The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-12-22
he made for grants q lands in aid of tho construction


ing of the Constitution that the disposition of the
public domain ehould be otherwise than must be rx-
pccted from prudent proprietor, and therefore that
grants Of land aid in the construction Of roads
should he restricted TO cases where il would be fr
the interest Of proprietor under like circumstances
to contribute To the construction Of the work. For
the practical operation Of such grants thus far in ad
vancing the interests Of the State which the works
are located and at the time the substantial in
teres,s Of all the other States enhancing the value
aud promoting the rapid sale Of the public domain
refer Won 10 the report Of the Secretary Of the ntcr-
or. careful examination, however, will show that
this experience is the result of wise discrimination
and will be Ear from ai1osding encouragement To a
reckless indiscrminaie extension of the prncipe
commend to your onsidcration the men Of oen;us
of our country, who by their inv entons and discovc
ries science and have contributed largely IN IN.
Improvement Of the age without, in MANY instance
securing for themselves any thing like an ADEQUATE
reward. For many interesting details upon this sub
ject, refer YOU TO the appropriate report and esp
cally urge upon your early attention. the apparently
slight but really important notifications OF e>is,;n1
laws therein suggested.
! The liberal spirit which has so long ma ked n.
action Of Congress in relation to the District of "a
lumbia will, have doubt, continue to b.. map;c.s
ted. The erection oi an Asylum for the District al
Columbia and for the army and navy of the IT;,aJ
States, has been somewhat retarded by the great de-
mand tor materials and labor during the summer b,
I atttFf
the return OF another winter Is anticipated and ,be,s
is the best to believe from the pan and con
teinp!ated arrangements which have been dev;sod
with the large experience furnished within the h.,
few years in relation 10 the nature aud treatment o
disease, that 1t will prove um indeed f., IN;
most helpless and afflicted class Of sufferers and s,o.,
as IA noble monument OF Wisdom and Mercv
! Under the acts oil Congress, Of Aug. 81 1850 an,
March 3, 1883 designed TO secure for the c;t;os ;,
Washington and Georgetown an abundant supply O
good and wholesome water, according TO the repor
,f the Engineer who had charge of the surveys md
the act. first named, the best IL not the onlv him
calculated the object sought was thai ,,b
contemplated taking the water from the great falls n
the Potomac, and consequently gave it nv annoy
al. For the progress and present condition O, mi;
important work aud ior ITS demand, far as appro
prAtons concerned, refer YOU 10 the rcpnrt ..
the Secretary OF Var.
The present Judicial system of the United State,
has now been IN operation for SO long rcriod O
time and has, in its general theory and much Of il,
detail become familiar TO the country and aonu;re,
SO entirely the public confidence, that if modified il
any respect it should only be in those r,,ticpI,r
which may adapt il TO the Increased extent nonnl,
ton and legal business of the United States T., t,i
relation the organization OF The courts is no,y co,(.s
sediy inadequate TO the duties be pea formed bv then
In consequence of which the States of Flor;da WI
consn, Iowa. Texas, and California, and districts @
other states, are IN effect excluded from the full hen
ehls Of the general system by the functons nj RI,
Circuit being devolycd The District JUDGE in al
these states or parts Of states. The shirt of ia,
Constitution IN regard to justice requires that all th,
states OF the In'on should be placed on the sam,
footing in regard TO the judicial tribunals. / there
fore recommend to consideration this imno,t
subject, which in my Judgment demands the speed,
action Of Congress. will present to YOU if deemed
desirable, plan which am prepared to rreconmep,
for the enlargement and modification of the presen
judicial system.
a.
stiiute provided that the President OF the limited state
and other persons therein designated should constitute
an establishment by that name and that the member
shall hold stated aud special meetings for The surerv.
ion OF tho affairs OF the institution The organiz ,oI
not having taken place II seemed nc proper thai II
shC ud Ice done without DELAY This has h,,n done an,
an occasion was thereby presented for inspecting III,
condition If TIE institution AID pprecatine its sccess
iu progress 'hns lar and It's hsh promise Of eat an,
general usefulness.
have omitted 10 nsk your favorable consultation Fl,
the estimate OF works c local character twent,
seven OF me 'nitty states amounting 20 5l, 800 he
Independently of the grounds which have so
been put forward against the application Of the fedora
revenue for works OF ;Ais character. in quality " Il.
consequent il Justice, IS Inherent in the nature of m.
proposal and because the plan WAS found ,utirl mad
cquatc to the accomplishment Of the object sought
The subject OF internal! Improvements, claiming alike
the interest and good viii of all has nevertheless been
the basis OF much political discussion. II stood as
deep-graven ne between the statesmen Of eminent aLil
itY and patriotism. The rule Of strict constructor OF
al 'he powers delegated by the Statcs the ltnora
Government. has engaged Itself time to lime agas
the RAPID progress OF expenditures from the national
rcasur! III works Of local character within The State.
Men orable epoch in ihe history of This sui ie,t j.
the essage Of President Jackson OF 2-th of N,, ls9o
"h'ca met the sNAteh oi internal Improvements
comparative infancy; but rapid had been lis growth
that the projected appropriations in that wear Tor work,
ei this character had arisen to the alarming amount o
more than : 100 100000.
/ In that message the President admitted The
difficulty Of bringing back the operation.
/ OF The government TO the construction of the
Constitution set up in 1883. 1t should be marked
AS an adnonory proof of the necessity of guard
ing that instrument with sleepless vigilance
against the authority of prcceients " hich had mol
the sanction OF It's most plainly defined powers -
Our government exists under II written compac,
with sovereign Sa;es, uniting for specified oh ects
and with special grants. IL, then IN The proeress
! OF It's administration there have been departures
from the terms and intent of the compact. il is
and ever will be proper 10 refer back to The fixed
standard which our Fathers left us, and make n
stern determination to conform our action to il
1t would seem that the fact of principle having
been resisted from the first by many Of the wis
est and most patriotic men of he re pubc and the
policy having provoked constant stifc without
having arrived at a conclusion which can be ra.
garded as satisfactory to It's most earnest advo-
Gates, should suggest the inquiry whether there
may not be d plan likely to lie crowned by any
happier results.
ithout perceNin@ any sound distinction or in
tending TO assert any principles as apt to advance
and needed for the protection Of internal improve
ments and commerce which does not apply to inn
provements upon the seaboard for the protection
of foreign commerce, submit to you whether it
may NOT be safely anticipated that if the policy
were at once against appropriations by the gene
raj government for local Improvements and fer
the benefit Of commerce, localities requiring
expenditures would not be made and most clearly
lesl,imately and properly to raise tho fund ne
cessury for such con strucion the safety of 9th
er interests of Their commerce may require. II
that ca be regarded system, which in the
experience Of more than thirty years has a, no
lime so demanded the public Judgu ent as to give
II The character of settled policy, which, though
1t has produced some works Of conceded import
ancr, has been attended with an expenditure
quite dispropor;ionate 10 their value and has re-
suited in squandering large sums upon objects
which have answered no valuable purpose, the
interest OF all the States requires that it should
be abandoned unless hopes may be induged 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 c.ti-