Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-30

pirate doIar-ha is the substance Of i-for any such OBJ
ject. His language is that the power CIRCULATE COM
merce does confer upon Congress The power iac-
tate by cleaning out rivers, deepening harbors,"
moving distractions TO navigation and conscious II
seens that he is vsnurng upon position hitherto
pied by Executive and unsanconed by the views the
practice of any his predecessors all Of whom have approx
ed and signed appropriation bills Of this nature from the days
of Gen. Washington down to his time, he uujuly
deavors conond these improvements upon our lakes and
seaboard and the great rivers of the West with system
of internal improvements which originated some twenty years
ago for the construction Of roads and canals in the interior Of
the counry, and many Of which, il must be admitted
purely local in their character But gross msnomer
cofonnd these general improvements for the security Of
navigation along great and magnificent channels of water
communication, where fleets and navies may float in pde if
ia safety, with internal improvements in the and
spirit in which that term has always been received and under
stood among the statesmen Of this country In support his
views he has referred the veto by General jackson Of the
"Maysvle road bill, which nothing less than
bill for the construction OF turnpike road from Maysvie
other point in the interior Of Kentucky, and other
bills, and endeayors extract from them precedent JUS
ty his refusal the bill OF the last session,
although contained cent tor road canal Of any
kind whatever. But he Is very careful to withhold what
General jackson says in his annual message, the
mencenet OF the second of the twenty third Con-
gess, the subject Of appropriations for and har
her improvements and the distinction which he takes in
that message between appropriations for improvements Of this
nature and those which properly understood as inter-
nal Improvements Had the President furnished with
few paragraphs from the concluding portions of that message
tgoud have been perceived that he ususained
by the authority Of General Jackson, who expresses himself
on that subject in the following language
here is another class Of appropriations for what may be
called without impropre internal improvements which have
always been regarded standing upon different grounds from
those which have referred alude such have for
their object the Improvement OF harbors the removal Of
partial and temporary distractions in navgabe rivers Tor
the facility and security of foreign The grounds
upon which distinguished appropriations Of this character
from others have already been stated to Congress.
As natural of the increase and extension of
foreign commerce. ports of entry have been multiplied and
established only upon seaboard in the interior Of
the country, upon lakes and navgabe rivers. The
yenence and safety OF this have led the gradual
extension these expenditures to the erection lighthouses
the placing antng and sinking OF buoys beacons and piers
and the removal partial and temporary distractions our
naygabe rivers and in the harbors upon great lakes
well the seaboard Although have EXPRESSED Con
gess apprehension that these expenditures have sometimes
been and disroporonate to the advantages to be
derived from them, have not felt to be duty 10 ree
assent to bills containing hen and have conented
to follow in this respect the footsteps all
Such sir, the opinions and the constitutional views of
General Jackson the subject of river and habor improve
mens during whose administration aggregate sum ofneary
ten millions of dollars appropriated from the Treasury
for these purposes Well might he express his apprehenspn
he does in the extract which have Just read that these
appropriations had become exuavagan for durng the eight
years he in office they than doubled believe, the
whole amount appropriated during all the administrations of
all his predecessors put together and yet exaagan they
were, clearly constitutional did be consider them that be
10 refuse assent 10 the
containing them but content he informs to follow
the footsteps of all his predecessors, and give his sanction
to them In passage which have omitted in this extract
he refers 10 the act pessed at the first session OF the first Con-
gress $780, which have heretofore ected and dates this
the of these appropriations by the General
Government and which had in turn, he says received the
sanction of all those who had preceded him in Office And
yet sir il is remarkable fact that the present incumbent in
that high office has far sed this statement Of General
Jscksons and the uniform tenor Of the legislation Of Con-
gress the subject, deliberately assert in his and
harbor message which now lies upon.your table, that
The power of approprstng money from the Treasury for
such improvements not claimed exercised for than
thirty after the organization Of the Government 1882
when latudnous construction indicated, though
it was not broadly asserted and exercised until 1926"
And in another place. in the communication, be further
observes support of his avore theory of tonnage duties
the only constitutional mode of providing tie funds
saIy to make these improvements, as follows
'The power improve their rivers and harbors
ciesry reserved to the States who to b. aided by ton
mage duties levied and collected themselves with the
OF Congress For thirty years The adds improvements
were carried on under that system"
And again. he remarks in another place. after recing the
title of passed the Goth of May 1926, for
ing certain harbors and rivers
This act passed thirty years after the organization
OF the present Government contained the first appropriation
ever made Tor the improvement OF naygsbe river uness
be small appropriations for examinations and 1890
During the residue VI that many other spro
prsons OF similar character made, embracing roads,
rivers, hsrbors and canals and objects claiming the aid Con-
gress multiplied without number This the first breach
effected in the barrier which the universal opinion tue fra
Of the constitution had for than thirty thrown
in the way OF the assumption OF this power by Congress-
Well, now sir, in imitation Of the example which the Pro
sident has in this Recommendation be has furnished Us
with table Of all the acts which have from time time been
passed Ivy Congress- giving is assent Of the Lega
lures Of the States imposing tonnage duties TO show that for
thirty aud after the organization Of the Govern
ment this was the only mode in which money raised for
such improvements have taken the trouble prepare but
shall not detan the committee with reading Il, list Of all
the appropriations which have been made from the Teasu
Tor such purposes, from the foundation Of the Govern
men the period which the President enormously dates
as the Of the Of this unconstitutional mode
OF making these improvements; and that list, which now
hold in my hand warrants in saying that from 1872 up
TO 1924 inclusive with the exception Of the period when in
consequence OF tue expenses Of the intervening with
Great Britain, the policy temporarily suspended
congress elapsed without appropriations Of this
character. have said that shall not read this list length
but will state few Of its items Ia 1907 an appropriation
OF thirty thousand dollars made be expended by the
Secretary Of the Treasury, under The direction Of the Pe
dent N repairing and erecting public piers in the ver Della
ware, which have always understood TO be nay gale
rlyer In 1916 among various other appropriations Of
similar nature, the Of fifty thousand dollars appropr
aed Tor ga survey Of the coast Of the United States In
lS%2 among other things appropriation made Tor
The erection OF seawa al the Isle Of Shoals the
OF New Hampshire to be paid Of any money in the 1rea
sury not otherwise Appropriated In 1923 appropriation
was made to be expended under the direction Of the Pres
dent IN removing certain distractions" between the harbor
OIL Gloucester and the hafbor Of Squam in the State Of Mas
sachuscs aud ~ 1874 appropriations made for "deep
enng the channel leading the harbor Pressure lsle
Z Off Iala I.Yaa L--.l