Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-16

Of this Government to dispose of its lands If it is done
pursuance Of the trust which is limited by the Const
tuition.
The Constitution is one of specific and limited powers
well defined It to in this respect almost in
capable Of msconstructon. You may appropriate your
land just you may your money for any legitimate OBJ
ject within the power Of Congress Our discretion in
this matter limited by the character OF the trust and
that is limited by the character of the Constitution You
dispose of these lands you may dispose OF your
money for constitutional objects and for constitutional
objects alone Why sir the clause authorizing the Con-
gress Of the United States to borrow money is just as
clear just broad the power Of the Constitution
to dispose of the land yet will any body here tell me
that you borrow money be used for other pur
poses than those which pointed out by the Consu-
ton itself You may borrow money to raise an army
you may borrow money to support navy you may bor
money carry the Government you may dispose
of the land for the purposes but will any body tell
that you may borrow for purposes which either
not authorized by the Constitution which prohi-
bited by it And in this respect draw distinction
for hold that it is precisely unconstitutional to use
the of the Government for purposes authorized
is for those which positively prohibited Can
you borrow money or appropriate land for any subject
which you have control? Can you borrow money
establish universities for the purposes of education
Can you borrow money to erect unatc asylums, for
the encouragement OF agriculture religious purposes
Why nobody can point me to the clause Of the Consu-
/ ton which shows that have any authority, that
this Government has any authority, any of these
subjects. The moment you show that there is sub
ject which this Government has authority to le
\
the subjects promote for which you neither
proprate the land the money of the United States
The gentleman from Ohio Mr. CAMPBELL) asks me if,
when have conceded the fact that you may under the
power, grant bounties to who have faithfully
served in your armies and thus to encourage enlistment
in any future difficulties have not at the same time
coded the right to make appropriations for military roads
under the same power? Why, presume that there is
nobody this committee who will question the authority
of the Government to make military roads when the
pose is bona d to make military road for military pur-
poses We do not deny that at least do not but what
do say that you have authority, under the guise
and pretext of making military road, to make one for
other and different purposes Now take this bill that is
before the committee My friend from Illinois Mr.. BIS
sELL yesterday had read from the Secretary of War
letter saying that this particular road would be i'm
portant military road. Well, now, Mr.: Chair
man. the simple is this which every apply
for himself and about which there be mistakes Is
there any in this committee voting for this law with
avew Of really making road in the Territory OF MIN
for military purposes Is that the principal OBJ
ect aimed at? And is the benefit which it is to bring to
the country through which it runs to be Incidental only
| WHY Mr. Chairman should doubt the candor-though
not in the habit of doing SOL should doubt the
candor of the member who would get here and tell me
that his object in voting for any of these bills is with
view to defence in time OF and that he is act
ing under the power 1t is subterfuge 1T is per-
version of power Ii the construction which the Secre
ary Of War seems to have put on more than one occa
son on this power be the one then there no limit
the authority Of this Government for there nothing
which you do that know of which will add an lot
to the prosperity of the country that will not also III
crease its military strength. We all know that the mill
ary force of the nation depends to large extent upon
its prosperity and the facility of transit and if the theory
be true that because road will add to strength or
in future improbable contingency may add to the
facilities of the defence Of the country in time OF war;
then there is not county road in solitary county OF
| this Union which this Government might not make.
The idea that you may appropriate money or land for
the purposes Of internal improvement under the war
power to have been hit Of late as new idea
1t that the Secretary of War supposed that he had
made discovery. 1t has not been recoected that Of
all the sources Of power from which the power Of inter-
nal Improvement has been derived this precise one OF
the war power has been the which has been most
completely demolished long ago and abandoned
Make this road out in Minnesota or any other road IN
this country for military purposes and means OF de-
fence as the primary object! Why, Mr. Chairman, this
country will never be invaded again by any army from
abroad there is hyscal impossibiy about it. re-
oice say that there is that physical mpossibity OF
invasion Of which exists to our taking an active part
land in the of Europe Talk about the doctrine
of noninterventon by us in foreign wars talk about
the invasion Of by foreign nations as much as you
please pretext for assuming powers not granted by
the Constitution but the strongest security that we have
on these points is physical law
shall not 60 into that question but undertake
to say that in the face of navy even without
navy, the shipping Of Europe cannot bring with then
munitions formidable force against With all the
of your naval and maritime marine you could
transport to Hungary, Turkey, or Russia
army, with its munitions and supplies that would be
d
form hardly division in the field
The idea then, that these roads in the interior are
made for military purposes to enable the rapid concen-
traton of troops in time of war; perfect suberfuge
any to which intelligent resort. 1t is per-
version Of the Constitutions it is in deraud of it to claim
the power make these roads under the power To
illustrate my view, take which is familiar to the
Democracy Of this country. Does any body doubt the
elusive right of Congress legslae for the District of
Columbia? But could you under the guise OF legislat-
ing for this District and in pursuance Of power to
grant charters for District purposes charter bank OF
the United States Could you deraud the Constitution
by subterfuge of that sort? You do it just much
as you defraud the Constitution under the to
dispose of and make all needfl rules and regulations in
respect the territory, &C. of the United States dis
posing of them for other objects than those defined in the
Constitution; or, under the power, make roads in
when the defence Of the country is not the direct
| object.
But the gentleman from Ohio Mr.. CAMPBELL under
took yesterday arrgn members here as nmical
the West and in doing used of those express
sons which becoming idomatic of late. He said that
we jumping into the West.
| Mr.. CAMPBELL. said pitching into the West
| Mr.. BAYLY. Well, "pitching" in 1t belongs to the
class of expressions crushing out and all that
of domatic expressions suppose they will be
regarded but which not known believe in our Ian
guage in the in which they are now used They
are significant, nevertheless But when has the South
shown any disposition to "ptch into the West!
| Mr.. CAMPBELL l spoke Of Virginia. You always
invariably against every appropriation for the i'm
provement Of the Western rivers and Northern lakes
Mr.. BAYLY. am glad the gentleman has relieved
made. thought his remarks meant for the South
as whole But he confines them to Virginia. This
relieves me. When has Virginia ever shown any enmity
to the West?