New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-12-12

time to time, against the rapid progress Of -
penditures from the national treasury ON works
of a local character within the States. Memo
rable as an epoch in the history Of this subject,
is the Message of President Jackson, of the "a tn
Of May, 1880, which met the system of inter
nal improvements in its comparative infancy
but so rapid has been its growth, that the pro-
Jected appropriations in that year for works Of
| this character had risen to the enormous amount
of more than one hundred millions of dollars.
In that message the President admitted the
difficulty of bringing back the operations Of the
Government to the construction of the constitu-
ton set up in 1893, and marked it as an admon-
tory proof of the necessity Of guarding that in
strument with sleepless ygilence against the au-
thority of precedents, which had not the sane
ton Of its most plainly defined powers.
Our Government exists under written COM
pact between sovereign States, uniting for spe-
cifc objects, and with specific grants to their
general agent. If, then in the progress of its
administration, there have been departures from
the terms and intent of the compact, it is, and
will ever be, proper to refer back to the fixed
standard which our fathers left us, and to make
stern effort to conform our action to it. It
would seem that the fact of principle having
been resisted from the first by many of the
wisest and most patriotic men Of the Republic
and policy having provoked constant strife,
without arriving at a conclusion which con be
| regarded as satisfactory to its most earnest ad-
vocates, should suggest the inquiry whether
| there may not be plan likely to be crowned BY
happier results. Without perceivng any sound
distinction, or intending to assert any sound
principle as opposed to improvements needed for
the protection Of internal commerce, which does
| not equally apply to improvements upon the sea-
board for the protection of foreign commerce, |
submit to you, whether it may not be falsely an
ticiPated that, if the policy were once settled
| against appropriations by the General Govern.
ment for local improvements for the benefit of
commerce, localities requiring expenditures
would not, by modes and means clearly legiti-
mate and proper, raise the fund necessary for
| such constructions as the safety or other inter-
ests Of their commerce might require.
II that can be regarded as a system, which,
in the experience of more than thirty years, las
at no time commanded the public judgment as to
give 1t the character of a settled policy-which
though it has produced some works of conceded
Importance, has been attended with an expendi-
ture quite dsproportionate to their value-and
has resulted in squandering large sums upon
| objects which have answered no valuable pur
pose, the interests Of all the States require It to
be abandoned, unless hope may be INDUCED for
the future which find no warrant in the past
With an anxious desire for the completion Of
the works which are regarded by all good cit
| liens with sincere interest, have deemed il nv
|
Grafton of the question, with hope that ami
mated by desire to promote the permanent and
substantial interests of the country, your wisdom
may prove equal to the task of devising and ma
turing plan, which, applied to this subject,
may promise something better than constant
strife, the suspension Of the powers Of local en-
terprise, the exciting of vain hopes and the dis
appointment Of their cherished expectations
In expanding the appropriations made by the
last Congress, several cases have arisen in re-
lation to works for the improvement of harbors,
which involve question IS to the right of soil nd
jurisdiction, and have threatened conflict be.
tween the authority of the State and General
Government. The right to construct break
water, Jetty, or dam, would seem, necessarily,
to carry with it the power to protect and pre-,
serve such constructions. This can only be eff
fectually done by having jurisdiction over the
soil. But no clause Of the constitution is found,
on which to rest the claim of the United States
to exercise jurisdiction the soil of State,
except that conferred by the eighth section Of
the first article Of the constitution 1t is then.
submitted, whether in all cases where construc-
tons are to be erected by the General Govern.
ment, the right of soil should not first be OBJ
tanned, and legislative provision be made to cover
all such cases.
For the progress made in the construction of
roads within the territories, provided for in
+ the appropriations OF the last Congress, refer
|
There is one subject Of q domestic nature
which, from its intrinsic Importance, and the
many interesting questions of future policy
which it involves, cannot fail to receive your
early attention. allude to the means of COM
t munication, by which different parts of the
wide expanse of our country are to be placed
in closer connection for purposes both of defence
and commercial intercourse, and more especial
ly such as appertan to the communication Of
those great divisions Of the Union, which lie on
the opposite side of the Rocky Mountains.
That the Government has not been unmindful
of this heretofore, is apparent from the aid it
has afforded, through appropriations for mail
facilities and other purposes. But the general
subject will now present itself under aspects
more imposing and more purely national, by
reason OF the surveys ordered by Congress, and
now in the process Of completion, for communi
cation by railway across the continent, and
wholly within the limits Of the United States.
The power to declare war, to raise and sup
port armies, to provide and ~ aintain navy,
and to call forth the militia to execute the laws
suppress insurrections, and repel invasions, was
conferred upon Congress, as means to provids
for the common defence, and to protect terri
tory and population now wide spread and vast
ly multiplied, As incidental to and indispen
sable for the exercise of this power, it must
sometimes be necessary to construct military
roads and protect harbors of refuge. To appro-
Prldoiou5 ny NoHSress IOT sucn OOJectS, nc
sound objection can be raised. Happily for our
country, its peaceful policy and rapidly increas
ing population impose upon us no urgent neces-
sity for preparation, and leave but few track
less deserts between assailable points and pa
triotic people ever ready and generally able to
protect them. These necessary links, the en-
terprise and energy Of our people are steadily
and boldly struggling to supply. All expert
ence affirms that, wherever private enterprise
will prevail it is most wise for the General Gov
eminent to leave to that and individual watch
fulness the location and execution of all means
Of communication.
The surveys before alluded to were designed
to ascertain the most practical and economical
route for a railroad from the river Mississippi
to the Pacific Ocean. Parties are now in the
field making explorations, where previous ex-
aminations had not supplied sufficient data, and
where there was the best reason to hope the
object sought might be found The means and
time being both limited it is not to be expected
that all the accurate knowledge desired will be
obtained, but it is hoped that much and impor-
tant information will be added to the stock
previously possessed, and that partial, if not
full reports Of the surveys ordered will be re-
ceived, in time for transmission to the two
| houses of Congress, on or before the first Mon
day in February next, as is required by the act
Of appropriation. The magnitude of the enter