The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-06


Ohio river, at Wheeling. upon The bridge there erected,
N order TO prevent IFS abatement under The decision OF
the Supreme Court, nuisance we passed The bill
to make highway OF the Wheeling BRIDGE believing Il
sanctioned by the Post Office power OF the eonsl-
tulon. Now, if you make posl-road upon bridge
across river. IL you can transport your mails upon a
river upon the ocean, and pay thousands and hun
dreds of thousands OF dollars for such transportaon
you appropriate money for Improving rivers, why
you mol make road in order TO cheaper transpoua-
zion How is II thatyou can make rivers nayigabe and
have power make roads' No answer can be given
unless it be that nature made the rivers navgable in
part, and has only TO complete what nature lett
finished. whereas IN making road, man has to do all
The work without any assistance from nature. Such a
distinction is about wise and tenabe as the objection
the consltutonay OF making the road out OF the
tona treasury. Ingenuity cannot discriminate and show
the least difference in principle between Improving
and making road through State out OF the national
treasury. We have time and again appropriated money
10 improve rivers lying in States without their consent
In MIR. Cahouns report, and in the resolutions
adopted by the House, which have read. roads and v
ers put upon the sans footing The main ground
of General Jacksons veto of the Maysve road bill
that the road in that particular began and ended in
one State, and was local IN It's character President
Jackson sad under such circumstances that you had
right to improves river Rivers might be local as well
roads He said believe, that il nver passed through
many State, if il led from port OF entry or delivery
down to the ocean, and from the up to port OF
entry delivery, then It was national then 1t was an
object for which you could appropriate. That Jack
doctrine; that democratic doctrine in reference
to rivers and IN reference TO roads also The Maysve
road bill vetoed upon the ground that that road was
entirely local in lis character.
Sir, if had time would read the lis. of the yeas and
nays to be found the Journal of the Fifteenth Con-
gress, beginning in December, 1877 page 1884 There
were many distinguished men here then. see Mr.
Lowndes's at the head OF one OF the columns he
southern gentleman, of some distinction in the
country that day He voted for the resolution, affirm
ing the power OF Congress 70 make roads and canals
and to improve rivers. So did Colonel Richard M. John
so al ". q
party and throughout the republic.
Sir, call attention to these things, not in the expecta-
ton that it will do any good here but | wish TO bring
these matters 10 the attention OF the people, by addressing
them through the Senate.
Sir our bill is dead the eagles and vultures have con.
suned lis flesh and lis snews-nothing is left but CORY
locks and grnning skeleton The spectacle is painful
and Disgusting and wish 10 hasten the burial 10 get it
out OF sight
Mr.. WELLER. have abstained from engaging in
this debate during the day. simply for the reason that
had hoped that we should be able to obtain vote
anxious any other senator here that the ques.
ton shall be decided at once whether this bill is 10 pass
not We have had presented here to-day the very
remarkable spectacle OF those who have heretofore been
claiming be the special friends of the bill denouncng
it already dead The fathers of the measure, those
who intrusted By the Senate with its particular
CHARGE have, because OF single amendment which has
been made to IT, denounced II as already dead. Such
declarations from these senators may defeat it, They
probably will If senators sincere in their decara-
tons, allow TO ask why they did not suffer the man-
morning ii due TO the country, if it has already
been killed. that my distinguished friend from Texas Mr.
RUsK should have suffered 10 have been deceny and
quietly buried, when the motion made by my friend
from Virginia Mr. HUNTERl TO inter il.
But sir, these gentlemen have not proper TO do il
and two great questions for the Senate TO decide
first, whether the bill be dead and, secondly, If dead,
who inflicted the mortal wound' These the two
questions 10 be decIded-gave and important, unques
onably. The hrst one can only be determined by vote
of the Senate II majority now record their votes
he IA dead dear Tbprp will
then be but one question remaining TO be decided, and
that is by what means did il come TO its death Sir it
into the Senate lame, hating, mpoten and scarcely
half made up. understanding the paerna care that
exercised II by my friend from Texas, came
in here impoten for all practical purposes, impoent 10
carry the objects he had IN viewmost potent so far
violated principles heretofore considered sacred He
will therefore allow to say this much IN 10 the
remarks of my friend from Texas, IN derslon OF the
"wise amendment which had the honor TO propose to
this bill. | glad that he did see wisdom in that
amendment am sorry, however that he is labor
ing to deiea, the bill But, sir the senator from Ken
lucky who has taken his seat thinks the mortal wound
was inflicted when the corporation was stricken out.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. lido.
Mr.. WELLER Sir, that senator belongs TO class OF
politicians who believe that nothing good can be accom-
pished except through the medium OF corporation He
would have corporation 10 transact the most ordinary
business of liie
M UNDERWOOD. No. sir
Mr.. WELLER. II he desires the construction of a
railroad. that any labor shall be performed, any
public Improvement made, he thinks it can be accom-
plished IN other way well through the aid OF
corporation. diter from him IN regard 10 that point,
and therefore moved the Gdsr day, to strike from this
bill the section which incorporated these contractors into
great corporation overshadowng one, which, IN my
judgment would, under the patronage oil the general
government have exercised disastrous iGhuence
Than that which was exercised by the late Bank OF the
United States. With such provision in II, could not
sustain the bill The Senate, by vote OF nearly two
thirds concurred with in that opinion, and upon my
motion this unconstitutional and dangerous provision
stricken from the bill BY that decisive VOTE the favor
ed corporation put in here by my friend from Texas who
claims to represent democratic principles, stricken
out. That was an Improvement; and i then began 10
think that there might be virtue enough in the bill to Ell
feet the object which so many OF us bad near to our
hearts-the completion OF road 10 the Pacific This
amendment gave offence TO the fathers OF the bill and
hints were then thrown out that il was ruined Welded
TO the scheme which they reported they could not be
expected TO look with favorable eye upon any change
which might be made That corporation, as proposed by
the committee, could have exercised all the privileges of
bankers and flooded the country with uedeemabe paper
money. The destruction OF this feature OF the bill
alarmed the committee, and they began to show symp
toms OF abandonment.
upon the proposition to conne the appropriation OF
5000 900 600 10 The Territories OF the United States Was
there anything mortal in that blow My friend from
Texas thinks there and he demonstrated it in this
way He claimed that the incorporation OF that amend
nent into this bill calculated to create odous
monopoly at each end of the ne taking II for granted
that each cad would terminate in State The senator
knew very well that belonged TO that class OF politicians
who have no especial fondness for monopoes, and If he
could show to the country that there anything in
the character OF my amendment which was calculated TO
foster monopoes, be would have succeeded 10 drawing
down upon my head share OF public Indignation but is
such the effect OF the amendment There senator
on this floor whose declaration will 90 further with the
country than that OF the senator from Texas but he
will allow me to say that his declaration, going out with
that amendment alone, will SIGNIFY nothing they will