Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

DEBATES OF CONGRESS. 533 DECEMBER, 1834.] The President's Message. [SENATE. hundred and six millions of dollars. In this amount able constitutional provision is made upon the subwas included authority to the Secretary of the Treas- ject, and so essential do I regard the point to the ury to subscribe for the stock of different companies highest interests of our country, that I could not to a great extent, and the residue was principally for consider myself as discharging my duty to my conthe direct construction of roads by this Government. stituents in giving the Executive sanction to any bill In addition to these projects, which had been pre- containing such an appropriation. If the people of sented to the two Houses under the sanction and re- the United States desire that the public Treasury commendation of their respective Committees on shall be resorted to for the means to prosecute such Internal Improvements, there were then still pending works, they will concur in an amendment of the conbefore the committees, and in memorials presented, stitution, prescribing a rule by which the national but not referred, different projects for works of a character of the works is to be tested, and by which similar character, the expense of which cannot be the greatest practicable equality of benefits may be estimated with certainty, but must have exceeded secured to each member of the confederacy. The one hundred millions of dollars. effects of such a regulation would be most salutary Regarding the bill authorizing a subscription to in preventing unprofitable expenditures, in securing the stock of the Maysville and Lexington Turnpike our legislation from the pernicious consequences of Company as the entering wedge of a system, which, a scramble for the favors of Government, and in rehowever weak at first, might soon become strong pressing the spirit of discontent which must inevitaenough to rive the bands of the Union asunder, and bly arise from an unequal distribution of treasures believing that, if its passage was acquiesced in by which belong alike to all. the Executive and the people, there would no longer There is another class of appropriations for what be any limitation upon the authority of the General may be called, without impropriety, internal imGovernment in respect to the appropriation of money provements, which have always been regarded as for such objects, I deemed it an imperative duty to standing upon different grounds from those to which withhold from it the Executive approval. Although, I have referred. I allude to such as have for their from the obviously local character of that work, I object the improvement of our harbors, the remight well have contented myself with a refusal to, moval of partial and temporary obstructions in our approve the bill upon that ground, yet, sensible of navigable rivers, for the facility and security of our the vital importance of the subject, and anxious that foreign commerce. The grounds upon which I dismy views and opinions in regard to the whole matter tinguished appropriations of this character from should be fully understood by Congress, and by my others have already been stated to Congress. I constituents, I felt it my duty to go further. I will now only add that at the first session of Contherefore embraced that early occasion to apprise gress under the new constitution, it was provided, Congress that, in my opinion, the constitution did by law, that all expenses which should accrue from not confer upon it the power to authorize the con- and after the 15th day of August, 1789, in the ne-' struction of ordinary roads and canals within the cessary support, and maintenance, and repairs of limits of a State, and to say, respectfully, that no bill all light-houses, beacons, buoys, and public piers, admitting such a power could receive my official erected, placed, or sunk, before the passage of the sanction. I did so in the confident expectation that act, within any bay, inlet, harbor, or port of the the speedy settlement of the public mind upon the United States, for rendering the navigation thereof whole subject would be greatly facilitated by the dif- easy and safe, should be defrayed out of the Treasference between the two Houses and myself, and that ury of the United States; and, further, that it the harmonious action of the several departments of should be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasthe Federal Government in regard to it would be ury to provide, by contracts, with the approbation ultimately secured. of the President, for rebuilding, when necessary, So far at least as it regards this branch of the sub- and keeping in good repair the light-houses, beaject, my best hopes have been realized. Nearly four cons, buoys, and public piers, in the several States, years have elapsed, and several sessions of Congress and for furnishing them with supplies. Appropriahave intervened, and no attempt, within my recollec- tions for similar objects have been continued from tion, has been made to induce Congress to exercise that time to the present, without interruption or this power. The applications for the construction dispute. As a natural consequence of the increase of roads and canals, which were formerly multiplied and extension of our foreign commerce, ports of upon your files, are no longer presented; and we entry and delivery have been multiplied and estabnave good reason to infer that the current of public lished, not only upon our seaboard, but in the insentiment has become so decided against the preten- terior of the country, upon our lakes and navigable sion as effectually to discourage its re-assertion. So rivers. The convenience and safety of this comthinking, I derive the greatest satisfaction from the merce have led to the gradual extension of these conviction that thus much at least has been secured expenditures; to the erection of light-houses; the upon this important and embarrassing subject. placing, planting, and sinking of buoys, beacons, From attempts to appropriate the national funds to and piers, and to the removal of partial and tem. objects which are confessedly of a local character, we porary obstructions in our navigable rivers, and in cannot, I trust, have any thing further to apprehend. the harbors upon our great lakes, as well as on the My views in regard to the expediency of making ap- seaboard. Although I have expressed to Congress propriations for works which are claimed to be of a my apprehension that these expenditures have national character, and prosecuted under State au- sometimes been extravagant, and disproportionate thority, assuming that Congress have the right to do to the advantages to be derived from them, I have so, were stated in my annual Message to Congress in not felt it to be my duty to refuse my assent to bills 1830, and also in that containing my objections to containing them, and have contented myself to folthe Maysville Road bill. low, in this respect, in the foosteps of all my pre. So thoroughly convinced am I that no such appro- decessors. Sensible, however, from experience and priations ought to be made by Congress, until a suit- observation, of the great abuses to which the un.