The republic., 1851-03-13

Oe1eat OF tho kk1vcr ana aorpOE BILL
Our mails from all quarters come loaded with
evidences of the disappointment and chagrin
which have been occasioned by the defeat of
the River and Harbor bill. No measure has
been pending before Congress for many years
that has enlisted SO much popular interest in its
behalf. The numerous domestic calamities
which have been caused Of late by the OBJ
structions which Congress sought to remove
by the provisions of this bill, have drawn pub
lie attention to the subject. The extraordinary
circumstances under which the last two
bills of this character were vetoed by Mr..
Polk in the face of immense majorities
in both branches in their favor-the inter-
esting and important proceedings of the Chi
cago convention, fixing the eyes of the West
and Northwest on the policy contemplated by
the bill, and the wise, explicit, and liberal re-
commentators of President FILLMORE in his
annual message-have all contributed to excite
and fasten public attention on the bill recently
before Congress. The deepest interest was mani
tested in all quarters in its passage; the deepest
modification and regret are everywhere mani
tested atis defeat Therefore it is that we desire
the country to understand that it is owing to no
delinquency Of the Administration that the River
anI Harbor bill failed to become law. Every
thing that President FILLMORE could do, con-
sistently with his constitutional views of official
duty, was done to effect its passage. Every
thing that the WING party could do under the
gallant lead Of Mr.. CLAY in the Senate, and
its most efficient members in the House, was
done TO effect its passage. Local causes pro-
duced in few instances WING detection;
but, as general thing, the Wines as party
followed the lead of the Administration and of
Mr.. CLAY, and reaffirmed by their voices and
votes the good old WING policy of River and
Harbor Improvements.
We say VINO policy. We are perhaps
wrong in SO confning it. Once it was good
old Democratic policy. Mr.. CALHOUN ad-
vocated it in 1917 to the full extent to which
it is carried by President FILLMORE. 1t was
advocated in 1924 by Mr.. BENTON, with as
much zeal and solicitude as it was then and
is now advocated by Mr.. CLAY. 1t was the
Democratic policy, till certain of the Democratic
leaders found it necessary to differ from Mr..
CLAY, and to get up other and new tests
Of Democracy. Then it was abandoned-aban-
doned by the leaders, but it still remains ia
vorite policy of the American people. This
has been over and over again demonstrated.
When Mr.. Polk vetoed ttco bills in success
sion, it was against decided majorities of the
two branches Of Congress; and the bill recently
defeated by parliamentary tricks and contri-
vances in the Senate, would have carried at
any moment, could it have been brought to the
vote, as large majority relatively in the Sen
ate as it received in the House.
1t must be borne in mind that the bill de-
feated at the last session, by the minority Of
the Senate, on pretences which would have
required them to defeat erery appropriation bill,
was exclusively Riuer and Harbor bill 1t
was not bill for general internal improve
ments. 1t was strictly bill Of that character
which even General JACKSON admitted to be
unquestionably constitutional. In his mes
sage of December, 1884, returning the bill for
improving the Wabash river, with his objec-
tions, President JACKSON, after stating that, in
his judgment, the Constitution did not confer
upon Congress the power to construct ordinary
roads and canals, within the limits Of State,
proceeded to say:
There is another class of appropriations for
what may be called, without improperly
internal improvements, which have always
been regarded as standing upon different