Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-03-17
HARBoR AND RIVER APPROPRIATIONS

e
III The Committee on Commerce in the House
of Representatives, through their Chairman, Mir
Hunt have reported three bills nppropriating mo,
neys for Harbor and River improvements. These
bills are entitled as follows;
" bill making appropriations fas the prcscrya
ton and repairs of the public works upon certain
harbors and rivers, and for the survey OF certain
hafbors.'
This bill is general ia its character including APP
preparations for all the lake harbcrs except Buffalo
and Southport, Racine and Sheboygan which are
provided for in separate bills One item provides
For improving the harbor at Milwaukee on Lake
Michigan, six thousand dollars"
bill making an appropriation to improve the
navigation OF the Mississippi river
This bill makes an Appropriation of $4,000 for
sjppi.
A bill for the improvement OF certain harbors in
the Territory of Wisconsin"
This bill appropriates for the improvement of
harbors at Southport, Racine, and >heboygan, each,
$4,000.
nc VbtCl Vi ~ SCidtNC b4IS - " tbilI-
pei those who disposed to favor the policy of the
administration into definite positions upon the sub
cct of harbor and river improvements for the States
and Territories
The appropriations are generally quite smaII--a
mere pittancc--but small as they are the deb: and
expenses OF the Government, resulting from the
war, being SO great it is thought that none of the
bills if passed by Congress viii escape the veto Of
the President: and if vetoed, there is but Slight
probability that they can be passed by the Cons-
tatonal majority. We are not without hope, how
ever whatever may be the fate Of the general bill
that the territorial BILL if passed will escape a veto
and become a law, Such thing has happened and
may again happen Our Delegate IS interchangeable
in his efforts: but is by no means sanguine as TO
results. We are grati:ed that he has been able to
get from the committee separate bill for the ter
ritory, as we consider this our only hope under the
circumstances, at least for the present
u Mr.. WAKELt, Of Walw ortiz county, was the
author of Bill before the late legislature, not cX
actly for the suppression of small bills, but proyi
be void-that man receiving a small bill in pay
mcnt of a debt, might afterwards rcpudiate the pay
meRt and she for the repayment of the demand
with other provisions Of like character. We have
not noticed the proceedings of the Legislature very
closely but we believe that, after considerable de
bate, it was laid on the table by vote of Il to 10.
This was tire right way 10 dispose Of il, and we are
surprised only that it received the support it did in
the House Ii the suppression Of small bills were
ever so proper desirable this bill OF Mr. WakeIy,
It strikes US, was highly Objectionable The idea
that man mug receive, in apparent good faith,
payment of his account and then take advantage by
ia,r of the confidence of his debtor ia making pay
mcnt to and recover again is outrageous. True,
but few il any, cases Of this character might arise
under it but il cannot be doubled that the bill would
not only have justified bat have encouraged such
proceedings, and it should have been rejected with
less consideration than it rccci,cl
But in addition to this, we have no doubt vhatc-
that the bill if passed would have been entirely
Intellectual for the end proposed. The idea Of cor
rcctng evils of the character pointed at by the bill
in that way, we think preposterouS. 1t is not the
way to DO it. There is only one way, in eur opin-
ion, in which il can be done Public sentiment will
control tire matter; and to enact that people shall
not take small bills, when people will take small
bills will amount to nothing. Our idea of the re-
mcly is in entire ncn,intsrierenco, giving no man,
or association a fictitious credit or standing, by
means Of legsIation but leaving the whole matter
open to public regulation and control. We see
clearly that under such state of affairs small bills
would be driven entirely from circulation, and the
lesser channels filled with gold and silver, while
paper of undoubted character would furnish the me
dunn of exchange. Paper, in our view, is not ne
cessary in the home business of any country. Itls
IN opposition to the laws olheallhy trade tlat which
has not Il real and stable value in itself should
constitute a currency, and be made medium of
trade; that what has been created without labor and
has but Il nominal value should be recci,cl in eN-
change for what has been created by labor and has
a real value This Is apparent. Therefore. in
natural and healthy condition Of trade such state
of things could not exist. II oHes ITS existence to
legislation. Legislation, has ncrlc-cl with the
laws Of trade and warped them from Their healthy
operation. This paper currency is one Of the rick
city offspring Of this perverted parentagc. We ask
then only that trade and business be let alone, be
uninter.ered with being confident that it must set
tie upon 4 natural and healthy basis, which will
prevent that which has really no value from being
exchanged for that which has. In this event, the
bank currency of the presen; day must die, and the
paper necessary in large transactions for exchanges
will be paper drawn upon actual existing values.
DTREoT TAxArIox.-The Charleston Ner does
not thank the Union for shielding the slave proper
" of the South from direct taxation and is not con
WINGED that majority OF the South would not pre-
Ter constitutional system OF direc; taxation TO the
present method
= We noticed in the proceedings Of
Congress Goth ut, the presentation of the
following petition -
BY Mr.. TwEEDY: The petition of O. F.
Dana and 40 others, citizens of Southport,
Wisconsin, praying for an additional APP
preparation for the completion of the har-
Dor At that place.
~ We noticed in markc; 4 few DAYS