The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-12-07

that the prepaid rates shall be- reduced !" Nv"
cents whenever the revenues 81 the i.Pa't
ment. aner the reduction, shall eNceta >"
Lpendiiurea by more than hVe per 'o", 80, Wv
1.-Two consecutive years; that the postage uP""
/ California aud 0thor letters by oar "'N'
steamers shall H. much reduced and lhal ln'
rates 81 postage On newspapers painphoHd
riO;raIs aud other printed matter shall !"
mOli6ed, aud some reduction thereon mah''
IA cnnn0t be- doubted that the proposed TO-
ducti0ns will, for the present diminish W,
revenues ~ ihe. Department IL ~ brh'F,N
that the deficiency, after the surplus ali''N}
accumulated shall be- eNhausi"1 may l' a.
most wholly met, either by abplshing The OK
! istiug pn,ileH,s of sending free matter
, through the mails, az by paying out ~ tue
/ Treasury 90 tho Post ONice Department q
.um equivalent a. the postage Of when " N
deprived by such privilege Tho last n sul,
I pu,rd 10 hn the preferable inllrr aud % VIII
/ Ii not entirely, ~ nearly supply that leheien-
cy ~ a. make any further appropriation lhht
may be- found necessary so Uncomfortable h'
20 form no obstacle b. de iT9posed r'dne-
tons
entertain no doubt uf the authority Of
/ Cmurrss Go mnlr appropriations for leading
objects m that class u public works cumprl-
siug what are usually called works " inlet-
nal impruynrut This authority ] auPlmsr
I tolH. deryed oHeil, ftudn ihr power 81 rrpulh-
/ ling commerce with foreign nations ana ~
monp the States, and the power at laying p
collecting imports Whore Commerce Is 90
Ia carried GA. and iu,3alii4 COLLECTED, there
must be- ports aud harbprai ~ wen hs Nlmrtrn
and CHt1mtodfeh II hhp.ladeu WITH 'hli-
able eargops, appr0arh the shore, nr vail ~
! longthe coast fpht-huuscs are necessary AZ
suitable points, Tor the protection 81 Zee aud
property Othor iacilitirr and securities for
commerce. aud nav igaiion are hardly lcsH ina
portaut. and thu-c clhuHpr of thc Constitution
therefore, tu which have referred; have re-
rriyed from the origin at The Government o
TIbrra aud bcu- T7iIT g0T rrTrrTrTrr-
have light-housrs, hu0ys and bcArons been
L-I4lL-
bot hafbor7 have been cleared and improved
piers constructed, and even break watcrr Tor
the safety Of shipping, aud fra wall. "a pro-
tcrt harorr from being filled up, aud rrndcr-
ed useless hy the action of the ocean, have
been erected at very great cXpcngc, And
this construction ofthc constitution appears
the more reasonable from the consideration,
that IL these work Of such evident Importance
and utilib, are not tu'hG accomplished 10y
/ Congress, they cannot be- accomplished at all,
By the adoption Of the Constitution the sew
cral States voluntarily parted with the power
of collecting duties Of impo-i ~ their own
should raise money, by internal tHAatiopi Ill
rect or Indirect, Tor the bcncit ofthat com
'mcrcc the revenues derived from which do
not, either ia whole or Ia part, 20 into their
own treasures. Nor do prrrciNe any differ
cncc between the power of Congress 90 MAKE
appropriatinns for objects of this kind on the
ocean aud the power Ia make appropriations
for similar objects on lakes and rivers whcr~
ever they are large enough 10 bear on their
waters an eNtcu,i We traffic. The magnificent
Mississippi and it, tributaries, and the vast
lakes of the north and the north west, appear
10 me 20 flll within the exercise Ofthe power,
as Justly Aa,l as clearly as the Ocean and the
! Gulf OF Mexico. Ii ~ a u4istako Ia regard
expenditures iudiciousy made for these OBJ
ccts as expenditures for local purposes The
position or site Of the work, Is necessarily lo-
! r,ii, hut its utiiity W general. A ship canal
around the falls Of ST. Mary, of less than a
mile in length, thouph local IN 10 construction
would yet b. national IN It's purpose 4 its ben
Gifts, - IL would remove The only obstruction
! 60 a nayi CATION oCmorr than IL hnuzald IIaI!aS,
I affecting several States ~ well a. our COM
,her,ial relations with Canada, 50, TOO, the
/ Break water AZ the mouth of tho Delaware Is
/ erected not for the exclusive benefit of the
| States hording on the bay aud river of that
name, but for that ofthc whole co1stwise nav
/ ipation of the United States, and to a consul
cradle extent also, of foreign commerce. II
a ship be lost on th e bar at the entrance of
southern port for want, Of sufficient depth Of
.L-l4 -i4-4l-A nurilrru smpi
| and il n steamboat Toe sunk IN any part OF the
/ Mississippi on account of its channel not hay-
ing been properly cleared OF distractions, It
may Ice boat belonging 20 either OF eight or
ten States. ! may add, somewhat remarkable,
tina, among all ,hc thirty-onc States there is
none that j. not, toa greater or less extent
bounded on the ocean, ar the Gulf McNiuN,
or one ofthc great lakes, or some uayigablc
river
In fulfilling our constitutional duties. FL.
= I0w-ciIiICns, on tins subject, a, in carrying
into effect all other powers conferred hy the
Constitutions we should consider ourselves ~
idclihurating aud acting for one and the same
country, and bear constantly in mind, that
our regard and our duty are durnot to a par
ticular part only, bat 10 the whole.
therefore recommend that appropriations
be made Tor CONFLICTING such works ay have
been already begun, and tor commencing
such oliors ~ may seem to the wisdom of
Caaetv--- 60 br utpuhiig and ggucral imPor-
lance.
rhr dinicultic, and delays. incident to the
settlement, of private claims 10y Congress, a.
mount in many eases To a denial ofiusticc
There IL reason to apprchcud that many un-
fortunate creditors of the Government have
thereby been unavoidahly ruined Congress.
has sp much business of a pablo character,
that il is impossible il should give much at
tcutuli 10 moro private Claims. and lhciI-an-
cumulatiou is now SO great that many claim
ants must despair ofcver being able To obtain /.
a hearing. 1t may wcll be- doubted whether
Congress, from the nature of It's organization, /
is properly constituted to decide upon such I
cases Ii is impossible that each member ,
should examine the merits Of every claim on .
which he is compelled TO vote; and it is pre-
postorou- to ask judge TO decide ease
which he has never heard. Such decisions
may, and frequently must, no injustice either
to the claimant or the Government and .
perceive no better remedy for this growing G.
vii than the establishment OF some tribunal TO
adiudicate upon such claims, beg'leavc,
therefore, most respectfully, TO recommend
that -f'tv-ei-iotr i,t ru1rtr by INV FIR the APP
pointmcnt ola commission to settle all private
claims against the United States; and, as an
cx nortp hearing must in all contested cases