Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-10
Observation-Disclosures 10. 1856
The Blair Bill-The Power.

Yesterday we called upon Democratic
congressman who have any doubt as to
the power Of Congress to pass the
BLAIR bill to read the speech of Judge
GEORGE. Of Mississippi, on that point
and be convinced. Here in Virginia,
where the Federal courts are claiming
Jurisdiction in cases in which the State
herself is the real party-where our
tobacco we dare not sell without COM
plying with Federal laws on the sub
iec,-where internal-revenue officials
stand ready to arrest the unlettered
countryman who makes a few gallons
of brandy out of his own apples-here'
we say, it seems like a mockery to talk
about limitations upon the power of the
Congress that passed all such laws.
But let us hear Judge GEORGE. In
1874 Congress passed law apprOprl-
ating $4,000 to refugees from the
island Of San Domingo. Commencing
under JEFFERSON in 1901, appropria-
tions have been made every year up
till now in aid Of American seamen in
foreign countries. In 1876 $4,000 was
donated to two American citizens who
had paid that sum as ransom to the
Government of Algiers. In 1912 Con-
gress gave money to sufferers from an
earthquake in Venezuela. In 1917
ships-of.war were sent from the United
States TO Ireland to carry provisions,
and in 1871 similar ships were sent to
France. In 1876 millions Of dollars
were voted to the Centennial; after
wards over a million to the New Or
leans Exposition. Congress buys silk
worm eggs, garden-seeds, corn, wheat,
tea, and what not.
Where. asks Judge GEORGE, is the
power in the Constitution to pay money
for watching the transit Of Venus, or
for geological surveys: Or for sending
expeditions to South America, or else
where? Or round the globe? Where
did you find power to expend the peo-
pies money in an expedition to the
North Pole; Or for surveying the
Nicaragua canal, or the Panama route?
Then you vote money every year to
educate the Indians. Can you vote
money to educate Indians, and yet not
have the power to vote money to edu-
cate negroes or white men: Then
there is the congressional library, which
has cost millions Of dollars. where is
the constitutional power for that:
Again Whence comes the power to
spend money on monuments to GRANT,
or WAsHINGToN, or anybody else?
Then said Judge GEORGE:
"Then come two or three Of the
greatest transactions in this country in
which money was spent, and ! should
like to know where the power exists in
the Federal Constitution, under the con-
struction placed on it by the opponents
of this bill, TO make the purchase of
Louisiana, the purchase Of Alaska, the
purchase Of that magnificent domain
which we acquired from Mexico, the
purchase of Florida, the purchase
under the Gadsden treaty of still
further strip of the Mexican territory.
- 1t does seem to me when we COM
pare these transactions of the Govern
ment with the theory of the Consttu-
tion advocated by the opponents of this
bill that il is a great misfortune that
the people of the United States are not
either Indians OF inhabitants of the
isles Of the sea, or of some foreign
country, or possibly Of some celestial
planet, so that they might derive some
benefit from the taxes which they are
compelled to pay"
Is it not preposterOus to say that
Government that can do all those things
cannot appropriate money to educate
its own citizens "a Government which,
as Judge GEORGE said, has been from
the very beginning aiding the States to
do that very thing, sometimes, asin the
BLAIR bill, by the grant of money de-
rived from all the sources from which
money can 60 into the Treasury, and
in other cases by q grant of lands be-
longing to the United States and money
derived from the sales of those lands.
Judge GEORGE showed that Congress
had appropriated money for the intro
duction by the United States Fish Com
mission into and the increase in the wa
teIs Of the United States of food-fshes
and other useful products Of the waters,
including Holsters, oysters, and other
shell.Gsh, and for continuing the in
quiry into the fisheries Of the United
States and their subjects, and for such
general and miscellaneous expendi-
lures as the Commissioner OF Fish
and Fisheries might find necessary
10 the prosecution Of his work, in-
GLIDING salaries or compensation of
all necessary employees, 100000.
Also, for the preparation and msinte.
nance Of Gsh-ponds in Washington and
elsewhere. &c. Also, for "iish COM
mission buildings, Woods Holl, Mass. ,,
ard for sailing vessels to propagate
food.fshes. Also, an appropriation of
100000 10 aid the State and local
boards Of health IN the arrest Of cpl.
dsmic diseases. Also, amillion dollars
to take care Of the weather.
But enough. The arguments, or
rather the facts, are unanswerable.
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