The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-16

Io47
1873 1873
1850
In 1887. will be perceived that the appropriation
the gIeaest-beng the time when the surplus revenue
was distributed II am right IN my computations, The
make annual expenditure OF about hall million
of dollars Taking the sum appropriated by this bill.
and apportionng il among the several years when there
has been appropriation, would make the amount
lutte less than the average SUN would have been Tor
MI Nj. iSoRLAND. ! simply wish to ask the senator
from Maine IT, making thai estimate Tor the years that
he has presented he has gone INTO the calculation oil The
proportion which the West has received. That ! think
is very important question in conncxion with the sub
ject at this tmeto ascertain What is the proportion OF
The appropriations made for series OF years upon the
Atlantic COAT. and of the appropriations for the western
States.
Mr.. HAMLIN. can say to the senator from Arkansas
MIR BoRLAND] that have not done It. II would have
been work OF labor than could have found time
10 perform | have taken the aggregate ;and inasmnch
the bill was before me. went into an investigation.
the result OF which have presented 10 the Senate IN
relation 10 tins year only Ihave now only 10 say ha.
other senator shall do So shall move to strike out
OF this bill those appropriations which in my mind are
not natonal-lhose which have not been recommended
by any department-with the hope that il may receive
the favorable action OF the Senate II they do so, the
bill will receive my vote Ii they do not, the Dill Will
not receive my vote.
Mr. CLAY. desire to say, sir. only word There
are three modes OF defeating bill One is by meeting
il boldly, straightforward coming up to the mark and
rejecting it, Another is by amendments 10 improve II, 10
make il better than il was. And whether i is the motive
OF senators not is the result according to the rules
OF Parliament, and the remark applies 10 those who are
proposing amendments speak OF the effect which may
be Just as certain these amendments were adopted
with The intention TO destroy the bill 1t is the same as
To vote NO upon The question OF It's passage The
third mode is by speaking out against time when there
is very little lime left have risen to say TO the friends
OF the bill that it they desire the bill to pass, trust that
they will vote along with against all amendments.
and 10 speedy and rapid decision upon the bill.
You will, under the idea OF amending the bill, get
nothing
Now, Mr. President, think il very likely that there
items in this bill that ought not to be there and
can you expect otherwise in any human work, where
there thirty forty fifty different items TO be passed
you do, you expect what you will never dltanleyer,
sir. shall vote for the good in the bill and shall vote,
for the sake Of that good for anything that happens 10 be
bad in the bill take it as man lakes his wife, " for
better or worse, feeling perfectly sure that We shall be
much more happy with the bill than ~hou, it, Laugh.
teri Sir an honorable senator is getting up aud telling
us, here is appropriation of Two millions three hundre
thousand dollars Why, do you not recollect, sir, that
ls the last four five years there have been appro
pations at all upon the subjects and il there had been,
hey were regular and ordinary appropriations, not TO The
amount Of Two millions three hundred thousand dollars,
made in S07-or sir, il is most remark able fact that
those administrations which have been most hostile 10
the doctrine and power OF internal improvements have
been precisely the administrations in which the most
lavish appropriations have been made Thus we are told
this morning that eight hundred thousand dollars were
appropriated during the administration OF GeReral Jack
and three hundred thousand dollars during the sl
year OF the administration of Mr.. Van Buren, None has
been app opriae within the last three four years and
now in consequence of the deficiency and neglect OF duty
heretofore OF Congress, because the OF two millions
three hundred thousand dollars presented we are to be
startled by conventional errors and difficulties. and driven
from the duty OF propnely Mr. President, these aPpro-
priations, many OF them, relate to that section OF the
country from which | came-,ha great valley OF the
mississippi There we are reasonable people, feeling
before the people Of that vast valley will
and uample down your little, nice, har-spinx dsnc-
tons about what Is national or not-rise up and de-
mand Just attention upon The part OF this government
10 their great interests Mississippi, with all her
bie great conrbutorsthe Red river Wabash. Arkansas
Tennessee, Cumberland, OhIo-consliute part OF one
like to know what is national. We told here of a
little work-geat in its vaue-one for which vote with
infinite pleasure. The breakwater in the lutte State Of
Delaware IS a great national work but work which
has Tor its object the Improvement OF that vast system OF
rivers which constitute the valley of the Mississippi,
which is 10 save millions of human lves-is work moi,
10 be done, because II is not national Why, Mr. PIes
dent, look at the appropriations Here young
sister California advered to the other day, for eighteen
hundred thousand dollars for basin there to improve
vessels. And how much for custom. houses ! -Four or
five hundred thousand dollars in that single State
for two Objects amounting nearly TO the proposed
to be appropriated here, and all around the margin OF the
cost OF the Atlantic, the Mexican gulf the coast OF the
Pacihc-evefywhere we pour out in boundless and un
measured streams, OF the treasury OF the United States
but go TO the great interior OF the vast valley OF the
Mississippi and every cent is contested and denied
Why. ii you talk about commerce. we have all sorts OF
commerce there. foreign and domestic; and | have no
hesitation TO say al this moment that The domestic
merce from the lakes and valley OF the Mississippi great
ly superior IN magnitude and Importance 10 all the foreign
commerce OF the country that leads 10 these
peDdltures Sir call upon the northwestern senators-l
call upon the western senators, and senators from all
quarters OF the county-to recollect that part of
one common country and that cannot endure, from
day TO day, and from month TO month, 10 SEEM
Quence OF the existence OF snags the Mississippi ver
which be removed a, trialng expense-hundreds OF
fellow citizens drowned killed by the collisions and
in consequence OF the destruction OF the boats which
navigating these rivers, for the want OF little APP
pIcatlon OF the means OF a common government | do
say that this people will be driven any great and
important action threatening the wreck OF the nation No.
sir. they will stand by this Union under ell crcum
stances; they will support il they will defend they
will fly anywhere and everywhere TO support and uphold
IL; but they will not endure much longer this partial
limited, exclusive appropriation OF the public oil
the country TO its mere margin, without doing anything for
that vast interior which, in point Of population now
y, il not entirely, including the lakes believe, cons-
tues moiety OF the whole population OF the country
WE'LL sir, have been drawn into these remarks very
reluctantly. ! am delighted TO some OF the demo
cratic friends upon the other side breaking through The
miserable uammes OF party and looking to the great
question OF nationality And as for importance,
1t would contribute more TO the national greatness to
make these improvements upon interior waters than
construct works like the break watern the little State
of Delaware. or any similar Improvement upon the
coast
What makes il harder for us who live near the Mis-.
ssspp rver H. especially from the natoa OF the vast
volume OF water transported down that current II ia i'm
possible TO make any very great or costly improvement
All that be done like tina, annual application OF
means to clearing out fallen down upon the great
higbway-to lake up, by the application annually OF
email amounts of money-to take up the sna&s and OBJ
suuclons that form themselves constantly In the river,