Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-15
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS


Mr. ROCKWELL of Connecticut, Tuesday last, when
the House of Representatives Committee of the Whole
took occasion nude the late Message OF the President
the United States the subject of Inrena improvements
speech of considerable force, of which nave the follow
ing sketch from our Reporters:
Mr. ROCKWELL, Of Connecticut, next rose, but sa d it
not with the intention TO occupy than fifteen
minutes of the time of the committee He mee say
few words of the topics which had occupied
considerable portion Of the time of the House for the last few
days He was he confessed somewhat amused yesterday
listening the full and elaborate defence Of the measures O.
the Administration by gentlemen who addressed the committee
The state of feeling must be- indeed very agreeable with
which the President and the Secretary Of the Treasury wit
messed the success all their measuresf they
cessul gentlemen described them. He (Mr. had sup
posed however, there had been trouble attendant
their measures and that sustain the burdens which the
country has to bear had given affection to the mind
OF the Secretary Of the Treasury To enable the Government
TO meet these expenses the Secretary Of the Treasury
mended, first, duty tea and coffee and in the second
place, he had taken the position that the only way raise
sufficient reduce the price the public lands
Such were his great schemes Of finance.
He did not design however, this occasion TO go into
these matters, and show their inconsistency He had in
encn TO into examination OF the statements of the Sc
cetay Of the Treasury who seemed have regard for
abstract mode of argument than for practical details and
the preparation Of just estimates of the that were
cessary the demands the Treasury Nor did he
mean to undertake settle the important difficulties of this
war, which afflicted his friends the other side of the
House those which troubled them respecting the i'm
provemen of harbors and rivers and he could only express
the hope that his friend from Tennessee Mr STAsToN) would
receive with due meekness the admoniton which had been
administered by the gentleman from North Carolina, (Mr.
VEsABLE) In such matters it was not for him Mr. r. TO
interfere But there single point in the remarks of
the gentleman from Tennessee in relation the subject of
harbos and rivers, which he had risen say word. He
bad had occasion refer to the Presidents message this
subject and he confess that Of its had
struck him with great surprise The purpo Of one Of these
md
menis had, in fact, originated during the Administration Of
Mr.. Adams, and that II greatly restrained and almost
abolished, during the administration Of Gen. Jackson. In
short that lay at the door Of his (Mr. Rs side Of the
House, and that the remedy be ascbed TO the other
He thought, however, that they were entitled to the
divided honor and hence the bad been made in
ignorance with desire 10 deceive the public mind.
With regard this matter he would refer to few facts TO
show that the President had truly presented them to the
country The President states in bis that the power
to appropriate money Tor internal improvements was never
claimed for thirty years alter the organization OF the Govern
mcnt. Now, it so happened that il claimed and
tanned by able argument by Mr.. Gastn, in 1908, in
report which he at that time made Congress- He would
advert for moment 10 the resolution under which il
made.
The honorable gentleman here read Mr.. Wohingion's
solution Of the I'd March, 1907 which offered and adopt
ed substitute for two Others which contemplated some i'm
provements in the Che apeake bay &c. The substitute
adopted by the Senate almost unanimously the yeas
being taken, for there but three in the negative, and
twenty two in the affirmative. Those in the negative
from the States of New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New
Hampshire
Thus that early period net only was that right claimed
but the Secretary directed TO make full inquiry and
port thereon, and that report he (Mr. r. had before him.
He should not, however undertake read il, Tor embrace
ed twenty pages Of the volume which he held in his hand
going mnney into The details Of the subject He, however,
read extracts specifying different classes Of public works. and
recommending expenditure Of twenty millions Of dollars
which improvements at annual appropriation Of two mil
lions could oil be accomplished in ten years This then a
oded evidence to contradict the express declaration Of the
President which he had recently made TO the country
But that not all In 1918 Mr. Calhoun made re-
port on this subject when he in the Department Of War
From that report the honorable gentleman read various