The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-23

Saturday. because ] was unwilling 10 Consume any
Time | repaired TO against The Dill i Il,
less 1t allowed 10 be amended The friends OF the
ball occupied much TINE IN The discussion Sui desire
10 state concisey-for will be charged with unne
cessarly occupying the time OF the Senstea few OF the
reasons why this bill in lis present shape have
my vote II sent here TOO late allow oppor-
tunty il and discriminate in regard 10 those
works which had merit and those which bad not We
ought be pressed this late hour OF the session
enter upon such bill no this Ii The real friends OF in
tcrna mprov emenls limited and national objects desire
that such works should be accomplished they should
not send us at such late hour bill OF the character
now before US There are many appropriations contained
in this bill Tor which | would willingly vote under
stand TO be settled BY the usage and practice Of The gov
eminent that we lawfully make appropriations lof
national objectsfor the improvement OF har5os haoos
OF refugee and other harhors OF national character anu
for the oil those rivers where the work Is o
character OF sufficient importance 10 merit inc
ton OF national. Where such an improVemn" ean ~
made. according 10 my views, II can as we' ~ ~
upon the western waters as upon The Atlantic coast
would as cheeriuliy vote for Improvements utun ne
coast But this bill is not restricted 10 haoua oolees
II is as stands. the revival OF lhat on y se, ~ m
most obnoxious form. which was sfangsu, as was SUP
po.ed several years ago by the veto oil President JACK
soo was not surprised 10 hear The senator lrom keh-
tucky express his admiration ot the blu when ne sug-
yested thai we should take and adhere to II Just as
nan shonId adhere TO his wife. But am surprised to
find that il attempted 10 be pressed upon US unuef CIT
cunsances which forbid those who desire 10 dscfml-
from selecting those works which are na'ohai III
The bill as it stands proposes system OF internal I'M
DIOyements, Now, hear many declare lDdt tney
opposed to general system OF internal improvements
This is general system OF the most oonoxous cnaac
ter Ii proposes Improvements from the Norlh 10 .he
South from the East to the West II embraces esny-
eiph, distinct items of improvement. II embraces I'm
provements for rivers, improvements Tor haioofs, ana
io various purposes sufficiently comprehensive DC
designated as system IL does not leave each Hem 10
stand upon its merits, and II II can command Inc
Judgment OF Congress that il is national IN It's Character
Il is 10 be passed But il combines various measures
and we hear il declared by senators. who say they will
vote Tor it, that comprises many items winch lhey thihR
erroneous Now, is not that system which attempts
to drag along items OF expenditure which are admitted to
be wrong by The strength OF those which proper II
it is not system pray tell what designation II can
receives Upon what principle is this system as pre-
sented in the BILL founded Ii is not system having the
merit OF being founded upon the nationality of the objects
Ii is system founded upon political influences Il is
not well-considered system presented by the admins
traton after the usual surveys but this is system got
up in committee room, where the inquiry is not whether
the work national but how many votes VIII be secured
by the addition OF this item, how many votes VIII De los
BY king out that II is, then, system founded upon
the most Objectionable principle.
The bill comprises items for which there is no estimate
Ii comprises ems Tor which there has been no survey
would like to know II any senator can undertake., even
by conjecture without estimate and survey 10 tell the
magnitude OF appropriations TO which tins bill wan
lead This but the commencement The object OF Tue
survey we'll defined by the distinguished senator
from Michigan [Mr. CAssl the other day, survey
enables the department and Congress 10 Judge whether
aparcuar work is Of sufficient importance TO merit the
expenditure proposed. Now, we may commence the
expenditure OF $4,000 upon work which VIII cost a
million, and vel be of trivia importance. VIII any one
undertake to predict the millions which il will require to
complete the eighty 3ht distinct works which are
named in this bill Can any limit to one, 10 en
to hundred millions Not at all No one can under
take to say for considerable number OF these works
there estimate OF the expenditure which Will be re-
CURED to complete them We cannot predict Inc millions
that will be required 10 carry out these works when we
them, and we know the arg umeni next year
will be stronger than this. because will be said that the
money which have appropriated will be thrown away
unless we 90 on Why then, plunge INTO tins piece OF
extravaganza without any check or limit! why not wall
until we have bill presented where can see the ex-
tent to which called upon TO go why press IL
al this particular time Is there any such pressing ne
ccssi,y that cannot go until another session WIN.
out this bill, when such project may be deliberately
considered and such works receive the support
OF who do desy the power OF Congress 10
make appropriations for national objects be included IN
bill Why is this bill pressed now, al tins late hour,
when it is known and avowci that u contains many
items which il ought not 10 contain, and when we can
not pretend to know the result or how far we may be
called upon TO gol
The bill appfoprates nearly two millions and a half OF
dollars; approprates much larger sum than has been
indicated BY the admin sration itself The Recommended
ton was for about anon and hall, and Congress I'M
derakes to add almost million TO the amount proposed
by the administration From 1877 up 10 the present time,
think the whole expenditure for works OF TINS charac
ter something like eight millions OF dollars, making
for the whole OF about three hundred and
fifty thousand dollars year, and making an average oil
something like half million OF dollars we do not take
into those years during which appropriations
of this character were made.
age when appropriations of this kind made, but TO
appropriate hve or six times the amount We propose
now to appropriate amount much greater than that
which proposed when the treasury was OVERLOOKING.
In 1897, when there Overlooking revenues, the
amount appropriated was only between and two mil
lions; u is proposed TO appropriate between two
and three millions II the friends OF this bill, IL the
friends OF improvements oil tins character would well
consider the subject, it does appear they would
be content TO lay this bill ASIDE and at another session
present bull which bad been well consldered-present
bill which should contain the Objectionable features
which this presents and not step far beyond the appo
prations presented by the administration, and not at
tempt TO crowd II through without an opportunity for
amendment consideration We can well say that the
fault with this body for the bill here late
and what little time there when mght have had
an opportunity toconsder occupied by the discus
SION OF message lately received from the President We
are called upon TO act this bill and the declara
ton Is made 10 those who oppose H. that they be
regarded as facous Tor expressing the grounds Of their
dissent, when II Is well known that the friends of this
bill occupied very fully the time OF The Senate on Satur.
day in undertak TO discuss its merits and press upon
the consideration OF Congress
think II is perfectly obvious that there many who
will have objections, and will feel the necessity OF
pressing their dissent 10 the BILL and that IL cannot
for long time yet to come hope that the friends OF
this measure--a measure so ldigesed, measure for
the discussion OF which time has been Afforded
measure which Is but the commencement OF system
Una, IS TO lead 10 an enormous expenditures measure
whch rs TO commence plugging the country debt, and
laying me foundation OF national debt TO be
paid-wiii pause and press II no longer but that they
VIII aHoro an opportunity Tor the ordinary appropriation
plls necessary TO carry on the government to pass II
they 40 moi, the responsibility fall upon them
MI Tfesident would like to enter the discussion
of this subject but will not do So because will moi Is.
al ~.