The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-03

| Mr. UNDERWOOD | admit that looks as if the OBJ
leel was 70 have the improvements made by private per
sons, and not by the United States but the gentleman
must not whistle till he gets out OF the woods Let
read further:
/ "Mr BAIpwIR"--
| Mr.. PRATT OF Georgia.
State, but believe he from Georgia This debate
be remembered, took place in 1896, years before
the Virginia resolutions OF '9S.
! Mr.. BADGER Then, il is of no authority
! Mr. UNDERWOOD continued
"Mr BALDWIN was glad to this business brought for
ward the sooner il could be carried into effect the better
IN many parts oi the country, he said there inn
proved toadsnohing better than the original Indian track
Bridges and other Improvements always made with
reluctance whilst roads remain in this sate because il is
kpown as the country increases in population and wealth.
better and shorter roads will be made. All expense OF
he general government ho said % undertake the
~ men. M q Aa roads, for the dsrsn, States are
ohe enough for them 10 make good roads TO the dit
eminent Of the whole The expense, he thought, would
not be very great Let surveyor point out the shortest
was nothing in this county, he said, OF which ought
be more ashamed than our public roads"
"Mr. BoURNE"---
| do not know from what State he was
| Mr.. CLARKE Rhode island.
! Mr.. UNDERWOOD. Then, sir, we have all quarters
OF the country speaking at the beginning OF this govern
ment on this subject
from the carrying OF this resolution INTO effect The pres
ent roads may be much shorened The eastern States had
end Of the Union 10 the other"
'did think night for the OF the Post Office
to be applied this end. He acknowledged the propney
of extending the posfoads TO Of the Union he
thought Inc House had better wait for the report Of the
committee which business relative 10 the Post Office had
House"
Virginia ihl planned the and object OF the
resolution. He said il was the commencement Of
tensiye work He wished extend it present The
mems off tha bs off
he believed would have no objection 10 the intended egu
a,ion.'
| Thus, you see, il was the commencement of great
work, and OF an expensive work.
| Mr. MASON An expensive survey
| Mr., UNDERWOOD The expense of the survey
would be great and he wished not TO extend the expense
| at present
| "Aner some observations from Mr.. Thatcher on the
obtaining OF the shortest distance from one place TO anohe
and the comparing old with new roads, to come
the shortest and best the resolution agreed
iolIows"
| Now here is the substance of the whole matter. MIR
Madison voted with the other gentlemen, whose short
speeches the subject have read, and result the
following resolution
"Rssoued, That committee be appointed report a
bill authorizing the President Of the United States
be examined, and where be surveyed the
general route most proper Tor the transportation of The mail
Georgia and 10 cause 10 be laid before Congress the result
OF such examination and survey, with estimate OF the
expense OF rendering such route m in all its parts. be
the established route of the posts the OF such
animation and survey 10 be deayed out OF the surplus
revenues oil me Post Ohce.'
Thus will be seen that the result OF the discussion
which have read was that bill to be reported
providing for estimate OF the expense of making the
road surveyed ht for the purposes OF roads Where
was that money TO come from IL could only come out
OF the federal reasury but Congress provided that the
expense OF the survey should be betrayed OF the sur
/ plus OF the Post Office Department
ordstd, That Mr. Madison, Mr.. Thatcher, Mr.. Bald
win, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Sherbume, be appointed a
committee pursuant to the said resolution"
4 The bill which the gentleman from Texas has read
contained in the very provision OF this resolution that
an estimate should be made OF the expense necessary
make these roads, which to be surveyed, fit for the
purpose for which they were intended.
Mr.. BADGER. Not the expense OF the survey, bat Of
Mr.. UNDERWOOD Certainly; the expense of ma
king the roads was the very thing contemplated Here
Mr. Baldwin's speech. which have read, speaking
OF the objects which they had IN view. He said they
wanted TO shorten those roads, and the expense upon the
people asng The roads would be enormous and oppres
sve and that the government OF the United States had
right 10 lay those expenses upon the people along the
route; that enough for these people to make roads
leading TO their seaport towns. Did anybody then get
/ up! Did Mr.. Madison get up and say TO hlm, Nh;
Baldwin, you are advancing the most unconstitutional
doctrine ever heard Of" No. sir; nothing OF that sort.
Here was Mr. Baldwin, declaring publicly the objects
which he had in view in the construction OF these roads
Mr. Madison, the father OF the constitution, then being
present. did not ise-nobody rose-to say to Mr.. Bald
win, the doctrine you are advancing aslounds us We
Of taking any objection TO Mr. Baldwins speech. they
actually all agreed TO resolution directing bill 10 be
brought in, which is to provide for making road fit for
meeting the purposes designed
/ Mr. BUTLER Surveys
| Mr. UNDERWOOD. No, sir, not a survey. The
resolution is TO cause 10 be laid before Congress the
result OF such examination and survey" 1t does stop
there. You must read 10 the end of the sentence
Wilh'-somethng IN addition 10 the survey" an es-
mate OF the expense OF rendering such route fit 10 all lis
patls 10 be the established route OF the pest" Such is
the precise language OF the resolution Why, il is im
poss lie to say with truth that they only contemplated
survey. They provided for a survey, and then added,
ka,ta aIa tha
are required to furnish estimate of the expense that
may be necessary TO make the route surveyed, which
might be an Indian track according TO the speeches that
were made-to make an Indian track ht 10 all respects
for along which the United States could carry
its mails read the resolution without seeing
clearly that such is its true sense and meaning
SIR, want all that printed, and my word Tor II, the
common OF the people Of this country will see that
the fathers Of the republic without starting any OF these
constitutional objections before the resolutions OF 79S
were Thought Of adopted resolutions and reported bulls 10
execute those constitutional provisions for which bave
ever contended recolect that at the last session,
or the session before that, actually paid claim for
opening OF these posroads AT the time the bill
called up, think by the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr.
clamaton. that about the best claim against Con-
sress ever knew, and that should vote for its payment
with the utmos, cbeerfulness.
Now, have given you the first movements in Congress
on The subject Of making roads, and when is all print
ed, think the country will have difficulty in seeing
that Il was the opinion OF MIR Madison the father of the
constitution and his co,emporares that this government
had constitutional power to open postroads through the
States and to pay for all things necessary to h them for
use IN the transportation OF the mail When the military,
the commercial and the other constitutional powers OF
he general government are properly consdered IN con-