Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-06-24
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

other purposes.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Mr.. LINCOLN said he wished at all times in way to
practise any fraud upon the committee the House. and he
desired also do nothing very dsagreeabe any member OF
the House. He therefore, stated in advance that his object
in taking the floor this time make speech on the
general subject Of internal improvements and if he was out
Of order in doing it, he gave the Chair opportunity OF 50
deciding, and he would take his seat
The CHAIR said he would undertake to anticipate
what the gentleman might say upon the subject OF internal I'M
provemens He would therefore, proceed IN his remarks
and if any question of order was made the Chair would de-
eide it.
Mr. LINCOLN said he would now proceed until arrested
by competent authority. Early this session of Congress the
President had in TO Congress what was properly called
internal Improvement message From the time OF The
receipt Of that message he bad DESIRED proper occa
sion make remarks in relation to l. Since that lime
the nominations for President and Vice President made by the
Democratic Convention at Baltimore had ransPred.
petorm had been laid down BY resolutions passed that
Convention of those resolutions being IN those words
.Resoled That the constitution does confer upon the
General Government the power to and carry
general system Of internal improvement"
Mr. SAWYER here interposed but
Mr. LINCOLN declined yield the floor Or want Of time
and proceeded Gen. Cass in the acceptance Of the nomna
ton conferred upon him in Baltimore, said
have carefully read the resolutions Of the Democratic
National Convention laying down the platform political
fsh and adhere to them as hrmy as approve them cor
daily"
He had mentioned the Presidents internal improvement
message, the subsequent action Of the democratic Ma
onal Convenon and what the nominee of that Convention
had said in relation in approval OF its resolution in reference
internal improvements not for the purpose, the gentle
from Ohio seemed apprehend, Of assang that nom
nee but for the purpose OF bringing to the attention OF this
committee the fact he understood il that the question of
internal improvements was now being more distinctly made
was becoming intense, and placed attitude where
il was less avoided than il had heretofore been and
SO much that all must take their position either in favor Of
against the maintenance of the doctrines Of Internal i'm
provement. There many men, he understood,
in the Democratic party this House and the country who
were of internal improvements by the General Gov
eminent who would for Gen. Glass; although he had
dorsed that portion of the PLATFORM and would be bound
to it elected surely because they subscribed to the
he had expressed this subject but because they preferred
him with this position TO other candidate He suppos
ed that this general declaration in the resolution of the Ba
Convention but the and substance of that of
which the internal improvement message of Mr.. Polk
was the specification This being so, he proposed well
he might be able do it in the Of hour to
the positions of that message, rather to dis
the general principles which it laid down, not wasting
any time relation what the President said about the pre-
sent embarrassed condition of the Treasury growing othe
Mexican These general positions were he UNDER
stood them, that internal Improvements ought not to be
gagged by the General Government because they like
ly ovewhe the Treasury BECAUSE while their burdens
would be general their benefits would be local and partial
voving obnoxious inequalities and because they would be
unconstitutional that the States might make these improve
by the levy of tonnage duties; if not that the
men the power He had tried fairly digest the message,
and he believed what he had stated the substance Of what
the President had said the subject.
appeared him that do nothing all lest they should
do something wrong the Of this proposition in the
Presidents message; and this conclusion applies strictly
and cby any attempt to make improvements by States
by the United States with the single exception OF the
gumen based its unconsutionaly. So that they
submit according to the arguments in the Presidents
sage only have internal improvements by the Gene
raj Government but improvements at all For the
that he supposed this 10 be the result he desired humble
he was, to review that message well be able
The position OF the Presidents message was that internal
ought be engaged by the General Gov
ernmen because they would overwhem the Treasury. Now
he would frankly admit that there such tendency for
he intended To be perfectly fair. tendency which
had its foundation in human nature every member would
prefer voting for bill which made appropriation for his
district than for bill which made appropriations for others
II plain principle OF our nature that prompted IT, Bot
il bill should be made to embrace every district; that each
member would obtain something, would be too greatly
panJed and consequently must be admitted that there
this tendency TO great expansion But this applies
to States well the United States, if member will
for appropriation bill that makes provision for
his own district the members Of State Legislature would
not vote for appropriation bill that did provide for bis
own county, if there organization Of the sort for
his town municipality. So that there ohec.
ton here which applied to the United States, that did
not apply 10 the States But there this tenden-
cy and as its application extended every where became i'm
portant ascertain there any couneracng tendency
and keep them within proper limits and bounds He
knew there in State Legislatures any than
in Congress- any restraining principle than the dscre
ton the membe and TO ascertain whether that restraining
principle sufficient they must TO Of
deuce The President had thought f introduce
dence in relation the expansive principle, manifested in
the past He had told them that point of time
history two hundred millions of dollars asked for be
appropriated for purposes Of internal improvement Yes
hundred millions Of dollars asked for The President
told them This the evidence which the President
furnishes Of the past show the expansive tendency Of such
system Bot with all due difference the President he
thought better evidence than that The President
also told them that during the four succeeding years
baced BY the Administration Of President Adams, the power
not only appropriate money but 10 apply H. under the
direction and authority Of the General Government well
to the construction Of roads the Improvement Of
bors and rivers was fully asserted and exercised"
WeL then per him to ask the committee, il il true
"a the President told them that during hoe four years the
exactly be better evidence than the asked
for Would II not nearer showing them what they
were 10 look for in the future judging from the past they
should look for what Done better evidence than what
was asked for they would nd instead Of two hundred mil
lions appropriated, the less than two millions
The four years Of Mr.. Adamss administration 1925,
1926 1897 and 1899 precisely for they began
the 4h March, 1926 and the LIST q January but
they take those four years. they would find that the
tuay appropriated SIS, 6270l, less than two mil
tons And If they should add the two months II 1929, still
the would be varied much Ii would still be less
than millions Of dollars, the precise amount being
81, 95l 60i72 IT, then the President was right was Il NOT