The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-08-28

wherever the stars pangled banner is unfurled
10 the breeze. To render the Navy secure from
the disasters Of the sea, navigation must be inn
proved, as well for purposes OF natoaal defence
for national revenue. Hence It follows, that in all
the waters where this foreign commerce floats,
and in all the harbors and ports where this COM
merce terminates and the revenue is collected, the
Federal Government has the exclusive right 10
make the necessary Improvements.
Ii may be said that this rule does not apply to
the Upper Mississippi, where no foreign COM
merce floats and no revenue is collected. At points
where this objection exists and navigation is OBJ
structed, Congress may IN It's discretion improve
the navigation for other national purposes. This
river is now national post road for the transmits
sion of the mails, and national military road for
the transmission of naval and military armaments;
and under the power TO establish post roads and
to protect the fifteen States and Territories on the
line of this river in the enjoyment OF Republican
form Of Government and from inyasions, rebel
lions, and Instructions, Congress may make such
improvements as will " in peace prepare for war;"
and thus enable the Federal Government to give
all the great States in the valley of the Mississippi
the same facilities for protection that Is given 10
the States upon the seaboard.
1t will be observed that all the navigable waters
! propose to improve are upon the external bound
aries Of the States, or so connected with the for
eign commerce, national revenues, and national
defences, as to place them exclusively under the
jurisdiction of Congress for these purposes. My
position is, therefore, strictly within the rule Of
the Democratic party, agaInat system OF internal
improvements within the jurisdiction of the States.
President Polk, in his veto of similar bill to this
remarks:
"The Constitution has not, in my Judgment,
conferred upon the Federal Government the power
to construct works of Internal Improvement ioiihin
the States, or to appropriate money from the treas
ury for that purpose"
General Jackson, in one of his messages to
Congress on this subject, sent in the following
classifcatons Of navigabe waters, subject, in lis
opinion, to be improved by the authority of Con-
gress:
"lst. improvements Of hnrbors ON the seaboard
"2d. The removal Of partial and temporary OBJ
structions in river already napigabie, lying be-
tween port Of entry established by law, on said
river, and another such port on the ocean.
"3d. The improvement of the harbors on such
rivers, and within such places, or on the great
lakes, which are themselves directly traversed by
vessels engaged in our foreign commerce."
This varies but little from the rule have laid
down in the foregoing argument.
Both the Wing and Democratic parties, in their
Baltimore platforms, agree that Congress has the
power to make improvements of a national char
acter; but there seems to be great diversity Of
opinion alike among Wings and Democrats as to
what class of improvements are really national.
Being a strict cOnstructionist--a Stae-Rights
mana Union Democrat--I have sought, for my
own qualification to deduce the true rule TO govern
this important branch Of public policy from the
Constitution ITSELF If have failed it is TO be at
tributed to my weakness, and not to any fault of
the Constitution.
The bill under consideration contains several
legitimate appropriations, but many more that are
Objectionable merely local improy cments in the
interior of States. The objections of President
Polk to a former river and harbor bill, and for
xUh ch ha q mi fore
bly, to this bill than TO that Besides, the Secre-
tary of War has the unrestricted power to spend
the money appropriated bis will may direct
His personal attention to ffy-seuen distinct inn
provements scattered in remote parts Of the Union
cannot be expected, and is not required by the
bill. The Committee on Commerce have made
no report TO this House to the necessity Of any
one of the proposed improvements. The COM
mittee may be well informed on the subject but
they have taken good care to keep their informa-
ton to themselves. The House and the country
are wholly uniformed by the committee, not only
as to the existing necessity for the expenditures
proposed, but also as TO the amount of money
each Improvement will require, the character Of
the improvements to be made, and the time to be
consumed in their completion.
In short the bill looks like series of donations,
amounting to a million and a half Of dollars, to
the common carriers Of the country, TO be doed out
by the Secretary of War, who is required to give
no bond for the faithful application Of the money,
and has no instructions to the character Of the
works to be constructed. In the valley of the
Mississippi the places to be improved are not even
named. Hunters after fat jobs will beset the Sec
rotary with their schemes and proposals, not to
make improvements but make money; and il this
million and half OF dollars does not prove to be
political corruption fund, Federal pipelaying
scheme, it will be because the Secretary Of War
is a man Of immaculate purity, patriotism, and
sagscity and not because the Committee on Com
merce have guarded the appropriations with any
statesmanlike precautions against II. The friends
Of the bill seem resolved that II shalt not be
amended They may have the power To pass it,
and we have neither Jackson nor a Polk 10 sran-
gle the Briarean monster with veto; but IL will
do its friends no honor, and the country no good.
Here the hammer fell.
The question then taken on Mr.. WARD's
amendment, and II wac not agreed to.
tad faf~