Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-08-26

not necessary on this occasion 70 enarge certainly
not In reference to the power of Internal Improve
maent, which, as we have shown, has always beer
constitutional. But it must be obvious to the In
telligent reader, at the first glance at the PROPOSE
ton, that constitutions, however definite, mus
always be construed with due attention to existing
circumstances. All intended powers cannot be ex
pressy granted or enumerated, because they ca,laot
De Joreseen to be necessary and proper to carry
into execution the powers granted. To this effect
Mr. MADISON spoke in debate upon certain amend
ments proposed to the Constitution, when Mr..
TUCKER moved to amend the amendment TART. 10y
OF tho Constitution, reserving the "powers not de-
legated," dc. by inserting "expressly" before the
word delegated" and Mr.. M. objected to the
| amendment, " because it was impossible to confne
Governmental the exercise of express powers;
there must necessarily be admitted powers by i'm
plication, unless the Constitution descended to re-
count every minutia" How numerous are not
the powers exercised ordinarily by Congress which
it would be much more difficult to detect in the
Constitution than that which we are now uphold
ing Need we particularize them! Need we re-
fer to the early and late Exploring Expeditions to
the Observatory, denounced when proposed by Mr.
Adams, and erected by the Democratic party to
the Military Academy; to the Vaccine Agency;
to that most valuable application Of science, the
Coast Survey to all the lesser surveys, from the
general Geological to that Of the Dead Sea to those
monuments Of republican gratitude, the Reyolu-
tionary Pension Law, or the Donation to Lafayette
We will not weary the reader by recitng them all.
1t is enough to say, in conclusion that if it be not
constitutional to apply the funds of the Government
TO purposes of Internal improvement it was not
constitutional to build the Capitol; to adorn its
Rotundo with priceless memorials of the National
History nay, nor even to buy the seats in which
The members repose in its magnificent halls.
The cost of Internal Improvement, when little
more than half million year was proposed for it,
has been assigned by the present Executive as
reason for vetoing it, in Message written perhaps
with the very pen with which he had signed away
fifty millions of money for the further prosecution
Of an aggressive war of his own beginning. This,
certainly addressed to the People through their
Representatives, was adding insult to injury.
4" WAR; as is eoquenly said in late able report
on this subject Of Internal Improvement TO the
House of Representatives by Mr.. Hunt Of New
York" War, whatever brilliancy OF victory or
nown may mark its progress, opens no springs of
wealth, and yields no increase to the sum Of pub
: lie prosperity" Though appropriations Of money
for objects of Internal Improvement should add one
or two millions of dollars year TO the public debt
twhilst war adds fifty times as much it must be
remembered as is well put in that report that the
facilities afforded to commerce by opening harbors,
clearing rivers, &c., add largely to the amount Of
trade, producing corresponding increase ofrevenue
SO that the expenditures made on such objects ac-
tually return several times the amount appropriated
in increased contributions to the Treasury.
The power of Congress over Internal Improve
ment being undeniable, the duty Of Congress TO ex
ercise that power, in moderation, cannot be denied.
We say, in moderation. 1t would be difficult to
frame an argument satisfactory to US, however,
why much more money than ever has been ought
not to be systematically applied to this object
For, If the maintenance of an Army and Navy in
time of peace at an expense Of ten or fifteen mil
lions of dollars year be justified in reference to
possible exterior contingencies, we cannot, for
part, understand why the great interior interests of
our country are not entitled TO the annual appropr
alton for objects Of Internal Improvement of an
amount at least equal to that which is returned
to the Treasury by the sales Of the Public Lands.
The vast extent and amount of the territory,
population, and production Of the region of our
country which is directly interested in works Of
internal improvement, is powerful additional ar
gument in favor Of appropriations for those objects
Our space will not allow us to 90 into details on
this subject. Let it suffice to say, that no Admin
stration can be justified in treating with indiffer-
ence and contemptuous slight the wants of half
continent (measuring it by its population,) the nett
value Of whose annual commerce is more than two
hundred and fifty millions Of dollars, and will in
years. time double that amount; the population of
which depending upon the Lakes and Western
rivers for market numbers by this time twelve
millions; the number of hands employed mari
ners in whose navigation is over thirty thousand
and whose land transportation and intercourse are
proportionably large.
And for all this wide region, instinct with in
dustry and enterprise, and teeming with production,
what has our present Administration done! We
find this question answered TO our hand by an