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

more Philadelphia New York. and Boston, and greater adj
vantages than il did to the interior Of Illinois No would
contend that il did not but they therefore to dis
card commerce Again. take the river Mississippi and her
tributaries by which thirteen States of this Union wash
ed if she improved, would not those thirteen States be
more Immediately benefited than any ether which II did not
touch He repeated and he meant TO show he could that
there nothing general TO have local advan-
ages and benefits and that on the other hand there
thing local have general benefits he would
take as Illustration the State OF Illinois The Illinois and
Michigan canal the State Of Illinois therewas no por
ton Of elsewhere no other State touches il and yet soon
after made they heard this floor that sugar could be
transported from New Orleans Buffalo, IN the State OF New
York, by water, and consequence that The inhabitants
OF Buffalo enabled to purchase their sugars and sweeten
their coffee cheaper than before the completion OF that WORK
Illinois received great benefit from that work, and the States
around her. although that canal within her own limits
also received great benefit from it, He mentioned this TO
show that there could be nothing local but the public general
" were benefited by it. IL them they were to say that the
General Government should do nothing because localities
would be benefited they should also take The position tha To-
cates should do nothing because there will be general bne
fits produced and thus they would get nothing al urless
by some means they could oserurn that position lie admit
ted heartily any could do that inequalities were
TO be discarded they could discard them without dscang
something with them But how was it to operate Didihey
not find inequalities in oil portions of the Government Why,
the seat OF being here ne supposed Of SINE
advantage the people Of this ocayof greater advan
than the people Of Illinois but it to be proposed en,
that the Of government he removed from this pace
for that reason If So where would they put il WIZ! II
they obyiae such objection they would put the
Government in the position Of the oafer who when asked
where he slept replied that he slep. spots about So it
would be with this Government There were and there must
be, inequalities 10 some extent They could not get rio OF
them Some of these inequalities pertain too to office te,
to the Presidential office. He did not intend to apply
the remark nvidiously this any other particular Pres
dent but fact that there great inequality between
the pay Of the President and that Of coadigge The lat
ter digs coal at the pay Of seventy cents day. while the Free
sden digs arguments and distractions about seventy dol
lars day. Monstrous inequality But did the President
propose TO abolish that inequality Oh, no There was
them inequality TO degree in internal improvements but
was there evil spngng from that inequality than good
II it should be decided, after the question had been argued
that there evil than good let go but there Is
more good than evil take it. The arguments Of this me
sage except that based the unconstutionaiy Of internal
improvements BY the General Government he repeated would
apply the States well the General Government No
could look at them without bringing himself 10 that con-
cusion. If them they admitted its force far it applied
to the United States they arrive at the conclusion,
far the States concerned that for fear of doing some
/ thing wrong, they would do nothing at ALL
He what the President had said in reatonto
the constuonaty of the question OF internal improvements
He felt that he ought not and that he would not be listened
to with patience If he making original constitutional
argument this question: BeiRg the he was, and
speaking the he did, he should abstain from such
argument He proposed, however, say few words about
what had been said by Others that he might show that APP
peaed to him in other light than that in which the Presidents
message placed it, The President, in his message, into
duced from the of former Pesidents-Pfe
sidens Of high repecabity whose authority Of great
wegh-or the purpose Of showing that internal improve
ments by the General Government unconstitutional
He quotes from President Jefferson, and he introduces the
quotation in this way;
president Jefferson, in his message Congress in 1906,
recommended amendment of the constitution with
apply anticipated surplus the Treasury TO the great
purposes of the public education roads, rivers canals and
such other objects public improvements may be thought
proper to add the constitutional enumeration OF the Federal
powers and he adds, suppose amendment the
stuon, by of the States necessary because the
objects recommended among those enumerated in
the constitution, and which permits the public moneys
beapped In 1895 he repeated bis published letters the
opinion that such been conferred Congress-
He did read this for the purpose of denying
that Mr. Jefferson uttered such opinions for he supposed
every knew that Mr. Jefferson did express such opinions
but show that Mr. Jefferson differed from the present Pre-
siden the question of expedency What did MI. Jeer
propose Why, that the constitution should be 50
amended that these things might be done The President
them thus furnished the authority of Mr. Jefferson against
himself He much in the habit Of quoting poetry,
but he thought very much like, instead Of shooting
duck pover the shooter being himself "knoeked
Mr.. MEADE asked the gentleman from Illinois several
questions which audible at the Reporters desk.
| Mr.. LINCOLN, having answered those questions pro-
ceeded and commented the positions Of the Presidents
message and said he disposed dwell the cons
tutonal point and in fact he had done than barely
mention it He there many great and good
who thought this Government bad constitutional
tnoy 10 make internal improvements and there were many
great and good who thought the other way In 1926
Chancellor Kent Published volume Of commentaries on
American law and in 1874 fifth edition published,
the 267h page OF which would be found that potion Of the
commentaries relating this subject He did propose
read that part OF the work. for bis time limited per-
init Of it. His object simply refer the committee
the passages that gentlemen might read them for themselves
after he had read brief extract from appended to this
portion OF the work, on page 269 in which that able
mentator said
"Mr Justice Story in his Commentaries the Constu-
ton OF the United States VOL pages 4294&0 and again
against the proposition that Congress have constitutional
thority lay and apply the power regulate
directly encourage and protect domestic
manufactures and without giving any opinion Of his
that contested doctrine he has left the reader draw his
conclusions. should think, however, from view Of the
gument stated that every mind which has taken part
the discussions and elt prejudice territorial bias
either side Of the question: would deem the arguments in
Of the Congressional power vastly superior"
Chancellor Kent then gave his opinion that the arguments
in favor Of the power, contrased with those against it.
though very respectable, vastly SUPERIOR and this,
though the opinion of but man. should be admit
ted the opinion Of Of the abes lawyers the world
The President then-for be willing admit that there
shall be nothing donestars back End way do IT,
and he finds in tonnage duties levied with the Of the
General Government and what done in this way par
ticuar localities is TO the extent goes, doubt very we'll
He did that there any objection it. except that
it wholly insufficient and would fall infinitely short Of do
ing any thing great for the general advantage OF the
nifty He very familiar with the practice OF leyyng
tonnage duties, but he could suppose that tonnage duties
we're ley.d the hsrbor Of Baltimore would be the ton
ao thai comes into that haro and not on the TONNAGE thai