Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-12-12

: To two cents whenever the revenues of the
! Department, after the reduction, shall exceed
its expenditures by more than five per cent,
| for two consecutive years tina; the postage
upon California and other letters sent by our
ocean steamers shall be much reduced, and
/ that the rates OF postage on newspapers, PAM
phIets, periodicals, and other printed matter
shall be modified, and some reduction thereon
made.
1t cannot be doubted that the proposed re-
ductons will, for the present, diminish the
revenues Of the department. 1t is believed
that the deficiency, after the surplus already
accumulated shall be exhausted may be al
most wholly met, either by abolishng the ex-
listing privileges ofsending free matter through
the mails, or by paying cut Of the Treasury
to the Post Office Department sum equiva-
lent to the postage of which it is deprived by
such privileges. The last is supposed to be
the preferable mode, and will, if not entirely,
so nearly supply that deficiency as to make
any other APPROPRIATION that may be found nec-
essary so inconsderable as TO form no obsta>
Gle TO the proposed reductions.
| entertain no coubt Of the authority of
Congress to make appropriations for leading
objects in that class Of public works compri,
sing what are usually called works OF inter-
nal Improvement This authority suppose
10 be derived chiefly from the power Of regu-
lating commerce with foreign nations, and a
mong the States, and the power of laying and
collecting imposts Where commerce is to
be carried on, and imposts collected, there
must be ports and harbors, as well as wharves
and custom houses. If ships, laden with val
liable cargoes, approach the shore, or sail
along the coast, lighthouses are necessary
at suitable points for the protection Of lives
and property. Other facilities and securities
for commerce and navigation are hardly less
important; and those clauses of the constitL-
ton. therefore, TO which have referred, have
received from the origin of the Government
liberal and beneficial construction.
Not only have lighthouses, buoys, and bea-
cons been established, and floating lights
maintained, but harbors have been cleared |
and improved, piers constructed, and even
breakwaters for the safety of shipping, and
sea walls 10 protect harbors from being filled
up, and rendered useless, by the action ofthe
ocean nave been erected at very great ex,
pense. And this const ruction of the const
tuition appears the more reasonable from the
consideration, that if these works, of such ev-
ldent Importance and utility, are not 10 be ac-
complshed by Congress, they cannot be ac-
complished at all. BY the adoption Of the
Constitution the several States voluntarily
parted with the power of collecting duties of
lmpost in their own ports; and it is not to be |
expected that they should raise money, by in. |
ternal taxation, direct or indirect, for the ben.
fit Of that commerce, the revenues derived |
from which do not either in whole or in part,
go into their own treasures
Nor do | perceive any difference between |
the power Of Congress to make appropriations
for objects Of this kind on the ocean and the |
power TO make appropriations for similar OBJ
Jects on lakes and rivers, wherever they are
large enough to bear on their waters an ex>
tensve traffic. The magnificent Mississippi
and It's tributaries, and the vast lakes Of the |
north and northwest, seems TO fall within The
exercise ofthe power, as Justly and as clearly
as the Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. 1t is
a mistake to regard expenditures iudiciousy
made for these objects as expenditures for To-
cal purposes. The position or site OF the
work, is necessarily local; but its utility is
general. A ship canal around the falls offs !
Mary of less than a mile in length, though To-
cal in its construction, would yet be national
in its purpose and its benefts, as it would re-
move the only obstruction TO navigation Of
more than thousand miles, effecting several
States, as well as our commercial relations
with Canada.
So, too, the Breakwater at the mouth Of
the Delaware is erected, not for the exclusive
benefit of the States bordering on the bay and
river Of that name, but for that Of the whole
coastwise navigation ofthe United States, land,
to considerable extent also, Of foreign com.
merce. If ship be lost on the bar at the en-.
trance of a southern port for want of suffi-
cient depth Of water, ii is very likely to be
Northern ship; and if steamboat be sunk
in any part of the Mississippi, on account of
It's channe' not having been properly cleared
OF obstruction it may be boat belonging to
either of eight or ten States. may add, as
somewha at remarkable, that among all thirty
one States, there is none that is not to great
er or less extent bounded on the ocean, or the |
Gull OF Mexico, or ene Of the great lakes, or
some navigable river.
In fulfilling our constitutional duties, fellow.
citizens, on this subject, as in carrying into
effect all other powers conferred by the Con-
stitution, we should consider ourselves as de. |
llberatlng and acting for one and the same
country, and bear constantly in mind, that
our regard and our duty are due, not to par>
tlcular part only, but to the whole.
L therefore recommend that appropriations
be made for completing such works as have
been already begun, and for commencing
such others as may seem 10 the wisdom of /
Congress to be Of public and general impor.
tance