The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-29

10
The experience of several Of the States as well as tha
Of the United States during period that Congress exer
csed Inc power OF appropriatng the public money for
terna improvements is full of eloquent warnings seem
Impossible, IN the nature of the subject connected will
local representation that the several objects presented f
improvement shall be weighed according their respective
merits and appropriations confined those import
ance would justify tax the whole community to eec
their accomplishment.
"n Of the States, systems of internal Improvement
have been projected consisting of roads and Canals
OF which, taken separately, of sufficient public
portance to Justify tax the entire population of the Sta
TO effect their construction and yet, by combination
local interests operating majority fthe legislature th
whole have been authorlzed and the States plunged int
heavy debts. To extent rninous has this system
legislation been carried in portions Of the Union tha
e people have found necessary to their own safety and
prosperity TO forbid their legislatures by constitutional
srcons 10 contract pubic debts for such purposes with
out their immediate consent .# #n .a.-#' -#
" III the ab.se of power has been fatal the States
where the systems Of taxation direct and the represent
atVes responsible at short periods small
nents how much greater danger Of abuse to be appre
hended IN the general government, whose revenues
raised by indirect taxation, and whose funconaries
responsible to the people IN larger masses and for longer
/ terms ..0. ..s.. I... ..
those embraced in this bill how inexhaustbe shall find
them Let the imagination along coast from the
river ST. Crox to the Rio Gande and trace every river
empying into the Atlantic and Gull of Mexico source
let coast along lakes, and ascend oil their rbuta
ries let it pass 10 Oregon, and explore all bays ne,s
and streams; and then let raise the curtain the future
and contemplate the extent of this republic and the objects
OF Improvement 1t will embrace advances high
destiny, and the mind will be startled the immensely
and danger OF the power which the principle of this bill in
wolves. ...a.
"Already confederacy consists twenty States
Other States may at no distant period be expected to be
formed on the west of present settlements. We
extensive country Oregon stretching many hundreds
OF miles from east 10 wes and degrees of latitude
from south to north By the admission of Texas into the
UnoD we have recently added many hundreds of miles
In all this country, bordering on the
Atlantic and Pacific there many thousands of bays
nlets and rivers, equally entitled appropriations for
their Improvement with the objects embraced in this bill.
We have seen in States that the interests Of nd
viduas neghborhoods combining against the general
interest, have involved their governments in debts and
bankruptcy and when the system prevailed in the general
government and checked by President Jackson, had
begun to be considered the highest merit in member of
Congress to be able to procure appropriations of public
money be expended within his district State, what
might be the object We should be blind the expe
rcnce of the past if did not abundant evidences
that if this system of expenditure be INDUCED in
combinations Of individual and local interests will be found
strong enough control legislation absorb the of
the country and plunge the government into hopeless In
debtedness.
"What is denomnaed a harbor by this sytem does not
necessarily mean bay, inlet, of the the
ocean lake shores, the margin of which may
exist commercial city or town engaged in foreign do
mesic trade but is made embrace where there is
not only such city town, but commerce of any
kind BY bay sheet of shoal water is called hbor
and appropriations demanded from Congress depen it.
with view to draw commerce to it, enable ndvid-
uas to build town city its margin, upon specu
"What is denominated RIVER which may be improved
in the system, is equally underlined in its meaning Ii may
be the Mississippi may be the smallest and most OBJ
and unimporIant stream, bearing the of river
which is TO be found in any State in the Union.
Such system is subject moreover to be perverted to
the accomplishment OF the worst OF political purposes
During the few years in full operation, and which
Immediately preceded the veto of President Jackson of the
Maysvle road BILL instances Of public
men seeking to gain popular favor by holding out to the
people interested in particular localities the promise of large
disbursements Of public money Numerous reconnoissan
and surveys made during that period for roads
and canals through many parts of the Union and the peo
pie the vicinity of each led believe that their
property would be enhanced value and they themselves
be enriched, by the large expenditures which they
promised by the advocates of the system should be made
fromihe federal treasury in their neghborhood Whole
sections OF the country thus sought TO be influenced
and the stem fast becoming only of prouse
and wastefu expenditure, bat potent political engine
the power improve harbor be admitted, not
easy perceive how the power TO deepen every inlet
the the akos and make harbos where there
none be denied If the power TO clear out deepen
the channel Of rivers their mouths be admitted
not easy perceive how the improve them to their
fountain head and make them navgabe to their sources,
be denied Where shall the OF the power if
be assumed stop Has Congress the power when an
let deep enough to admit schooner, TO deepen still
more so that will admit ships Of heavy burdon and has
the power when inlet will admit boat, make
it deep enough TO admit schooner May 1t improve
rivers deep enough already float ships and steamboats,
and has II no power to improve those which are navgabe
only for aat-boas and bagesi May the general govern
exercise power and jurisdiction the soil Of State
consisting of rocks and sandbar in the beds of its
and may excavate a canal around its waterfalls or
its lands for precisely the objecti
Giving to the subject the serious and candid
sideraon Of which my mind ia capable, cannot perceive
any intermediate grounds. The power improve harbora
and rivers for purposes of navigation, by deepening
clearing out by dams and suices by locking cnnalng
must be admitted without any other Limitation than the
discretion of Congress- It must be denied altogether Vi
be admitted, how broad and how susceptible of enormous
abuses the power thus vested the general
There inlet Of the the lakes-not a river
creek OF within the S,eswhch in not brought
for this purpose within the power and jurisdiction of the
general government.
"Specuation, disguised under the cloak of public good
will call Congress TO deepen shallow nles that may
build up cities on their shores, to make
gabe which Nature has closed by bars and rapids that
may sell profit s lands upon their banks To enrich
neighborhod by spending within the moneys Of the ma
will be the aim and boast of those who prize their local
interests above the good Of the and millions upon
millions will be distracted by tariffs and from the
earnings Of the whole people, foster speculation and sub
the objects of private ambition.
"Such system could not be administered with any APP
proach equality among the several States and sections Of
oexpeudiue, and If the funds were distributed according
the merits Of those Objects would be enriched of
the pense Of their neighbos But greater practical evil
would be found in the and industry by which nppropra
tons would be sought and obtained. The arful and
industrious would be the most successful the interests
Of the country would be lost sight Of annual scramble
for the contents of the treasury and the member Of Com
gress who could procure the largest appropriations to be
expended in his district would claim the rewards Of VIC
tory from his enriched constituents The necessary con
sequence would be sectional dsontents and heartburn
ngs increased taxation and national debt never to be ex
tngulshei. q
In view Of these porentous consequences cannot bat