Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-04-22

tiOu VI ONeiy icoiuout uuliu6 tudI lODS pcilou
except President Harrison, who is we'll known to
have been friendly TO the system, but whose death
occurred within a month after his Inauguration.
By referring 10 this document it appears that
the whole amount expended on all these objects
during that period, not including expenses Of
surveys, was $17,l99,223. Oflhis amount there
was expended
Under Mr.. Jefferson, $4S,400
Mr.. Madison, 25O,90o
Mr.. Monroe, FOG 62l
Mr.. j. Q. Adams, 2,31O,475
Gen. Jackson, l05S2, 1892
Mr.. Van Buren,, 1929. 544
Mr.. Tyler, 1,076, 800
| As this period extends through about 40 years
| it will make the average expenditure on these &C.
counts rather less than $43O 900 the year.
The range OF these expendures-that is, the
kind Of improvement authorzed-can be ascer
tanned by referring 10 the document, as all are
named in il.
The cession OF Louisiana was not obtained I'm.
til 1S03 nor was the u:s OF steam introduced into
our waters until after that time. The war Of 1912
gave 10 US knowledge which we did not before
possess OF the value and importance OF the Lakes.
Florida was coded in 1919. 1t was OF necessity,
therefore, after these events, that the General Gov>
eminent had the information required and felt
the necessity Of improving its Western rivers and
| Lake harbors, as we'll as the harbors Oh its more
extended line OF sea cost Ii would have been
worse than useless 10 attempt it before, and sin.
gularly unmindful Of the great and increasing in.
terests OF the country to have neglected it after.
We accordingly find, after the events stated, and
as the Lake and Western river country became
known and inhabited, that the system Of harbor
and river improvements expanded itself. In a
word, as the country expanded as its western re
gions became Inhabited, as its great rivers and
Lakes and its Atlantic harbors become better
known, as its internal and external commerce in.
creased, means OF rendering navigation "easy and
safe''-a principle adopted by the first law, on
these subjects Of the first Congress Of the United
S:ates-had to be commensurately extended.
If any one will examine carefully the legisla.
ton or these subjects he will find it 10 have fol.
lowed the development Of our wants and resour.
ces, and to have kept behind them rather than to
have been equal to their necessities. The vast
and rapid growth Of the country has not received
the aid it required but the aid that has been gran
ted by stinted hand has been more the result Of
what that growth made necessary than Of fostering
aid to that growth. And it is now to be seen
whether the wants Of about ten millions Of people
and Of an annual trade Of about three hundred
millions Of dollars, can be neglected with impu.
nifty by any party or any Executive,
The Senate document to which we have refer
red gives synopsis OF the legislation by Congress
on these subjects from 1906 10 1S45. Curiosity
and some leisure have induced US TO look into the
legislation OF previous period, the result OF
which we shall endeavor to lay briefly before our
readers.
The first session Of the first Congress was held
in 1889. We had then no interior commerce OF
any account, nor much foreign commerce, all our
commercial facilities being confined 10 few i'm
perfectly known harbors Of the Atlantic. These
required light houses, buoys, PIERS &C.; objects
which, under the confederation and before the
present constitutional government was adopted,
were in many cases under the care OF the several
States respectively. But the constitution, under
the grant Of power to regulate commerce, made
these objects of the care Of the National Govern.
ment. Accordingly, we find all expenses in
reference to them assumed by the National Cows
eminent in this very first Congress under the con.
stitution. The law is dated August 7, 1889. 1t
is in the following words:
THAT all expenses which shall accrue from
and after The 18th August, 1889, in the necessa>
ry support maintenance and repairs Of all light
houses, beacons, buoys and public piers, placed
or sunk before the passage Of this act at the en-
trance or within any bay, inlet, harbor or port OF
the United States, for rendering the navigation
thereof easy and safe, shall be betrayed out OF the
Treasury Of the United States" II will not, we
presume, be doubted that the members OF this
Congress, consisting chiefly OF those who formed
the constitution, understood the full intent, and
meaning OF it; and we have from this Congress,
the first after the adoption OF the constitution,
declaratory act adopting objects Of the care and
expense OF the General Government all the ar.i.
hcial facilities 10 our commerce then known to
US, and then in use with US, in any inlet, bay or
harbor, on the broad principle Of their having
been erected for purposes Of rendering the nav.
gation thereof easy and safs." We have, there
lore, from the very trainers Of the constitution
The principle laid down for Government action in
such cases, namely, that these works shall be for
the purpose OF rendering navigation easy and safe.
The kinds Of works enumerated were the kinds
known TO that time, and were the only kinds that
our infant commerce then required. But the prin.
ciple under which those kinds OF works was class
ed, was adapted to commerce as il should expand
ITSELF and is another proof of that prophetic Wis
ion OF the sagacous men of that day.
This Congress. however, required the cession
OF the jurisdiction OF the sites OF the improves
ments named; but this was found by experience
10 be an inapplcable and cumbersome condition.
We accordingly find, at the very next session,
appropriations for these works made, although
jurisdiction shall not have been ceded to the U.
States, and the same repeated in subsequent SEES.
sions, until, in 1895. the condition that urisdic.
ton should be coded 10 the United States is viz.
tually abandoned; joint jurisdiction of the two
authorities. Stale and United States being con
sidered such a cession Of Jurisdiction as the de-