The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-01-17

" wsg a ssssss.os lei Us suppose that twenty i've
yssss 60 wass - nss began 10 lsk about the con-
oeos - snssmsd Itself jurisdiction oil all works OF
- 1pesetsoa 10 the exclusion OF State authority and
.a4xi4wai eaisrpfss. 10 .hs, evsu does any be-
sAeqas1 n1lss q railroad completed. aud fifteen thou
snn1 maIes - s4dcn undsf contract IL 10 be pre-
poos1. tAss oss owa STATS had posrasd itself 10 hum
- euevnssoo q The iest ct the federal government
Cd wtA 5000 arms had wsssd os appropriations from
- naeIoaa ssssay ins,ssd Of exernx State authority
81 cesisaS and comb ming ind vidusl enterprise,
= SSsssss II eoasusslioa L., The history Of internal
eese9sns ;, ths federal government be fairly writ
~ - =. flemish conclusive to these inter-
C - ssosai ~. cher with ali The spare
Anissi iusd isoa Cumberland. 10 The State Of Ma.
a. 8 s = ss s'. Il ~ rss y.
oegWeneat wsss unsble 10 make three hundred miles
- wsatshs rosd - twenty Ave years. how long would
~ = ecessuei railroad 10 the Pacific ocean, and
- uoks oil The hasbor and liver Improvements
- reoesa ont wldslyex ended aId rapidly increasing
socss oa ssaco&s 20 extensive, that in forty years
We4age MOI bssa able 10 complete even the survey Of
eoo'4nh 81 u. and on lake and navigation more
- eoef u@ss ~ extensive that ses-coass These
Saesstoas are worthy Of the serious consideration OF
49, we .sah ost Improvements should Be made Tor
~ oeoeat o! the psssss. generation well for
re1en pesssssiy Tor am not aware that the federal
govsrsasat ever completed any work OF internal i'm
vs9yooent commenced under lis auspices
IAe operations Of the government have not been su-
n csnbsrand road. when commenced may have been
81 Ss oi
~ ccaosderabls portion OF could be finished, the whole
~ sspe!ssAed and rendered useless BY the introduction
o. NJ railroad system Oae reason. and perhaps the
pstapal cause Of the slow progress of all government
inpsovemsnts, consists the fact that the appropriation
toe any one object Is usually too small TO be OF material
eosvlee. may BE sufficient Tor the commencement OF
H. work bu, before can be completed or even far
advanced TO Withstand the elects OF storms, and
1ocds and the elements. the approximation 10 exhausted
ca 8 o6,ained for 6nahng it, or even protecting thai
which has been done. The runous consequences OF
hees ANAL appropriations we'll understood and ser-
0uy dspsecacd but they from the necessity OF the
60. and constitute some Of the evils nseparsbe from
ne policy. All experience proves that the nSmbsriees
ttems Of river and harbor or nlernalimprovement bill
cannot pass, each by itseif. and upon its own merits,
and thai the friends OF particular works will not allow
appropriations 10 be made for the completion OF others
which are supposed 70 be OF Importance unless
seems to think the work in his district to be OF the
sDsst nscessiy and highest importance, and hence feels
constnined 20 give his own the preference, or TO defeat
any bill which does not include IT, The result Is legis
laivs omnibus. ia which all manner OF objects are
crowded together Unfortunately; and there never
~ and never can be. money enough in the treasury TO
make adequate appropriations for the whole and as the
ball cannot pass unless each has something, OF course
the an0un for each item must be reduced low to
make i OF little or no service and thus render the whole
ball almos total loss. In this large portion
q our people have been kept state OF suspense and
anxiey for more than half century, with their hopes
aways excited and their expectations never realized.
repeat that the policy heretofore pursued has proven
worse than failure. Ii we expec, TO provide facilities
and securities for bur navigating interests, we must
adopt asyetem commensurate with our wanisone which
will b just and equal IN its operations upon lake, river
and ocean, wherever the water fresh salt
tide tdea system which will not depend Tor lis sue
cess upon the dubious and huciuang issues OF political
campaigns and congressional combna,ions-one which
will be certain, uniform, and unvarying in lis results
know Of no system better calculated to accomplish these
objects than that which commanded the appreciation OF
The founders oil the republic successvey adopted
various occasions that PERIOD and directly
ferred 10 IN the message OF the President is evidently
~ system contemplated oy The trainers 81 the ccnsa-
ton when they incorporated into that instrument the
CLAUSE in relation 10 tonnage duties by the States with
the assent OF Congress. The debates show that thus
provision was inserted for the express purpose Of ena
bling The States 10 levy duties OF tonnage TO make hsrbo
and other improvements for the benefit OF navigation IL
objected that the power regulate commerce having
already been vested in Congress- the jarscic
ton OF the States harbor and mpr ovemenie
without the supervision OF the federal govern
meat, might be 20 exercised TO conflict with the con-
grsssonal regulations in respect 10 commerce In order
to avoid this objection and al the time 10
the States the power OF making the necessary improve
nsnts consistent with such rules as should be prescribed
Congress ior the IeGslaiion Of commerce the pIov,
ioa modified and adopted 10 the form ~ which we
now And IN the constitution, 10 wit mo STATE sA1h Icy
49tie n tonnage sxest By A eonsf~ Of CoNgrea It's
:vasns from me debates ma. The Trainer. 9, .hs eohs
lands were 10 be derived for improvements In navga.
lion.
The only diversity OF opinion among them arose upon
- point whether those duties should be levied and the
works constructed by The federal government under
ats authority These doubts solved By the clause
Quoesd providing. in effect that while the power
served to The States should not be exercised except BY
The consent OF Congress, in order that the local egsa
Hoa ior the Improvement Of navigation might not conn ct
with the general for the regulation Of
xercs Yet the hrst Congress which assembled under
tn constitution commenced that series OF contradictory
and partial enacimenis which has continued to The
dlooonsion.
The hrst OF these provided that all expenses for
The support OF houses beaeons, buoys, and public
pers should be paid OF The national treasury, the
condition that the States in which the same should be
situated respectively should cede 10 the United States
The sad works. together with the lands and tenemen,s
thereunto belonging. and together with the jurisdiction
Of The SANE" lew months afterwards the same Con-
eress passed conserving that The States OF Rhode
Ilsad. Maryland and Georgia might levy tonnage duties
for the OF improving ceran harbors and rivera
within their respective limits This contradictory egsla
6oa upon Q subject OF great national Importance al.
thouGh commenced by The frat Congress- and frequently
eusponded and renewed al uncertain and Irregular periods
ssons never TO have been entirely abandoned, While
appsooraiions from The nsona treasury have been par
tia And irregular sometimes granted and at others with
had-srulatinS hopes only 10 be succeeded by dlsap
pontmsnts. tonnage duties have also been collected by
The consent oil Congress, al various times and Tor limited
periods, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia. North
Carolina. South Carolina Georgia. Alabama, Massachn
setts, Rhode Island and perhaps other States Indeed
there has never been me since the declaration oil IN
dependence. when tonnage duties have been collected
under State authority for the Improvement OF rivers
haYboYp, or both The last act giving The consent Of
Congress to the collection of these duties was pas sed
ios the benefit OF the port OF Baltimore, IN $780, and win