The New York herald., 1875-12-30
The Centennial Exposition.

correspondent calls attention to an over
sight in computations which we made few
days since in estimating the per capita cost Of
the proposed appropriation in aid Of the
Centennial Exposition. The population Of
the United States is more than 100000, 900,
and an appropriation Of 81, 800 900 would be
only three and three-quarter cents per head
for each inhabitant. The number Of citizens
must be small indeed who are unwilling to
pay so trifing tax rather than have the ma
ton humiliated by inviting foreign countries
to be present at q failure.
1t is contended by priggish sticklers for
a strict construction of the constitution that
Congress has no authority to appropriate
single dollar to this enterprise, and its
friends are asked, with dogmatic air of
triumph, to point out any specific provision
of the constitution conferring such power.
Whatever other merit this challenge may
have it has no claim to originality. 1t is
borrowed argument, and the logical charity
basket, from which it is taken, will not COM
mend it to acceptance. 1t is part of the
political metaphysics of the ultra Calhoun
school of Interpretation, a school which
never had any success in Congress, and
which rests at present under heavy load of
odium. Congress has perpetually exercised
powers for which no specific warrant can be
found in the constitution. There is no spe-
cifc grant Of power to maintain lighthouses;
to construct piers, harbors and breakwaters
on the great lakes; to erect q superb build
ing for the national Capitol or costly Presi-
Dental mansion, nor to appropriate money
for the statues and pictures in the Capitol or
for the library of Congress. The national leg
islature has constantly made appropriations
for these and similar objects, although no
body can point to the particular article and
section of the constitution by which they are
authorized. There is large field of implied
powers which Congress has never hesitated
to exercise and which logically result from
those expressly granted. The reasoning by
which these implied powers are deduced
from the constitution may be worth tracing
at some future time but our purpose at
present is merely to call attention to the fact
that Congress has never acted on any such
narrow Interpretation of the constitution as
that which is invoked against the Centen-
nial.
We ask attention to the various exploring
expeditions which have been fitted out from
time to time by the government, of which
that Of Commodore Perry to Japan and that
Of Captain Wilkes to the Antarctic seas are
conspicuous examples The sumptuous vol
umes, printed at the expense Of Congress,
containing the report of the expedition to
Japan, are full Of information whose only
value consists in the qualification Of libe-
raj curiosity. The government sent out
botanists, geologists, astronomers, mineralo-
gists biologists, ichthyologists, and the
reports of their labors, procured at great ex-
pense, were published at still additional ex-
pense, and for the most part given away
five hundred copies to Commodore Perry
| himself They were full of costly engray-
/ ings and colored pictures of the animals,
fishes, shells, plants &c, Of those distant
| regions and whatever authority the govern
ment may have had for such contributions
to useful or liberal knowledge is at least
equally valid for contribution to tho
Centennial. will the carpers tell u,
what is the authority for the coat
survevP Will thev inform us by what