Washington telegraph., 1851-04-09
rur RIVER % HARBoR BILL.


1,rw.s not the ''noise and confusion" which
..,sd Gen. Cass from doing his whole duty to
country in the matter of River and Harbor
-ovsments, ."o in the Senate, but it was his
a.n,scientous scIuples."
The phrase in which he declared his intention
e:,akino no part in voting or acting after IL
LICK Monday night, is likely to become quite
" honorable as his allusion TO the ''noise and
s,G,siou" at Cleveland.
conlD lp,, MERE LooKER-oN," said Gen. Cass, when
,,r was called after the hour we have men-
I'D n and from that moment he was as mute as
~ oyster His voice was weaker than It was at
,"lovsIaud for it was not heard at all. The Gem
ts up for a better conscience than other
eia and goes in for the law as he understands
pp,thout regard to the understanding of his
W. ,Lar Senators. This matter of the termna-
81 the session was put in its true light in a
w" a, ,enark of Mr.. Jefferson Davis-"We have
sns NOT with the calender Sd OF March, but with
~ =. ,o,cal Sd Of March, and we have right to
'"o .rben !, ends but let us f1 the hour" This is
soy .ccorda nee with the uniform usage Of Con-
% md is 50 clear in itself, that must con-
~. are surprised that Gen. Cass should not
Isva seen it in the same light But he is a
..,ctsr constructionst than even SO straght-lac-d
. nsrsou as Mr.. Jefferson Davis, and exhibits a
ps, ,suder conscience all his political well
~ " aI his religious duties. On SATURDAY night, at
~ n'cIo.k, he gave the go-by to the River and
". .,bor improvements on religious scruPles. On
Md,v nlpht be Withdrew hlinself from the con-
,ss, on the ground Of his political scruples 1t Is
Li,,IttuI 20 v itntss this maiden srnsibllIty IN a
man who has been SO long engaged in the soaring
lies Of plrtizanship. conscience lik" this is
.s beautiful as rose in its morning freshness;
-, we fear that it is something too delicate for
Y,l,uore Cony.niou. Tney want conscience
Of ''sterner stuf'''
a.. & ,ht w.x.d warmest over the River and Har
b,r bill, aud when 1t was doubtful whether the
,rny,le would not occasion the loss OF all the
n,ronriatiou bills 1t was no sort oil consequence
what was going on, the General Was "oniy d
ss.pyern Ills whole course on the bill mas
heeu precisely that which We forrs siadowed on
FRIDAY NJ m,rning last. Ii anybody Can tell whether
be was for or against the bill, whether he desired
lis defeat or passage, OF which side he was playing
or he is better at divlning than We pretend 10 or.
We watched all the proceedings oil the day ana
night on this bill with the deepest interest, and
shall lay them before the ceun"y ia al tIeh
miuutest details
The noble aud decided bearing of Mr.. Clay in
this most important debate Was matter oi universal
admiration He did everything that a gallant
leader could do TO secure the passage ot the bill;
but the rules of the Senate threw too much power
iu,o the hands of the minority, and he Jailed 10
uau for the people of the lakes and the MISSISSIPPI
the tr,fiug boon which he solicited with so much
s.rn.s,u.ss and zeal Aud when the whole mat
Tor WAS oyer aud the bill was lost IN spite OF all
his most strenuous exertions and when, d few
r,pnt.s befure the close OF the session, Mr.. Ham
Il, from The Committee Cf Commerce, caused ID
;ghbouse bill to be passed through all Its stages
nv general consent, no man who heard MT clay $
smphatc appeal can ever forget Il. ~ Wish the
onn,rv IN take notice." said the Senator from
Kentucky, ..ol the facility with which Light
house bill for the Atlantic coast IS passed through
all its stages without obJecti0i-wh!e Dill iof
similar purposes on The westerL waters s opposed
sna de(ea ated by means the most extraordinary.
AS the d.baie on the River and Harbor bull is
destined long 10 exercise an important influence on
policaI atfairs and the greatest disappointment
will preyail at the defeat OF this Oenicent measure
we wish to ren,iad the country that the present
Administration has taken the strongest ground IN
recommending the improvements whlch IL con-
t.mulates ia the attention of Congress. After The
rbodomontate that we have listened TO ior the last
two or three days on the subject OF constitutional
power in this behalf, it will be satisfactory, we
doubt not to all Wing readers to run their eye
over the calm. quiet, and conclusive reasoning OF
President Fillmore, contained IN the following
paragraphs of his annual message. These words
deserve to be printed in letters oil gold:
~ entertain no doubt of the authority of Con-
gress to make appropriations for leading objects IN
that class Of works comprising what are usually
called works of internal improvement. This an
thority suppose to be derived chiefly from the
power Of regulating commerce with foreign nations,
and among the States, and the power oil laying aud
collecting imposts. Where commerce IS to be
carried on, and mposts collected, there must be
ports and hdrbors, well as wharves and CUSTOM
houses. III ships, laden with valuable cargoes,
approach the shore, sail along the coast, light
houses are necessary at suitable points for the pro-
lection of life and property. Other facilities and
securities for commerce and navigation are hardly
less important; and those clauses of the Constitu-
ton, therefore, 10 which have referred, have
ceved from the origin Of Government liberal
sId beneficial construction. Not only have light
houses ibeucons, and buovs been established, and
floating lights maintained, but harbors have been
cleared and improved piers constructed. and even
hreakwaters for the safety of shipping, and sea
walls to protect harbors from being filled up, and
rendered useless by the action of the ocean, have
been erected at very grea. expense. And this
construction of the Constitution appears the more
reasonable from the consideration, that if these
works. of such evident Importance and utility, are
not to be accomplished by Congress, they are not
10 be accomplished at all. By the adoption OF the
Constitution the several States voluntarily parted
with the power Of collecting duties Of inpost in
their own ports, and il is not to be expected that
they should raise money, ty internal taxation, di-
rect or indirect, for the bene fit Of that commerce,
ihe revenues derived from which do not. either in
whole or IN part, &C into their own treasures.
Nor do | perceive any difference between the
power OF Congress TO make appropriations for OBJ
lecis OF this klnd on the ocean, and the power to
make appropriations for similar objects on lakes
and rve's wherever they are large enough to bear
on their waters an extensive traffic. The magnIt-
cent Mississippi aud its tributaries. and the vast
lakes OF The north and north west appear TO me 10
ial within the sx-reise Of the power, as justly and
as clearly as the Gulf of Mexico 1t is M stake
10 regard expenditures judiciously made for these
objects expenditures Tor local purposes The
position. or site tf the work, is necessarily local.
oui his utility is general. A ship canal AROUND tine
Tails oil ST. Mary Of less than mile il length,
though local i'll its cons ructon, would yet be
Z nat