, 1854-02-18

ditures from the national treasury on works
of a local character within the States.
Memorable as an epoch in the history Of
this subject is the message Of President
Jackson, of the 9th of May, 1880, which
met the system of internal improvements
in its comparative infancy; but so rapid
had been its growth, that, the projected
appropriations in that year for works OF
this character had arisen to the alarming
amount of more than one hundred millions
of dollars.
In that message the President admitted
the difficulty of bringing back the opera
tiOns of the government to the cOnstruc-
ton of the constitution set upin 1898, and
marked it as an admonitOry proof of the
necessity of guarding that instrument with
sleepless vigilance against the authority OF
precedcnts which had not the sanction of
its most plainly defined powers.
Our government exists under a written
compact between sovereign states, uniting
for specific objects, and with specific grants
to their general agent. If then, in the
progress of its administration, there have
been departures from the terms and intent
of the compact, it is, and will ever be, pro
per to refer back to the fixed standard
which our fathers left us, and to make a
stern effort to conform our action to it. 1t
would seem that the fact Of a principle
having been resisted from the first by many
of the wisest and most patriotic men Of the
republic, and policy having provoked con,
slant strife, without arriving at q cOnclu'
sion which can be regarded as satisfactory
to its most earnest advocates, should sug-
gest the inquiry whether there may not be
plan likely to be crowned 10y happier re-
suits. Without perceiving any sound dis
tinction or intending to assert any principle
as opposed to improvements needed for the
protection Of internal commerce which doe,
not equally apply to improvements upon the
sea board for the protection of foreign com
merce, submit to you whether it may moi
be safely anticipated that, if the policy was
once settled against appropriations by the
general government for local improve
ments for the benefit Of commerce, locali
ties requiring expenditures would not, by
modes and means, clearly legitimate and
proper, raise the fund necessary for such
constructions as the safety or other inter
ests Of their commerce might require.
If that can be regarded as a system
which, in the experience Of more than thir
ty years, has at no time so commanded the
public judgment as to give it the character
Of settled poliey-which, though it has
produced some works Of conceded import
ance, has been attended with an expendl
ture, quite dispropOrtiOnate to their value
and has resulted in squandering large
sums upon objects which have answered nc
valuable purpose-the interests of all the
States require it to be abandoned, unless
hopes may be indulged for the future which
find no warrant in the past.
With an anxious desire for the compile
ton of the works which are regarded by
all good citizens with sincere interest,
have deemed it my duty to ask at youl
hands q deliberate reconsideration of the
question, with hope that, animated by {
desire to promote the permanent and sub
stantial interests Of the country, your wis
dom may prove equal to the task Of devi
sing and maturing plan, which, applied tC
this subject, may promise something bettel
than constant strife, the suspension Of thu
powers Of local enterprise, the exciting O.
vain hopes, and the disappointment of cher
ished expectations. d..
In expending the appropriations mad,
by the last Congress, several cases hav,
arisen in relation to works for the improve
ment Of hFrbOrs, which involve question al
to the right of soil and jurisdiction, anC
have threatened conflict between the au
thority Of the State and general govern
ment. The right to construct breakwa
ter, jetty, or dam, would seem necessarily
to carry with it the power to protect ant
preserve such constructions. This can onl,
be efectually done by having jurisdiction
over the soil But no clause Of the cOnsti
tuition is found, on which to rest the claim
Of the United States to exercise jurisdic
tion over the soil Of State, except thai
conferred by the eighth section Of the 6rst
article of the constitution. It is then sub
mitted, whether, in all cases where con
structions are to be erected by the genera
government, the right Of the soil should moi
first be obtained, and legislative provision
be made to cover all such cases.
For the progress made in the construc
tiOn Of roads within the territories, as pro
yided for in the appropriations of the las
Congress, refer you to the report Of til,
Secretary Of War. e.
There is one subject of domestic nature
which, from its intrinsic Importance, ant
the many interesting questions of future
policy which it involves, cannot fail to re
ceiVe your early attention. allude to the
means Of communication by which different
parts Of the wide expanse Of our country
are to be placed in closer connexion fol
purposes both of defence and commercial
intercourse, and more especially such as up
pertain to the communication Of thos,