Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-01-11
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The Presidents Message.
o,he House of REPRESENTATIVE !.

| On the last day Of the last session Of
Congress, a bill, entitled San act to pro-
| vide for continuing certain works in the
Territory WISCONSIN, and for other pur.
pose" which had passed both houses, was
i presented to me for my approval. / en-
tertained insuperable objections to its be.
coming law but the short period ofthe
session which remained afforded me no
sufficient opportunity to prepare my OBJ
jections. and communicate them, with the
bill to the House Of Representatives, in
which it originated. For this reason, the
bill was retained, and | deem it proper
now to state my objections to it.
I Although, from the title of the bill, it
would seem that its main object was to
make provision for continuing certain
works already commenced in the Terri.
tory of Wisconsin, i! appears, on examin-
alton Gifts provisions, that it contains only
a single appropriation Of six thousand dol.
lars to be applied within that Territory,
while it appropriates more than half a
million of dollars for the improvement of
numerous harbors and rivers lying within
the limits and jurisdiction of several of the
States of the Union aa' a. ."a.7
At the preceding session OF Congress, it
became my duty to return, with my obiec
tons, to the house in which it originated,
bill making similar appropriations. and
involving like principles; and the views
then expressed remain unchanged.
The circumstances under which this
heavy expenditure of public money was
proposed where of imposing weight in de-
termining upon its expediency. Congress
had recognised the existence of war with
Mexico, and to prosecute it to "a speedy
and successful termination" had made
appropriations exceeding our ordinary
revenues 10 meetthe emergency, and
provide for the expenses of the govern
ment, loan of twenty three millions of
dollars was authorized at the same ses.
sion, which has since been negotiated
The practical effect ofthis bill, had it be.
come a law, would have been to add the
whole amount appropriated by it to the
national debt. 1t would, in fact, have
made necessary an additional loan to that
amount, as eftectually as if in terms it had
required the Secretary Of the Treasury to
borrow the money therein appropriated.
The main question in that aspect is, wheth-
er it is wise, lille all the means and cred.
! it Of the government are needed to bring
the existing war TO an honorable close. to
impair the one and endanger the other by
borrowing money to be expended in a
system Of internal improvements capable
! Of an expansion sufficient to swallow up
the revenues not only of our own country
but Of the civilized world? tits to be ap,
pretended that, by entering upon such a
career at this moment, confidence. at home
and abroad. in the wisdom and prudence
Of the government, would be so far i'm
paired as to make it difficult, without an
immediate, resort TO heavy taxation, 70
maintain the public credit, and TO preserve
the honor of the nation and the glory Of
our arms, in prosecuting the existing war
to a successful conclusion. Had this bill
become a Law, it is easy to foresee that
largely increased demands upon the trea
ury would have been made at each sue
ceeding session Of Congress, for the i'm
provement of numerous other harbors,
bays, inleis and rivers, OF equafimportance
with those embraced by 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 finally a
permanent national debt been fastened on
the country and entailed on posterity.
The policy of embarking the federal
government in a general system of inter
nal improvements had its origin but little
more than twenty years ago. In a very
few years the applications to Congress
for appropriations in furtherance of such
objects exceeded two hundred millions OF
dollars. In this alarming crisis, President
Jackson refused to approve and sign the
Maysville road bill, the Wabash river bill.
and other bills of similar character. His
interposition put a check upon the new
policy of throwing the cost of local i'm
provements upon the national treasury.
preserved the revenues of the nation fol
their legitimate objects, by which he was
enabled TO extinguish the then existing
| public debt, and to present to an admiring
world the unprecedented spectacle If
modern times of nation free from debt
and advancing to greatness with unequal
led strides, under government which
was content to act within its appropriate
sphere, in protecting the States and indi
viduals in their own chosen career of i'm
provement and of enterprise. Although
the bill under consideration proposes nj
appropriation for road or canal, it is no
easy to perceive the difference in princi
pie or mischievous tendency between ap
j prlations for making roads and digging
Icanals, and appropriations to deepen riv
ers and improve harbors, All are alike
within the limits and jurisdiction. of ID,