The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-17

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commented with severity upon the attempt Of the
friends Of the measure 10 pass u through II this
late period of the session, when the appropriation
bills yet To be acted on, and when the sub
ject had passed from the minds Of it's opponents.
There was not time for fair and full discussion.
Why this snap Judgment Why are we to have
but two days discussion, while weeks were spent
upon the Comparatively unimportant subject Of
cheap postage. II he was a friend Of the system
Of internal impro if he had no objections
ON the score of unconstitutionality, he should on
grounds OF expediency oppose the bill at the pre-
sent time. MIR. +. then proceeded to arraign the
consistency Of those Democrats who professed to
approve Of the veto me sages Of Jackson and
Polk, upon the grounds Of the Indebtedness Of the
general government. He thought the present in
debtedness OF nearly one hundred millions Of
dollars, together with the proposed expenditure
for the next year of fifty millions, presented as
strong case as existed at those periods. MIR. +.
appealed TO the Democrats who supported the
bill, and asked if they had not respect for the
reasoning of Jackson and Polk. The embarrass-
ments Of the treasury ia their time were not as
great as now Pass this bill and the credit Of the
government will be impaired with foreign nations.
Mr.. r. proceeded to consider the constitutional
question. The friends Of the measure admit that
there is no express provision in the Const-
tuition authorizing the government to embark upon
a system or internal improvements; but they
found the right upon implied powers, one referring
It to one thing. second to another. and so on.
MIR. F. maintained that strict construction of
the Constitution, combining the action of the gov
ernment to express powers, had been the Demo-
cratic doctrine from the days Of Jefferson. Those
who failed in the convention that framed the Con
StitutlOn to obtain certain powers, had since
sought to accomplish their objects by latitude
nous construction This broad and latludnuus
construction would change the character Of our
LII
plaints against the Union. BY it tariff was i'm
posed, which came near dissolying the UNION in
| 1882. BY it bank bills and internal improvement
bills had been passed. Other acts, interfering
with the institution of slavery had produced wide
spread discomfort A strict construction of the
| Constitution will remove all causes Of complaint
| that have sprung up within the last fifty wears.
Gentlemen attempt to show that all the earlier
statesmen but John Adams, were committed to
| the system Now the first act OF river improve
ments was passed in 1926. Within ten years
| from that time, upwards Of two hundred millions
of dollars were asked for internal improvements
To prevent the disasters which would inevitably
arise from embarking upon this system, Mr.. F.
recommended the States to return to the policy OF
Tonnage duties proposed by Mr.. Polk. He then
went on to remark upon the inequality Of appro-
| priating for the few rivers named in the bill, and
not for rivers in his own State, which were as
broad and deep the first. and passed through
regions as fertile and populous. He would not
vote for appropriations for rivers within his own
State. The system was not only unconstitutional,
| but was unequal, and should be scorned by the
| representatives of free people, Carry out the
system and will create demand for increased du
ties on imports. When he reflected That the South
now contributes two-thirds of the reveDus, he
could not sit silent and see measures pass appro-
priating that for the benefit OF other Sec
tons, without entering his solemn protest. Mr..
+. closed by adverting to the doctrines of Mr.
Folks veto message showing the unequal opera
ton of the system, and stated cases which illus
rated the point referred to.
| Mr.. CLlNGMAN said that this bill would take
| a large sum from the treasury We have had
propositions to change the existing revenue laws;
and he had no doubt that if the bill before the COM
mittee, and one or two others OF similar charac-
ter, were passed, a change of the tariff might be
necessary. Il would be remembered that at the
lsst session, one of his colleagues and himself had
been censured for their votes upon the PROPOSE
| ton Of the gentleman from Ohio, which contem
| plated an increase Of duties in many respects o
one hundred per cent For his vote he had been
assailed for msrepresenting the people Of North
Carolinu; but since that time, the legislature Of
that State had sustained the position taken by his
colleague and himself. Mr.. G.. then proceeded to
examine the tariff question. He resisted the idea
! of incrsasipg the rates of duty, and maintained
that the resources Of the South would soon enable
that section Of the country to produce the
species of manufactures at less rates than the
North. He then adverted to the compromise
measures of the last session. The friends Of those
measures desired that there should be no farther
agitation, and he had no disposition to disturb
| them. By existing laws, Shareholders ex-
cluded from the territories, and he would say
what Northern msp Of both parties maintained
| that Stockholders are excluded, The South has
| just ground Of plant concerning the Fugitive
| slave law for some of the No thern States had
enacted laws TO obstruGt its execution. There
was nothing in those compromise measures
which should induce him TO put burdens on his
constituents for The benefit Of Northern manutac-
lures, which, after forty years existence, should
| be able TO airport themselves. Mr.. c.. had never
supposed that the existence Of the institution OF
\ slavery at the South could be destroyed. Itwas
| the proposition to hem them about with free
| States which had met with his opposition One
wholesome thing had grown on, Of the agitation
Of the compromise measures The people Of the
South were wont to look upon the government
with reverence. Now they look upon it as the
work Of their own hands. They now maintain
that It's functions shall be executed in the spirit
in which il was formed. Let the Southern psople
be elfreliant and feelthat Providence has blessed
them with the means Of self-support. Above all
let them remember that eternal vigilance is the
pr,,.e of liberty. The Southern people having
sustained q shock, are determined to keep the go
vernment on the proper track, and to look to their
rights. The system OF limited powers, rs the
only one by which the government. can be success
fully administered. As for parties, they have
dwindled into factions. Principles rather than
men was his doctrine. Mr., C.. expressed himself
willing to investigate the tariff question, but would
not act blipdfod. As TO the bill before the COM
mittee, his objection was not much the
ground of its alleged upconstitutionality as 10 the
abuses to which the system of internal improve
ment is liable
Mr.. TOOMBS obtained the floor and spoke
during his hour in opposition to the bill. There
seemed to be disposition to take new start
upon this ard two other important qucs-
tons. He hoped the day bad passed for the
actment of resolutions, susceptible Of different
constructions in different parts Of the Union. Mr.
t. characterized the astipn Of General Jackson
Inconsistent, but approved of one objection urged
by him, which was that system Of internal i'm
provemeni could not be devised. He then pro-
ceeded to comment upon the statements ofgente-
men, who claimed that most of the Presidents
had approved the sy,t TEN. MIR. Jefferson, Mr.
Madison, MIR. Monroe, General Jackson, and Mr.
Polk opposed to it, and II instances could be
found where they bad in their public acts approx
ed bills of that sort, the principles laid down by