The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-05-17

ment. 1t is not to be denied that Congress,
while administering the public lands as pro-
pretor, within the principle distinctly ANNOUNCE
ed in my annual message, may sometimes have
failed to distinguish accurately between objects
which are and which not within its constitu-
tional powers.
After the most careful examination, l find
but two examples in the acts Of Congress which
furnish any precedent for the present bill, and
those examples will, in my opinion, serve rath-
er as warning than as an induceInent 10 tread
in the same path.
The first is the act Of March Cd, 1919, grant
ing township. of land to the Connecticut
asylum for the education of the deaf and
dumb.
The second, that of April 5,h, 1926, making
a simila: grant Of land to he Kentuckey asy-
lum for teaching the deaf and dumb
| The first more than thirty years after the
| adoption of the constitution, and the secord
more than quarter of a century ago.
| These acts were unimportant as to the
amount appropriated, and, so far as can ascer.
tain, were pass.d on two grounds: FIRST tina, the
| object was a charitable one; and, secondly,
that it was national. TO say that it was a chart
table object, IS only to say that it was an obiecr
of expenditure proper for the competent author
| ity: but il no more tended to show that it was a
proper object of expenditure BY the Unite
States than is any other purely local object, ap-
peaiins to the best sympathies of the human
heart in any OF the States. And the suggestion
/ that a school for the mental culture of the deal
and dumb in Connecticut or Kentucky is ma
| tional object, only shows how loosely this ex
preston has been used when the purpose was
to procure appropriations by Congress. 1t il
not perceived how a school of this character is
otherwise national than is any establishment Of
| religious or moral instruction. All the pursuit.
OF industry, everything which promotes the
material or intellectual wei. being of the race
every ear of corn or ball of cotton which
grows, is national in the same sense; for each
one OF these things goes to swell the aggreg oil
national prosperity a. happiness of the Uniied
States; but 1t confounds all meaning of Ian
guage to say that these things are .snational'as
equivalent to "federal," SO as to come within
any of the classes of appropriation for which
Congress is authorized by the constitution to
| legislatc
| IL Is marked point in the history of the con
situ'ion that when it was proposed to empowe,
Congress to establish university, the PROPOSE
ton was confined to the district intended for the
future seat of government of the United States
and that even that proposed clause was omitted
IN consideration OF the exclusive powers CONFER
ca on congress to legislate for that district
Could a more decisive indication Of the true
oo'o'' anu TIC splrit OIL the constitution n
| regard 10 all matters Of this nature have beer
given? 1t proves that such objects were con.
sidered by the convention as appertaininp I,
local legislation only, that they were not com
pretended, either expressly or by implication
IN the grant OF general power to Congress, an.
'ha,, consequently, they remand with the sever
al States way 90
The general result at which have arrived 1
the necessary consequence of those views O
the relative rights, powers, and duties of tb
States and of the federal government which
have long entertained, and often expressed, an
IN reference to which my convictions do but in
crease III force with time and experience.
l nave thus discharged the unwelcome duty o
respectfully stating my objections 10 this bill
with which cheerfully submit the whole snb
ject to the wisdom of Congress.
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
WASHINGTON, May 3, 1854