National Republican., 1876-01-21
tax CENTENNIAL DEBATE.

continued Wlth great Vlgor during the tnfee
subsequent days. 1t has covered very
broad field and called out several very able
speeches The war and its kindred topics,
amnesty, subsidies and corporations in
general. strict construction State rights.
received as much attention as the points
directly and apparently involved. The
opponents of the bill have made three
points. They affirmed lack Of constitu-
tional power to give money for any slch
purpose; they attempted to class the Inter
national Exhibition with the ordinary pri-
vate corporations that ask for subsidies
and they asserted that the Centennial
Commission and Board Of Finance are
forbidden 10y the various acts of Congress
to apply for pecuniary aid. OF these OBJ
jections the first is most respectable in
form, but wholly undeserving of respect
in fact, as has been amply demonstrated in
the discussion.
The act of March s, 1871, creating the
Centennial Commission, said "the United
Estates shall not be liable for any expenses
"attending such exhibition, or by reason
"of the same, a perfectly proper pre-
vision, which was afterward inserted also
IN the charter Of the Board of Finance,
prepared at the instance of the Commis-
sion. The Commissioners, receiving their
commissions directly from the President of
the United States, and being by the act
instructed TO prepare and hold an Interna-
tional Exhibition of American and for
"eign arts, products and manufactures, -
"under tie auspices Of tie GOrernment,"
would, in the absence of any provision to
the contrary, have been cQuitably justified
in going Immediately to work, upon the
suppoSition that what the Government
ordered it expected to pay for in full as
matter CT course. But it was the theory
of this exhibition as Of all or nearly all the
others that have been held that the people
should pay part at least of the cost. It
was hoped in this case that the people of
the whole country would give the en-
terprise such a generous and patriotic
support that the Government need
never be called upon for a dollar. Aud
undoubtedly this would have been the
case but for the very great and prolonged
financial depression that has brought upon
all families below those who may be called
wealthy the necessity of strict economy
and feeling that they have nothing to
spare. But while the Commits sion and
Board Of Finance have never, in common
phrase, run the Government in debt" have
never exceeded in expenditure the estimate
made before beginning work; have never
failed to pay debt when it became due,
and have planned an exhibition tine largest
same time the least costly in proportion to
its magnitude, they have also borne in
mind that they were commissioned and
commanded TO hold the Exhibition and
"mdke report from time to time of the
progress of the work" to Congress and the
President. Sc acts Of March 5, 1871, and
June /, 1872 And long after the acts
referred 10 had properly forbidden the
Commission to run the Government in
debt in advance of an appropriation, and
after seven or eight acceptances Of foreign
Governments had been received, Congress,
in order to remove all misapprehensions of
the purposes of the nation, did, by act of
June >, 1874, request the President to ex-
"tendin the name Of the United States re-
"spectful and cordial invitation to the
Governments of other nations to be rep
RESENTED and take part in the Interna-
"tional Exposition" of 1876. The proviso
forbidding the creation of any obligation
On the paIt Of the Government was again
repeated. But that this was never intended
as decision that the Government would
expend no money upon the Exhibition is
perfectly clear from the fact that soon after
this renewed invitation and renewed pro-
hibitioD, Government appropriated half
million for its own board TO pay IFS own
expenses as an exhibition, (Which does
not help the Commission put up its build
ings,) and thirty thousand dollars to pay
for the engraving and printing the certifi-
Gates Of stock Of the Board of Finance.
Foreign nations sent in their acceptances
rapidly, and in most cordial terms. They
applied for space, and renewedly for
larger space. They were kept within the
most reasonable limits, but they take 12.G
acres of the main building out of 90 acres,
four-fifths of the art buildings and one.
fourth of the machinery hall Could the
Commission do otherwise than proceed
with its work?
1tisa favorite sophistry with the opponents
to talk Of 'tcorporatfoH' asking E-sute
sidy," as if the word corporation itself
were of necessity sufficient 10 condemn any
cause. 1t is to be observed that the "cor-
poraLion referred to, the board of finance, is
not an association gotten up to make money
nor is it the originator of the work. twas
created by Congress TO collect the subscrip-
tions of the people in ten.dollar shares
simply as an auxiliary, financial organ and
feeder of that commission which had been
created year before, and commanded to
prepare and superintend the execution Of
"a plan for holding the Exhibition. Prob
ably not one subscriber to the two and
half millions raised by the people ever ex-
pected to get his money back. 1t is Q
corporation created for the general
welfare of the United States, and for most
patriotic purpose.
The speech OF A. s. Hewitt, of New
York, was made by one who studied the
Paris snd other Exhibitions and has actual
knowledge of the subject, and commanded
great attention.
The noteworthy argument against the
constitutionality Of the expenditure was
made by j. Randolph Tucker, of Virginia.
and was refreshing as an antiquarian study.
1t must have been from the notes Professor
Tucker and his respected father used in
lecturing to their students thirty years ago.
1t propounded the narrowest imaginable
view OF State rights and national strict