Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-03-13
RIVERS AND HaRRoRS.

1901 dgGtnSfa dFpTopTadf0nS for Internal lmpr0pe
meats by the General Gorernment
The House being in Committee of The Whole on the
state of the Unon Mr. Meade in the chair , on bill
making appropriations for the improvement of rivers and
harbors-
Mr.. GORAIAN said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: THAT government is best, which
governs least" And that party politics is safest for
the welfare OF the country which stands firmly to
strict construction OF the Constitution, and
of all doubtful powers" And do hesitate say that
all the shocks that political system has experienced
from the adoption OF the Federal Constitution down the
present day. be traced to departure from this
publican strict construction. The Democratic
Republican party have always held to the doctrine that
the National Government should collect reve-
nue., either directly indirectly, tha necessary to
an economical administration OF Its affairs. The power
of approprlating money of the National Treasury
for purposes of internal improvement OF any kind,
exercised, claimed, by eny for thirty
years after the adoption Of the Constitution 17S9-
Small appropriations began be made in 1921, and
and increased gradually until 1926 uuder the admnistra-
ton oil John Quincy Adams, when the hood Of
travagant expenditures thrown open the doctrine
oil non-users oil doubtful powers trampled down,
and the most latDnous construction adopted Exten-
sye surveys Of roads and canals were ordered in such
directions and such points the President might think
Of national character. But the power to make i'm
provements by he General Government cut OF the pub
lie treasury has been thoroughly and satisfactorily dis
eussed by the honorable gentleman from Georgia. + Mr.
Toonbs that but for the fact that respective re-
marks will be read by very different constituency
would stop that part of remarks at this point To
show The steady uniformity of opinion this subject by
all the Republican Presidents since and including Jeer-
propose read few brief from the rec
ords which they have left, guides to their poserty.
President Jefferson, in his Message to Congress in
1906, recommended an amendment the Constitution
with view to apply the surplus which might accumu-
late in the Treasury, for the purposes of education
roads, canals rivers and such other objects of public
Improvement may be thought proper to add to the
constitutional enumeration Of the Federal powers
And in continuation of this subject he says: sup
pose amendment to the Constitution, by the consent
the States necessary, because the obecte rec
commended not among those enumerated in the Con-
stitution and which it permits the public moneys
be applied" And again, it will be remembered that in
1925 he repeated, in the most pu5c manner through
his published letters that no such power had been
erredr That Mr. Jefferson held these opinions through
all his political career, and until his DEATH will
pretend to deny.
President Madison in assigning his objections to bill
for internal Improvement the Sd day of March, 1917
declares that the power to regulate commerce among
the several States cannot include power to construct
roads and canals and to improve the navigation of
Ter courses order facilitate promote and secure
such commerce. without a latitude of construction
departing from the ordinary import of the terms,
strengthened by the known inconvenience which
doubtless led to the grant OF this remedial power Con-
greSs"
President Jackson after his of the Maysvlle road
BILL followed up that OF policy against this sys
TEN until he vetoed
4" An act making appropriations for building light
houses light boats beacons and monuments, placing
buoys improving harbors, and directing surveys" "An
authorizing subscriptions for stock in the Louisville
and Portland Canal Company 60 An act for the i'm
provement of certain harbos and the navigation of
tain rivers; and finally, An improve the
cation of the Wabash river"
The clause of the Constitution from which the advo
Gates of internal Improvements by the General Govern
ment derive, or profess most generally derive, the
power appropriate money out of the National Treasu
ry for such purposes, is in these words:
q Congress shall have power to regulate commerce
with foreign powers and among the several States, and
with the Indian tribes"
The whole power must therefore, depend on the mean
ing and import OF the word regulate" Ii that word
means " facilitate" I" Increase" or " create"
then plausbity be attached the reasoning
of the friends of this bill But no such meaning can or
ever has been given the word, except by the po-
clans of the old Federal school, who generally assumed
that the General Government could do everything that
the majority thought eXpedlent, convenient, useful
The words - regulate commerce. suppose, means,
to give order, rule, &c. Commerce is not wholly ma
tiona Il is generally confined to individual enterprise
If, therefore, the word means - create" laeil
tate" you have stopping place. You theacan make
canals railroads. for each facilitates commerce. by
giving the of ready and cheap transportation
goods and other merchandise from place another
But it may not be amss to see the reaSen that was
urged by the trainers of the Constitution for adopting
this clause to regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions and among the several States, and whthe Indian
tribes"
President Monroe in his veto message in 1922 of the
internal improvement BILL gives the for adopting
this clause In he Constitution, as follows:
Commerce between independent powers commu-
mites is universally regulated by duties and mEosts 1t
regulated the States before the adoption Of this
Constitution equally in respect to each other and
foreign powers The goods and vessels employed in
the trade the only subjects of regulation 1t can act
on none other. power, then, TO impose such duties
and mposts regard to foreign nations and
any the trade between the States the only power
granted.
" Ii we recur to the causes which produced the adop
ton Of this Constitution, shall find that injuries re-
sultng from the regulation OF the trade by the States
respectively, and the advantages anticipated from the
transfer OF the power TO Congress, among those
which had the weight Instead of acting as a ma
ton in regard to foreign powers the States individual
ly, had commenced system OF restraint each other
whereby the interests of foreign powers promoted
at their expense Ii State imposed high duties on
the goods vessels of foreign power countervail
the regulations OF such power the next adjoining States
imposed lighter duties to invite those articles their
ports that they might be transferred thence the 9TH
States securing the duties themselves This
tracted policy in OF the States counter
acted by others Restraints were Immediately laid on
such commerce by the suffering States, and thus had
grown up of affairs dsorderly and unnatural the
tendency of which destroy the Union ITSELF and
with all hope of realizing those blessings which we had
anticipated from the glorious revolution, which had been
so recently achieved From this dePlorable dilemma
rather certain ruin, happily rescued by the
adoption of the Constitution.
j sAmong the first and important effects of this
great revolution, the complete abolition of this per-
nicous policy. The States brought together by
the Constitution, commerce. into one community;
equally, in regard to foreign nations and each other
The regulations that adopted regarded U.s. in both
respects, as one people. The duties and mposts that
were laid on the vessels and merchandise of foreign
nations all uniform throughout the United States
and the intercourse between the States themselves
duties of any kind imposed other than between diff
(erent ports and counties within the same State.
rad h- Of Ill