Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-21
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
GENERAL SYSTEM OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

In the course of debate in the House of Rep
resentatives on Friday, the 6h instant, we find a
member reported to have avowed himself in favor
OF river and harbor improvements; but he did
not wish to be understood IS the advocate of a
general system of internal improvements, such as
would lead to an extrayagan: expenditure of the
public money, and to abuss 0hich attended the
system under the administration of John Quincy
adams, but he was favorable to great national
improvements, such as those in relation to rivers
and harbsrs"
Whether the honorable member spoke thus of
the administration of Mr. AIAMs from personal
recollection, from historical Investigation, from
the reckless misrepresentation of the party press
the revival of the mputaton Of extravaganza to the
Administration of that virtuors statesman, at this
late day, requires notice and refutation. Let US
therefore go back quarter of century and see
what was the extent of that system imputed to Mr..
ADAMS as crime, compared with that of his
successor.
For clearer understanding of the subject, how
ever, we will glance at what was done under the
predecessor of Mr. ADAMS. During the Presi-
dency of Mr. MONROE the subject of internal i'm
provement had occupied large share of the atten-
tion of Congress, then decidedly Republican in its
politics The majority was overwhelming at the
FIRST session of the 18th Congress, Clst December,
1910 In the House majority of fifteen was
found in favor of approprating the public funds
for canals and for military and post roads.
At the session of December s19 the principle of in
ternal Improvement by the General Government was
sanctioned by act to authorize survey of route
for continuation of the Cumberland road from the Ohio
river opposite Wheeling, Virginia, through Ohio In
DIANA and Illinois, to the Mississippi between ST. Louis
and the mouth of the Illinois river for which survey an
tdHpropriation Of ten thousand dollars made
At the session of December, 1921 after Mr. MoxRoEs
reelection three per cent Of the nett proceeds of the
sales of the public lands in the States of Missouri Mis-
sssipp and Alabama, directed to be paid to the
said States, to be applied the making Of roads and
:. canals within the same" ~. .:
The 18th Congress opened the 1s of December,
1928. "The President authorized to cause the ne
cessary surveys plans and estimates be made of the
routes of such roads and canals he might deem of
lonal iportanee for which purpose the of thirty
thousand dollars was appropriated. The President
after mature deberation, changed his the
subject of internal improvements by the General Gov
ernment and gave this bill his approval which proved
suBJEcr" ...
1t has been truly remarked that the administration
of Mr. Monroe which closed on the Sd of March, 1926
was eminently prosperous and advantageous to the
nation" s...
Mr.. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, in his Inaugural Ad-
dress, QS25) only spoke of proceeding in the
great system of internal improvements within the
limits of the constitutional power of the Union
1t will be seen, by the facts adduced, that ct the
great system" was adopted in Mr.. Monroe's last
term by the great Republican party of the country
and had not only has acquescence, but his positive
sanction. .. ... -,
In his first annual message Mr.. ADAMS says " The
appropriations made by Congress for public works.
well in the construction of Notifications for purposes
Aof internal improvement far they have been expend
led, have been faithfully applied ...~.
Speaking of the labors of the engineers, Mr., ADAMS
marks "They have completed the surveys necessary for
ascertaining the practicaby of canal from the Che
sapeake bay TO the Ohio river and preparing full
report that subject The observation is to be
made with regard the other objects Of great
onal Importance upon which the board have been
-cupied namely the accomplishment Of national road
from this city New Orleans and the praccablty of
suntng the waters of Lake Mumphramagog with Con-
necticut river and the improvement of the navigation
of that river" Again The of Congress of the
last session relative to the surveying, marking lay
ing out roads in the Territories of Florida, Arkansas
and Michigan, from Assouri MEXICO, and for the
tnuaton Of the Cumberland road are, Of them,
fully executed and others in the process Of execution
Let it not be forgotten that all these were autho
rized by Republicda-> Congress, Of which Mr.
LowNDEs and Mr.. TUCKER were prominent mem
bers, and sanctioned by an Administration Mr..
MoNRoE'sl of which Mr.. CALHOUN was an in
huential member.
Mr. ADAMS his fourth and last annual message says
.The report from the engineer department presents
comprehensive view of the progress which has been
made in the great systems promotive Of the public in
terests commenced and organized under the authority
of Congress
After referring the Notifications first of these he
adds The those cardinal ofpocy the
preliminary great and vast works of public improve
ment in the surveys Of roads, examinations for the
course of canals and abors for the removal of the OBJ
structons of rivers and harbors r commenced by the
oct Of Congress Of 30h Apr, 1924" Zone year and
two months before the commencement Of Mr.. ADAMS s
term.
In the 18th Congress, commencing 9th Of December,
1926 the disposition Of Congress favorable objects
of internal improvement. In addition fifty thousand
dollars appropriated for general surveys specific appro-
prations were made for the survey Of canal route
across Florida for sundry post roads, and for
ing and repairing the Cumberland road One hundred
and fifty thousand dollars authorized to be sub