The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1847-12-29
Extract from the Speech of Mr.. 5chenck
of Ohio, on the Pre- sidents Message
in relation to Internal Improve ments.

But to the message. l regret that did
not hear it more distinctly as it has been read
from the Clerks desk. 1t struck me, as far
as l was able to gather anything of its con-
tents, as being for the most part serving up
and elaborate presentation of the old argu-
ments against the existence of any power of
Congress to take care of the great commercial
and interior interests of the country. But it
certainly contains one thing that I heard,
which, as far as l know, is entirely new We
have had various tests proposed from time to
time, on the part of those opposed to internal
improvements, for determining whether ap-
preparations from the National Treasury and
their application to such objects were constitu.
tional or not. There is the chemical test re.
ferred to to-day, making all to depend upon
the fact whether the waters to be improved
are salt or fresh. Then, connected with that,
is what I would call the archaeological, test,
whether the fish which frequent the harbors
or rivers, where you would expend your
money, are from the sea or found only in
sometimes proposed, to be found by watching
the course of the tides and the distance to
which they ascend; and General Jackson,
less contracted in his views of the constitu-
ton than " Y Dung Hickory" was willing to
expend money freely for these purposes, SO
only that it should all be below a port of
entry. That was Legislative test, and very
convenient one too, inasmuch as Congress has
power by law to establish port Of entry
where it will, even though it should be at the
source of the smallest creek, or on the top
ridge of the Allegheny mountains! We
have also the geographical test, which deter
mines the constitutionality of work upon
the question whether it lies within State, or
is cut by the dividing line of two or MORE
And know not how many more of these
solvents of constitutional doubts and difficult
ties there may be but the President has now
hit on one that is surely novelty. If patent
is to be taken ont for the discovery, trust
that no one will interfere with his claim. In
that part of his message which seems to treat
of the definition of the terms "river" and
harbor," and to be, as far as I could hear
and understand, sort of lecture therefore on
the elements of geography, and after he has
taken the bold ground that you cannot help
nature at all, can make no Improvements in
that the constitutional difficulty is here a
harbor or inlet may by nature be deep enough
to admit schooner, but then yon have no
right to deepen it SO as to admit ships of
heavier burden; and there is no power, where
boat can go in, to do anything which might
let in schooner.
Hereafter, then, the constitution is to be
measured only by line and lead. A laugh.
vessel with a deep keel must take care lest
it run against one of these constitutional
shoals; but one of your fiat bottomed coasters
might get into the same harbor and ride secure
ly under the protection of the supreme law,
the great organic law of the United States.
1t would bother gentlemen exceedingly, I
think, TO decide the character and constitu-
tional privileges of one of those centre beard
vessels to be found on the lakes and in the
bays on the Atlantic coast, in which the con-
stitution could be let up or down laughter
at the pleasure of the navigator. Hereafter
all vessels that navigate along the shores OF
the United States, whether of the lakes or the
ocean, instead of chart, should be provided
with copy of this message, and your man in
the bows, as in the approach to land he comes
to soundings, must heave the lead as before,
but instead of the usual sailor cries, I" by the
mark five -" quarter less four must cry,