-!
Amw
f atlD OUTLAW, Edi0r.
xiALEiGir, u. d. TiruTisD Air, 'tttA&G, iota
VOL XSVIL 110. 3
11 i.
is
Br
a''
1
(!'
"
' TIIO.TIAS J. lEMll'i .
rttOPBIETOR AND PCBLIallER.
f oacirriJ" tkresdnllar personam oil
k dfis ailvsnae. : Sabsariberi in ether Sinttt
."' ssnnitt be'allowed tbremaiaia'srrearilonper
th.nonsyaar.K parsons eSKteM vHhoutthra
gt.te, wh way deili'elo becttmc subscribers.
ill b strictly required to pay Iba ahole e-
monit oflhe year'tsubscrlpuouis sdvsace,
1svstiiivt, ao 'eseerdina; fifteen lines,
Ihxm three times for one Hollar, and lata-
tr-ara aeiitt lor each soniinuanee.
i - - 1 1
"CONGRESSIONAL?
SPKF.CH OV THK
1IO.Y. HUGH l WHITE. OP
TEK'VESSEi:.
Oi the BUI to distribute the proceed! of
the $alt of the rublie Land among
ttrt different State, delivered on the
251 n of April. 1830.
Mr. White rose and addressed (he
Senate the following effect:- ,
- Mr. Par.siDr.KT: The subject under
" --- . .
-consideration is not new, but tne cir
cumstances connected with it are both
' ou ui nt -cum ven tea Mr t -,! we
i. ' c - IX
. uwenouuig aiui nae Jia uveiuuwing
Trea-urj. The common want for an
canojai3caljAialpi8lnow o.f;he Gov
ernment, will require but a small por
tion of our vast, and accumulating,
; treasure; and the question is, what dis
position shall we make of the surplus.
Several projects have been present
ed. An increase of the Army, of the
Navy, additional fortifications, and
munitions of War, is une p'an. An-
" "other Ts to purine funds in "the power
of the Commissioner of the Sinking
Fund, and let them vest them in stocks,
which will add to our wealth; A third
in, 4e form contract wUbicrpf ated
Hail -mad Companies for transporting
the hialf rys ''Wit ike f6f es "arid you r
armies. And the fourth i, that pre
sented by this Bill, which is to dis-
. tribute the proceed of the Public
-Lands among the several State.
In forming an opinion upon this sub-
jecitT fimnmyself "compellerto form
some opinion on each of thet here also,
that I may be able to decide which
ought to be preferred. .
But the first question to be settled
is ne of power.
If we have no powrr to dispose of this
money, as this Bill proposes, it is only
a waste of time to pursue the subject
any farther.
Some of our enlightened public men,
years past, foresaw difficulties which
Z would, iu l tin Cr 4ii i gttta tc (rum su rpl u s -e
accumulating in the Treasury, and
suggested this very plan for disposing
of them. Some doubted the power
" uhijer the Conslitut'ion, and suggested
an aien linent' to remove the doubt j
others felt no doubts, therefore did not
deem any amendment necessary. All,
however, seem to have concurred in
the fairness and juttiee ot this disposi
tion of such funds, as might not be
needed, for the uses of the Federal
Government.
If I mistake not, Mr. Jefferson,
while President, made a suggestion to
C ngres on this subject.
Ten years ago an honorable Senator,
f rotOfe wZJ ersey,! no tiTISecretary Zuf
the Navy, and 1 do him the justice to
d J, tl"n, a--well a now, a xealous
friend of the present Chief Magistrate,
moved inthis bmly on this subject,
had a Committee created, made an
able ' detailed report, accompanied by
a bill, which wasnot finally acted ou
lgrfws! jwwiiwni
T do this gi-ntleman justice I must
parts of it aa are material, that we may
have the benefit of hi opinion as en
forced by himself. It is found in the
4th vol. of the Senate Documents at
the session 1825 and 1826: doc. 95,
- page 1 1 and is in these wordu, , ,
" inationofthe subject," due-attention to
' their other duties would Oermit them to make,
have come to the eoiielnaion that great ad -
. vantage wa.ild rrwdt to the United States
fum an annual diatributioa among them, by
I me equiiaUtft V.isU.oof :.M!on.jf.irTia-..
tiunal revenue, tur the purpowa of education
and internal improvement, ur tot such rther
purpoara aa Ilia State Governments may ra
anectirtlr deem moat to their advantage.
Whether the United State shall divide the
"whole of their revenue, beyond what are re
quired fur the usual expenditure of the Gov
ernment. domeatie and foreign, civil, milita
ry, ami naval, to the reduction ol oor public
debt, until the whole of it altatl be eatinguiali-
- ed( or whether they shall applv a portion of
those revenue,- ptoMiaed fur the most im
portant purposes, and thereby canst more
. 1 I . r -t. - A. A.. I .
k mnicoun n 111c piiuiicuvu mvitvi
itself into a question of eipediency.
, "nt remains for Congees to determine
which of these course will most effectually
promote the present, as well as .the future';
prosperity of the country. There csn be no
doubt, that money distributed among the
States as proposed, would be invested in a
wy to give much greater profit, than the in
tereat en such money would yield at three,
four and an half, or even five per cent, which
are th ' rate of interest now paid on the
greater part of oor public debt. J
As Urge portion of this debt is payable
to persons in Europe, to discbsrge it as fast
as our mean would permit, would be to send
front Mm country, sooner than necessary,
funds that ere - wanted at borne the incon
venience of which would b sensibly felt in
the present emMirassed Wat of -our monev-
ed nwaet, and moat probably, for several
years to Come. -., ; v, .-. .. ;.. . ,. i i
i "Money distributed -a prooosed, would
r ve n W metiXHlf U Iniuilrf mtid tnmfHtt in
H Ibe Statcsi and ttul ruml sad timulum
It would create a vigilance on the part of ,
the State Goverpments, over tne expencii
tures of the General Got erment.'and thereby
prtvht the wKie.f money and, tjie tep?
lion of extravagant measures, that might di
minish the amxMint of the annual di idemls.
, lt would secure mpati,at jtattct I alt It
SliJr in the diatribuiiua of the expenditure
ol our revenue, laiiure ui wiiikii at ireavni
. t- : . r :i. r i -.
is a Subject of Imid and just complaint
'It would relieve the General Government
of the serious inconvenience of an erfluw
ing Treasury, W liipli, if not provided for in the
Planner proposed, or by. jfc jredoctio4. 4. Oo
revenue, win impair me most important pnn
IS.IS'l.MMnwtlOnw,irtrfn33ii.-
.'lt would relieve the two Houses of Con
gress of a larcre portion of leg ialation, now
devoted to the diaposal of our surplus funds
legislation of the worst kind, calculated to
produce combinations, sectional feelings, in
justice aiid waste of lbe public treasure.
'It would transfer to -the Slates, the regu
lation of large expenditure for Interns!
Improvi menls by rosds sml canals, w hich if
retained and exercised by the .General Gov-
ernment, contrary, as is believed by many, to
the letter and spirit of our Constitution, will.
in time, so far decrease the powers of the
Stale Governments, and increase those of the
United Slates Government, ss to destroy the
edtrfalivo prinemple of our Unitmy -and eon
our system ;of cm fcdfl
g UiEiCullici arising
jeclion, ou cvnstitwUoMat groRods, to- the- ex
ercise 01 the rujht claimed on the part of the
united Mates, ol making roads and Canals
through-the -differenT, States" "ortlie XI iiioiv;
It would enable the General Government to
keep in operation an (liciciit system of fi
nance and revenue with advantage to the
States. And should the exigencies of the
country require the application of all our
means to some object connected with our na
tional peace and prosperity, those means
could soon be brought into operation, by sus
pending, fur a time, the dividends to the
State. By this h treasury -would -be filled
witnout a sudden resort to new taxes.
which might be oppreiive to agriculture, and
wbiCb Kiiirlit create much inconvenience bv
inteirupting the pursuits and industry of our
&!Ul,T-.
"Money collected from the source which
now give us txir revenues snd distributed a
mong the States as proposed, would produce
a rapid and profitable circulation of our funds.
from the centre to the extremities of the
Union, and thu add to the force of the
moneyed capital of the country." -
It will here be remarked, no doubt
was fel t or -ex pressedi atto- poire ri 0
distribute .every portion of the revenue,
which could be spared, and a plan was
recommended for adoption immediate-
y, although we then owed a large debt,
bearing various rate of interest, front 3
up too per centum.
Next in the order of time, la the Mes
sage of the present Chief Magistrate
at the commencement of the session of
Congress in 1829,- found in the Senate
Journal pages 13.. and 14. ..That part
01 11 wnicnir material, 1 in in esc
words 1ZZZll.lI J-1-111Z1. 1ZZ. ..
After the extinction of the public debt it
is not probable that any adjustment of the
tariff, upon principles Satisfactory to the peo
ple of the Union, will, 11 nl d a remote period.
lever, leave the Government without a con.
idcrable surplus in the treasury, beyond
wliat may be necessary fur its current service.
As then the period approaches w hen the ap-
plication of the revenue to the payment of
debt will cease, the disposition of the surplus
will present m aubject for the serious delib
eration of Congrsas, and it maybe fortunate
for the country that it is yet to be decided,
considered in connexion with the difficulties
which have heretofore attended appropria
tions for purposes of internal improvement.
ami with those which this experience tells
us will certainly arise, whenever power over
such subjects may be exercised by the Gener
al Govemmrntt it i hoped that it may lt'd
to the adoption r some plan, which will re- j
COticde the diversified inUreal uf ibe States, j
and strengthen the bond w hich unite tlu ro.
Every member of the Union, 111 peace and in
war, will be benefitted by the improvement
t inland navigation, and the construction Of
kijliway in the several States. Let us then
endeavor to attain hi-ienefit' in-w mode
whicli,ttiLbe,
eno adopted tti.'i, by msi!)-of oiir Fellow piri
sens, been deprecated as an infraction of the
CtMMtitutiimt while y others tt has been a
voweda iMexpedieil. All feel that it has
been employed at the expense of harmony in
the legislative councils.
I oavuid these evils, it appears to me thst
the must sale, just and federal disposition,'
nicli could be made of the surplus revenue,
ouulbc ilssppoitionment among tlie sever-'
UillUll---Aatbl aUtOSaisl lUlal SaaaVaMlira tt I ill 1 IK 1
warranted b. the Constitution, that it would
be expediviiTio propose to the States an a-
mcnciment autliurniiiig iu 1 regard an ap-
oispensable to the general welfare, ss among
woi, anu wjirn t rxrrcise is ueemeu in-1
ine most sscrcu ol all our obligations, upon
this country, nnr than any other, has in the
province of God, been cast the special guar
dianship of the great principle of adherence
to written Constitutions. It it fail her-, all
hope in regard tot it will be extinguished.
That this was intended to be a Government of
limited and specific, and not general power
must be admitted by alii and it is our duty to
preserve for it the chsrscter intended by'its
tranter. If experience paints out the neces
sity for sn enlargement of these powers, let
us apply for it to those for whoso benefit it is
to b exercisedi and not undermine the
whole system by a resort to overstrained com
structions, he. ?
It will be perceived thai In these
two short paragraphs, the justice and
utility of distributing these surplus
funds, are presented . to the mind, in
language as clear, distinct, and forci
ble, as csn well be employed.
It waa not necessary to his purpose,
and therefore he did not examine the
question whether the powers of Con
gress over the moneys arising from the
publie tandti were as limited as those
possessed over moneys derived Imm
foxes, and he' contents himself with
th expression of a general doubt on
the question of power, and recom
mend an amendment of the Consti
tution to remove it
At the session of 1831 and 1832,
this subject is Introduced into the Re
port 61 Mr. M Lane, then Secretary
or the Treasury and afterwards Se
ereiary at rate.:wiiat "wriiyr-v?nf
be found in the Senate Documents,
vol.". 1, do. 3i iwrtre : 12 and it , in
these words: . '.: "'. ,
fTbe source from which the rsvenu has
hitlierU been derivad, ant the imports, public
lands,aud bank dividends. With, the sals of
ths bsnk stock th hitter will cease; and - aa the
imports, seeoruing to any scaisoi amies wnicni
wWtsVt-tpstontaMrac
will be ar wcil to
i - i . .
penultum, tost portion of lbs revenus hereto-
for drawn fiom the sale of th public .land
may bsdiapsnsod with, should Congress ss fit
wi- .k;..;. .1
proper to observe, that th creation of numr-i
ous 8tste throughout ths Western country,
nowiorrainga most important part 01 tnei
Union, and the relative powsr claimed and ex
ercised by Congress and th respective Slates
ver the public land, bv. been gradually ac
cumulating causes of inquietude and difficulty,
if not of complaint. ' It may well . deserve con
sideration, therefore, whether, at a period de
manding an- amicable and permanent adjust-
vaoou surject wuicu now agiuus
4lj.inA&!s-iMlIe''-ia
geousjv- dinpoved : of, in - oommanwith- the
J: 1 r i ' -.v ,.
iVrtrr, and ppottPfitoplfc
to aU parts ot tha Lujon. ,
-It must be tulmittod that th public- lands
were ceded by th States, or subsequently ac
quired by the United States, for th common
benefit, snd that VacArte Jas an YncW Jw
their proceed; which it canttet juttly it
deprived. Over ibis part of the public proper
ty, the powers of the General Government bsve
been uniformly supposed to have a peculiarly
extensive scope, and have been construed to
authorize their application to purposes of edu
cation and improvement, to which other branch
es of revenue were not deemed' applicable. It
is not pracucabl to keep the public lands out
of.uWmarlmtr aad th pr ant mod of diipas-1
ing of tbem ia not the most profitable, eithef to
the Genenu Government, or to the elates, snd
must be expected, when the proceed sbatl be
no longer seuired for the publie ' debtT to "give
rise to new and mors serious objection. ?
"Under these- circuinstsnees, tt is submitted
to the wisdom of Congress, to decide upon tbe
propriety of sll the publie lands in, the ggre
gate, to those Slates within whose territorial
limit they lie, at a fair price, to bo settled in
such manner a. , mljrht b satisfactory to all.
The aggiegate price of the whole may then he
appertitntd amanj the meveral State f jhe
Uiutn, according to such squitsU ratio ss
may b consistent with th objects of the
6riginsleloa, ' tid
paid," dte.
The vigorous and discriminating
mind of this highly gifted and useful
man, at once recognizes at sound, a
distinction in the powers ot Congress
over moneys derived from a disposi
tion of the public lands, and those
powers that body may be supposed to
possess over money derived from
oltier sources, ami he strongly urges
he- necessity and propriety of a dis
trtbution among the State.
It is fortunate that we are not yet
placed in circumstance which make
it essential to decide whether we have
a Mjwrr to divide all surplus revenue,
no matter from what source derived.
I profess to be what is t ailed a
strict constructionist of the Constitu
tion, and that our power to appropriate
money is necessarily confined to ap
propriations, to effect some object up
on which Congress . is expressly em
powered to legislate, or home neces
sary and appropriate means to effect
such enumerated objects. Still 1 ne
ver ha ve. been tailed we do not po
Bess the-power To distribute surplus
revenue, if it is believed wise to do
SO;
No just Government will take, eith
er by direcLorintlirect taxes, more
money than is necessary to defray all
the : renft
tiietit. When taxes are imposed eith
(erfc'dnly'rfrTi-bjn"eTw
duties, it'.connot be foretoltl precisely
how muchwitt'i)ewntetlt"orliow
much will be received, in the Treasu
ry. t We must . necessarily act upon
estimates. -To some extent; we .will
be inislakeriT" Foreseeing t1ii, and
for the sake of collecting what will be
-....jnt-. ..;,:. u . uitl slmiict in.
I
ry. In a seru t. of year these ac
j cumulating balances will amount to a
11 m too lariro to remain locked un. and
1 . ...
done? - We surely are not - at liberty
to devise some wasteful and mischiev
ous project, merely to use the money.
"It came into the Treasury by mis
take. Mistakes which, in the nature
of things, could not be avoided. Have
we no power to correct ;thein when
discovered? Is hot the power to re
fund the money a necessary result
from the power to assess and collect
U?.v j
Is not this a power which , Congress
has always exercised, and must exer
cise: as to individuals? 1
' By mistaVe. our officers collect and
nlace in the Treasurv. monev which
ought not to have been' collected, the
mistake is discovered, and the individ
ual calls on Congress for redress,
We pass a law to refund the money,
Where da we get power, to do this?
There is no express grant of any such
power, but it results . from the very
nature of the relation which exists be
tween the payer and receiver. The
latter must always have .power to act
justly, to act honestly, and whenever
he finds he has money through .mis
take, he would seem to have; power to
refurq jt.,,Bti 1 1 (Jo pot Jnten.tL.lo'. .t:
press any opinion on this point, or to
prolong a discussion, by introducing
important topics, not necessary to ou
action on this bill. All 1. intended
was to state, lor m vself. that should it
c erjuctuiue MctcsMtrr . 114 uiscuss ine
general tubjet t ol pur power otstn
bute the whole' surplus, bo huttef
from what source' derived, for one.
think it well worth a careful and de
liberate consideration, before it is either
affirmed or denied and I most . heart!
11 v concur in 1 lie aoumi uueir ine 01 ine
. ; At - . , -
-. . L- ,
war power.
The question which we must now
J..,.:.!. ; u,l.u.k.. - K.v-
to do that which all admit, it is p-r
ftlr JUSt we should do, if . We have
the powerdistribute the proceeds of
tne aalea ol the pUDIIC lantlS.
The' following cDiiaulerati
rations nave
satisfied my own mind, and they are
respect fully submitted for the reflec
tion of others. Our public lands were
acquired., by the United States, bv
deed of cessions from several indiviJ-
11, -- ft tat mm and v tti-4.tiprha nf
,.5Wu:s,-. .- ..
uouisiana ami mrtoa, . wnicn were
lands which had been ceded by ludi-
ftAdSta4avi?.'7"-
The most important cession was
made by the SfaU, uflVirginit, . in the
year 1784, anil jharirr.lrlhe'"it!"el
stoti material to our present purpose,
is in the following word.: ,
"Thai all ths lands within. th territory so
coded to ths United States, snd not preserved
for, or appropriated to any of the before men
tioned purposes, or disponed of in bounties to
the officers snd soldiers oftb American army,
shall bo considered s a csmiasis fund for the
us aud bsuafUof such-of ths UmteJ 8tst aa
have become, or halt become, memliers of the
confederation, or Federal allisncs of the said
SuiyiriidaiHclufivejucvdinUtJieir
untiil rttpective prprtin in the rtneral
charr and expenditure and thalt be faith-
juuy mna bona Jide Ottpetea f fer mat pur-
pate, ana fur n mer ute ttpurpeei -tthartt'
ever." I vol. Laws V. a. p. 474.
- This language creates an express
trust between the United States and
each individual Stater""5"-
By it the United States stand pledg
ed Id hold these lands in trust, that
they Shall be faithfully managed, and
their avails applied for the joint bene
fit of all.
So far as it has been applied to the
payment of debts due by all, the
trust has been complied with) out now
the debts are paid, and there ' is a
surplus, have we the power to give
this surplus to those for whose, use the
trust was creaicur ;
, I might ask who can doubt it?
Suppose the Stales, still bound to
gether onl for tlie articles of confed
eration, out of money raised in its own
way, and out of its own means, each
Slate had paid, when called on, its re
gular qti'tta for the expenses of . the
Ffder.il Government, and for the pay
tnent of the national debt, and there
was a turn us of twenty or thirty
millions of dollars, for which the Fed
eral Goveniirlrnt had no ue, would
we not be bound to distribute it? I
say we would not' only have the pow
er to do so, but if we did not exert it,
a court of chancery would compel us,
if we rould be sued. . .
The very terms of the session Wk
to -diajfrftuffohrflf this" were not ao.
why isay in the 'rfVed, that when used
for the benefit of all. "Virginia" thull
AetrtcteuV!
which payments shall be made to
e;ich?.If we pnly have-powerJo..pay
debts, and bear common expenses of
Government, with these; money a,- and
can do nothing else with them, both
useless. r .
lliake It therefore ai too clear for a
loubt, that il now connected by the
articles of con led era t ion only, we
would have the power to zdistribute.
The next question is, did the adop
tion of the prrsrnt. CtmstHutioo. alter
Cwgrrtthe-11
their engagement ?Zla!iwVr unhesi
tatingly no. ' ZZ.Z Z-.ZZ--ZZ.
In- the 6t hrarticf eZn f the Con st i t u -tion,
the first paragraph runs thus;
- "Alt debt contracted, nd engagements' en
tered Into, before th adoption of thi Constitu
tion, shall be as valid against th United States
under this Constitution as under the confed
eration." ... ., ;. ' . . . ' .V
In the Sd section of the 4th article
of the same instrument, this language
is fonnd .".
"The Congress shsll have power to dispose
of, and mas all needful rules and reculstioo,
respecting th territory or other property of
too united Bute, and nothing In this Con
stitution shsll b construed to prejudice any
chums of th United Stat, or of any particu
lar elate."
Thus we find all debts contracted.
land engagements entered into, before,
i were to ..remain unchanged,, and the
.respective rights ojf the United States
and of each . individual State, were to
remain ., preriselr as if the form of
Government had not been altered, and
express power 1 conierred to dispose
of the public, ismis, and to tnalte all
needful rules and regulations respect
ing th territory or. other property of
tne vniteu states.
, With thesa different , provisions be-'
fore
ore him, who can doubt the power of
the United States," to
da that which.
by accepting this trust, they express-
lj..agreed..todol'.-,.... , -,-.. -----Cessions
from the other States are
made substantially - 00 the same con
ditions, and liable to th. same dia- troops will come, on days o( election,
fjsitions by Congress. Louisiana and and as they are hired to do our flzftf
lorida were purchased with the avails; ing they will do our voting likewise.
onfic
the same, and that trustee holds these!
lands loaded with exactly the samel
burden, and i bound, if those for!
whose use they, are holden desire it,Jo
dispose ofitheHi and their proceeds in
the same manner.
I bold, therefore, that be the, gen-
! etw of power todistf ibiifetite
there ought to be no question as to the
power. to divide moneys arising -from
tne sales o lands. .
cut it has been argued that it we
have the power, there is no money to
divide. I hat when the amount is
settled, the net gain will not exceed
84UU,UUU. .. -r -
To this I can never agree. The
United States took this trust fund, and
with it purchased Louitiana and FlorU
da, and. how we are told they have had
the use or the money Jor nothing, and
witlonlr iccottntToritlie"! principal, '
t Iuwww6:ws . If ine trustee
UKea the trustv lunuanii trades orton
t, he must account to the ce$tvy que
uset lur. all the pmnts made,
The question in chancery would be,
not what these countries cost, but
wtaTihcy irfewrthr- .::..,. .'1
You cannot fix a price. ; Louisiana
and Florida! The sovereignty and
jurisdiction over them alone,4s worth
more to this Union, than all the na
tional debt we ever owed.
llow much duties have we collect
ed from their ports?, llow much have
we avoided - paying,--be-tnaking-tliem
our own, instead of letting them re-
I main foreign ports? How many wars
nave we avoiueu oy tiieir pumiaser
In ahortr- whal wouldr-yottHake-tor
them? No sum. They are beyond
price to the ' rest of Hit iThib'Z''ZT'
t)u this part of the subject, the
question with me is, not what sum we
now nave t the ivcasury, which - was
received for the sale of lands, out
whether. wehave a -aura ialhe-Trea.-
sury equal to that proposed to be dis-
tnUuted. over ami above alt- thaHa
necessarr to be annronriated to take
care of the great interests of the coun-
try, anti wiiiioux ueoning. tne otaies
v.. . , . , r . , . ,
wun tne auma patu lor ijouisiana ami
Florida, because I am sure, upon any
fair seltlment, the sum due from the
Union, is at least equal to the sum
which it i proposed now to distribute.
What sum have we, and what will
we probably receive, in the course of
I he year;, uzzn,.::::. :zz,riz:'r
I will take round sums, disregard
ing tractions. . . ,
W now have in th Treasury 133,000,000
Of this sum, th quarter- ending
SlstMsrcb, produced 11,000,000,
8upposeths remaining three qtiar-
terstosversge thslik sum, snd w
willhav on th 3 1st December,
mor by - 33,000,000
Add th value of our bank stock 7,500,000
Estimated amount 72,500,000
Deduct for falling off and dsfl-
ciencte , e.OOO.OOO
167)00,000
After this liberal tleductloiuwe will
have 8lx(y-sevenmilliona
of the year.
Wow lor expenditures: ;
The ordinary wants of the Govern
ment Ought hot t.i eiceed 8 1 5.000,000.
Mr. M Lane, in the remrt of 1831, to
which I- have-dvertrd,Tl?xes rtipon
that as a sum amply. suOicient, and it
appears to me in aU conscience il must
drive us into the most mad excesses.
Let us diaa tak this as tb sum- naeenrars
for our ordinary xpene la th eours of th
year - pia.OUO.OUO.
Add to this, to be Oistxibuuxi
mong.th State ' - 37,000,000
The two sums amount to ft J,000,000
fake forty-two millions from sixty
even, and- we willrktUl. have , ifi, Jlir J
nireasury fwenty-Kve millions of doL
lars to apply to any extraordinary ex
penditures tor Ihe army, the navy, Mr
fortifications, or for any other purpose
whatever. , .
The arm r " ought lo be Increased so
much at to render secure oar frontiers.
The increase of our navy may be has
tened to some extent, and we ought
ultimately to have a naval force, more
than able to chastise and drive off any
foreign fleet sent to Uockade, or seri
ously to infest our coast. Iarger
than that we no not need, and ought
not to have, if it were given to us.
Fortifications art only wanted lor
important points, at which an enemy
niigiuuo mucn miscmei to puonc or to
private property, by sudden Incursion.
The whole coast we never can, and
should never attempt to defend by for-
tinration.
If wt do, wa must have a large
standing army to defend them other
wise they will.be applied to the pro
tection of our enemies. ,'
We are told by the Secretary of
War. in a document Derore roe, that
Old Point Comfort covers C3 acres of
rrnund. and to nrotect it by an aie
quate force, would require tevtrai Ikou-
i n men... -
W e never can, we never ought to at-
tempt to defend our whole coast, by so
e i, '
many lonincauoDB, as win require any
considerable increase of our army
If wt do, ia time of peace, the
short" time leave usnoUiinj"
worth fortifying.- J
Such' defences lire contrary in the
spirit and genius of our Government
and ought never to hf tonlenanced, or
tolerated to the anreasonabl extent.
which syme appear now to desire. ' la
the same document af pages . 21, 22,
IrtMw tiw-War- Department; the Oecrt-
be commenced unlit all the proposed
sites are resurveyed and plans devised
upon suitable scale, and recommends
a Uoard for that purpose, which will
require a small appropriation of thirty
thousand dollars,
lie also recommends experiments to
be made in relation lo steam, or rnova -ble
batteries, which will require an ap
propriation of one hundred thousand
dollars. . . ' : r
Well then, if we concur with the
Sect etary, we want, at present, no p--
propriation lor new, lortincationsj but
thr.;t we so iff d ttf:httBtked'
afttt thirty thonsantf dollars to delraj
the expense of a Board, and the cx
perimeots of which I have spoken
, As to the fortifications, notff in prot't "
rrsa, let auch increase be made in the -appropriations,
at- can reatonably be -
useu in tne course 111 tne year.
As to the suggestion made that we
ought, at once, to appropriate a sum
large enough to complete the work, al
though it may be five or ten years be
fore it can be completed, 1 do not
think it ought, to be soctiooetUJt.JfL
vnec4aarUy,and for a long time, put
ting ai nazaru, in the nanus 01 agents, -who
may prove faithless, large sums of
WWXrltowjm
appropriations be made, and thus avoid -" - Z.".
all unnecessary risk.
Accordifijjf to tlii " lime document,
the expense necessary for ordnance
must be comparatively trifling. We
can be- much Tnore readily supplied' 1' '
than thad imagined.
Upon the whole I think alL the rea-
sonable demands for the army, for the .
na vy, foe lorti fica tiona,- or dn an cevsnd " J
other munitions uf war, can be supplied "
without making any serious impression,
upon that large fund left in the Trrss- .
ury, after providing for the distribu.
lion, as proposed in this bill.
, Allusion has been made to matters
pending before us, when not acting aa
a Legialalure, which, if perfected, may - -oecasion
a considerable increase of ex
pediture. -"Z s: -- vZ';.Z ".'r?':j":" ";
; .That may be sotyrt we must remem
her that not much of this expenditure
will, or can be th'u year, or the next,
and that these very measures will in .
crease our resources, if not entirely"
equal te our ; increased exjienditure, - r -:
very nearly so. ; These matters, there
fore, may belaid aside, v
Another project for ridding tht Trea
sury of its surplus, is that of placing it .
in the hands of Commissioners of the.
Sinking Fund, and authorising them' ta
vest it in some secure stuck, yielding;
a reasonable profit. This might do, "
and is probably intended aa an expe
dient to save the money from lossi butT
a t a moile of lessening the fund.lit
would be making bad worse, it would ',
be devising a plan to incrta$e our store,
berause we would expect a return of
the principal and the tMcreit produo',
dued by it. l- '"; .; Z Zs. - "' Z
But for myself, I have no Idea of'
sending our money among stock hbers. 7rr"
into tne margci. to be higgling lor bar
good and in some other, very bad. Far:
rat her-wonld I prefer they" ih0tttd r
tnattt wnere tney now .irs---.. -,
Th last schene fir adoption Is, -"
thst front the Post OiUce Committee
wilh the aid f steam. Z7 --
" With . the ftiil of this machinery, I x
nave every nine aouoi, tne whole can '
be , accompUhc4 e very hof t time -,y
Z Tlie Whole'of this,- which, without
intending disrespect to the Committee,
1 must can anivi contrivance, is nei-
ther more nor less, than the oJ nyitem
of Internal. Imprtnemttw with federal ,
meant, and by Federal power, revived,
and the more odious,;because of the at
tempt at concealment, The, old iyZ .
em has the meiit of manliness. , Its,
friends think the Federal Government
has the power, and openly avow that
they will exercise it, because, in doing '"
so, they promote the public interest.
This seeks to violate the Constitution -by
stealth, and the contrivers of it most"
think the device is seertfully conceal-
ed, that the public can never find out "
the design. ... ;
t Now, sif(I think It perfectly proper,
that where a rait road can be'had, the
Post Master General ought to havo "
it power to contract with the compa
ny, to carry his mat?, and I under
stand he Aaa thit power already there- "
fo e as to existing rosds the'bill will .
be of no se.; He can make just as '.
good 4 contract without, as with, this '
bill. .- ': : . ' '
, It ran only operate on roads com- ,
tnenced and unfinished, or ones beln
ommencd.. How then will it p- -
rate? Say the road is to be one hun- ,
dred miles long, and ten or twenfy
miles only finished, and ,the comjpy
to need funds, they make a contract t Z
carry the mail, aod receive at once'
out of the Treasury, a sum cf money,