Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-18

Now what has been course of the division of mowers IN
this House Does not every body know that when the Fede
raj party have mad the majority in this House, and wished
exercise powers for which they had no warranto amend the
consutonthe very first step has been to raise committee
Was mol the case IN 1919, when the Committee Manu-
acures established Before that duties were laid for re-
venue II IS true incidentally, il admitted, they might
look 10 the protection Of manufactures This was in 1919
The tariff Of 1916 was tariff Of reductions from the du-
ties which were first imposed under Il. The first reduction
to come in 1919 The Federal party came in and in
sisted upon duties without reference TO revenue and they got
them That is the history Of the Committee Manufactures
What has been the history Of the Committee Roads and
Canals Tins committee was established in 1874 In 1924
internal improvements had become very rife The first thing
that Committee on Roads and Canals was moved here
and it was established Although the proposition give this
Government power roads and canals distinctly
med in the convention and rejected that impedment
at all TO the establishment of that committee Now, the same
thing is TO be done in this case We have heard Of huge
convention which met Chicago during the last summer in
which men OF all parties Federaists and Democrats met and
determined, under the auspices Of Mr. Webster that this
Government onnpotentover all things within the whole limits
of this Union and take that this nothing than
eorescence production of the Chicago Convenon-just
the tariff of 1924 eoescence of the Pttsburg Con-
ventlon and Its friends have ask Tor
mittee to give power and effect to this system
will now take up the purposes of the gentleman from
Oho-the objects for which he wants this committee First
for information. Well, have no information The Gov
of the United States has already provided first
the registry of all foreign onnage second for the registry
of all tonnage among the States twenty tons and, third
Tor the license OF all tonnage under twenty tons-and
codngy, we had the annual report on tonnage and navga
ton laid your table few days ago. The commerce of
Chicago, Erie, Louisville, Cincinnati Of every town. shines
there, is laid down there.
WE'LL what does the gentleman want He ntimated
that this department might get together the statistics Of the
commerce within the States Mark you the constitution
does not say ,cthn the States, but it is only
among" the States in other words the foreign
of the States with the other States That is the commerce
alone which this Government has any control by virtue
OF this clause ofhe constitution Will that the pur-
pose of the gentleman from Ohio No. he statistical
information concerning the productions of the Stae-ho
many barrels of -four many chickens many bushels
of corn are raed-ke the orders which given out
the taking the last Now according my views,
there is no such power IN the General Government The
great principle and spirit OF the constitution that whatever
the States competent do the States shall do and what
the States do the General Government shall do though
under the express specifications of the constitution Now
will any tell the States not able take account
of their productions Certainly in Massachu-
sets for the other day had sent from there
most minute report, showing all the productions of Massa
clusetts, from hobna TO steam engine Now, does the
State of Massachusetts want this Government DO what they
doing themselves To send spies and nqustos every
house in the Union find out what they do every year. how
much grain they produce and how many pigs and chickens
they raise Those the orders issued by Mr. Webster
carrying the principle of the Chicago Convention of the
omnpoence of this Government taking the last
And what the result portion of the people Of the
South-of Virginia, South Carolina, and other States
deemed it outrage and treated the marshal with contempt
telling him get you down about your business" They
held that the constitution authorized in taking the census,
ascertain the number of citizens and OF persons whom the
three hs representation based and that thore no au
thory for going down these domestic matters which be-
long to the States. And this view espoused, and
ably, in eloquent article by distinguished Whighe
late Mr. Peasants, Of Rchmond-who told the people to
take notice of the marshas repeat, that my iudg
men the constitution gives the General Government
such power-a the power is foreign among
the States; that which goes Of State and enters into
another.
al ~ If he Thot
is developed in the amendment made by the gentleman from
Ohio. 1t is the power of this Government The gentleman
is not philosopher caterer for statistics His
Object is to extend the power Of this Government to add
clause the constitution whereby the General Govern
may exercise control the within the
States well Enthusiastically within the States them
selves.
This system Of harbor Improvements by the General Gov
ernment that has sprung up laey is in fact the
pernacous and If may speak, the most mpngng of in
The rivers have been very well content hitherto with
clearing few snag but the harhors pertnaeous
will go into very extended argument the sub
ect Of internal improvements. but shall endeavo show
that this haroor interest is itself unauthorized by the cons
tuition, rather that is authorized by the constitution, but
in the mode in which gentlemen who have hitherto advo
Gated the interest have endeavored establish. As have
before sar the fundamental principle Of the constitution is
that whatever the States competent 10 do, they shall
perform and whatever they cannot do devoyed upon the
General Government by express specification. Now, ask
any gentleman the States incompetent improve their
harhors ; Win any say they are Every one
knows there is not State this Union poor, mean,
be incapable Of improving its harbors Why then
should the General Government undertake. by assumption Of
power not delegated to IL to do what the States do for
themselves
But, 10 to another principle which 10
the point When the constitution has laid down mode by
which object be attained, il is exclusive of other
mode. Now, the constitution has laid down a mode by I
which this object be attained. In the origin of this Gov
enmen the good people Of the United States indf
ferent to internal improvements especially 10 the improve
mcnt Of haTb1rs. The truth Is, that the only species OF
which then thought Of Nobody then thought
Of making wagon road under the authority Of the General
Government That is claim Of power which sprung up at
later day. and which is put end to. The great OBJ
jec then, the improvement Of harbors Now, is there
mode provided for this On this point we have both doc
trinc and example in the origin Of this Government. We
have many instances in which the States have applied this
Government for power lay duties tonnage. In 1892
1893, petition to Congress from the inhabitants Of
Kennebeck then the State Of Massachusetts, Cor leave to
lay duties tonnage with view 10 reimburse them for
moneys expended in building the piers in Kennebeck river
Congress authorized them to lay those duties Many other
have occurred And in 1908 Baltimore in the State Of
Maryland, and Savannah in the State Of Georgia. came
simultaneously aud prayed Congress authorize them lay
duties tonnage, with view 10 tho improvement of their
harbors Congress passed law auhoze these States
Jay duties, and they were laid and have before a
report Ivy Mr. Crawford 1922, OF the whole raised
by these duties in the city Of Baltimore and the city OF Sa
vannahin Savannah from 1911 TO 1921 and in Baltimore
from 1912 to 1921 And since have these States,
understand been authorized by this Government to lay these
duties, with view TO keep their barbors in order Now
these only isolated and i'll had time should like to
have brought forward Others ia which this Government has