Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-01-28

liberal spirit of the parsons of the early dayS of the
English church. Therei is much of interest and in
struction in this work, and a more pleasant method
cannot be found, of spending Coverings at home,''
than by reading this production of Thackeray. 1t
can be had at M'Mechen's, under the M'Lure
House.
I'VE cannot do better than copy the following iu-
dicious remarks or the National Intelligencer IN
on the ten million appropriation, to which we have
heretofore invited the attention of our readers.
The proposition is so monStrous, so overwhelming
to the true and limited powers conferred upon the
Federal Government, SO emineniIy despotic in its
tendency, and 50 obviously at war with the Reserv-
ed Rights ofthe States, by tending to build up and
make all powerful the Central Government, that
ltcannot be too seriously scrutinized by those in
tereSted in preserving the balance of power and
the true relations of the Federal and State Govern
ments. We have always feared less from the
Legislative encroachments of the Central Gov
eminent than from the Executive branch, but we
have in this, a proposition to be sanctioned by the
Legislative branch for %enlarging and rendering al
most absolute the Executive, or one man branch of
Federal Government. The Archimedean lever is
lost to the world, but if we were called upon to
find its substitute, we should unhesitatingly locate
I III lHS PuISG-StIluSS' money Is the controlling
power in all human transactions, and though ten
or twenty millions may not perhaps be all power
full, yet the precedent would remain, and in other
hands, and under other circumstances might pro-
duce the most alarming and disastrous results. Let
us beware then how we set a precedent such as
this, unconstitutional unprecedented, inexpedi-
ent and highly subversive of the conservative
principles of our Government, which recognize
the FadaraI Exacubiya :. our Al a.
our master.
"The most important feature, however, of the
week, of the Session., and indeed of the Thirty
second Congress-, is, i'll our estimation, the vote in
the House u: Representatives upon the proposition |
IL place at the discretion OF the Executive ten mil
lions of dollars, to meet such exigencies as NAV
present themselves, "from hou. to hour in the |
foreign relations of this country; and the Debate
which has begin and is going on, in the Senate,
involving questions cognate to it. The vote in The
House of Representatives only can be considered
conclusive, the debate in the Senate being vet in
progress. But that vote, of one hundred and fifty
members 10 twenty SIX. refusing to entertain the
porten'ouS proposition referred to, must be regard
ed as suspicious to the hope of a peaceful and CON
servativC administration of The Government for
some time to come. That trust may indeed be dis
appointed; but this vote leaves room for hope, for
which hardly room would have been left, had this
proposition, under the circumstances, been received
with favor by the Representatives of the People.
In chaTacterlzIng this as a dangerous proposition,
no IenectlOn Is Intended upon the mover, or upon
those who sustained 1t by their votes. With their
known opinions of the proper policy of this Govern
ment in its foreign intercourse, ard of the primary
objects ofgood government generally, the PROPOSE
ton IS 4 perfectly natural one for them 10 have
Brought forward.
TouS, who entertain very different views as we'll
of the constitutional powers of Congress and the
President OF the Uni!ed States as ofthe proper en-
plOyment OF those powers, the movement appears
to be not unnatural merely, but entirely foreign
to the spirit Of the Constitution.
In the first place, its adoption would have con-
stituted an anomaly in legislation, of which no en-
ample is to be found ii the history of this Govern
ment, the one or two cases of supposed precedent
differing from it i'll the very material fact that they
w0ie based OH eTiSting eXigencieS, and not ''on
such eXlgencleS as MAY arise" out of the relations
Ofthis country with the other Powers of the earth.
and which are no more likely to arise now than they
have been during the last four years, within which |
not oniy no SucL e%travagant appropriations have
been deemed necessary hy Congress, but the reuui-
site appropriations for the support even of the Peace
Establishment OF the country have in many inStan-
cS been fatty refused, or reduced far below the
actual wants of the public service.
In the next place, as is most aptly remarked BY
one of our contemporaries, (the Boston Journal the
"Constitution has thrown around the public nurse
the most careful and jealous defenceS, TO guard il
from the discretionary use of official men; ant! last
of all should the PRESIDENT, who is an executive
officer, having nothing to do with the disbursement
of the public moneys except the sanctioning Of ao-
population bills, as he does all other laws, be al
lowed 10 hold in his own hands any discretionary
fund. The Constitution says no money shall be
drawn from the treasury but in consequence fam
ProprtHtionsm made by law; and enumerates the par-
ucluar duties OF Congress, by authority of which
SUCH appropriations are 10 be made. In voting
money out OF the treasury, a specific uurnose Is
DESIGNATED in the law; and nothing but an fneritabLe
and stringent necessity will or ought to permit any
departure from the established custom. No Other
reason can be assigned for this extraordinary mea-
sure just now than such as has existed since the
foundation of our Government, and such as will
continue while the world stands-iealousy of for
elgn Powers, the rumors of uncertain wars, terri
torial acquisitions, or Governmental interference
&c, which any nation, strong in its own integrity
aud confident IN its own strength, would allow In
pass by like the idle Winds"
The circumstances under which the nronoc;.;on
for this grant OF money was presented to the House
of Representatives were well Calculated tn eyc;,s
dlstrust and alarm in all reasoning or rejecting
minds. On the 22d oflaSt month occurred in tbss
Senate a brief but memorable. debate, which Nc
had occasion to note at the time, IN which Messrs
Mason, CAss, UNDREwooD, and Others TOOK mart
upon the relations of the Spanish territory of Cnb,
to the CnItAG States; which debate was made The
subject OF an elaborate article in a tract issued
from the office of the Democratic Review. (nuh-
IlShed at New York; in which the opinions adj
Vanced IN the debate, that the United States is ron
tent tnat Cuoa should for the present remain a
colony OF SPAN, and that we will not int-I fere
with 1t unless other Governments attemnt IN grosn
OF buy 1T or until it has achieved its own indenenF
dence, are udlcpled. as estate and worn ont doc-
t1nes; whilst (Says The Teviewer) tthe ,phoL. rae.
OF statesmen tnho haUe thus far been in NJ. ~
G5out TO disappear before the flood OF progress and
improvement which they do not understand and
cannot resist" winding up this wholesale denun-
ciaifon and prescription of political wisdom and