon them,
where it is not. The one class appear to
me to ask Congress to regulate and protect
commerce upon Rivers, where commerce
in fact exists, and the other to create it up. \
on rivers where it does not exist. This
distinction, if carefully observed, might aid
in determining some applications Of both
classes, but it is not sufficient dividing
line for practical Legislation, if it is for the
settlement of the principle upon which all
such applications should rest I use the
term "commerce" in the definition, as do
in this letter, in its constitutional sense and
scope.
| must ask your pardon, gentlemen, for
troubling you with so long and hasty COM
munication, in reply to your note 1t is
not made for any public use, but to express
to you very imperfectly some of my views
upon the interesting subject you bring to
my notice, which shall not have the pleas.
ure of communicating in person, and to sat-
isfy you that am not Indifferent to your
request.
Be pleased to accept my thanks for your
polite invitation, and to believe me,
Your very respectful and ob't serv't
SILAS WRIGHT.
To Messrs. N. B. JUDD, and others, Com
mittee, &C., &c.