H. OF R.]

Cumberland Road.

[MAY 3, 1832.

Mr. Jefferson sought the first occasion to put his plan Union, and of giving stability and permanency to the into execution at the time of erecting the State of Ohio Union itself," and founded "on a mutual regard to the inout of part of the Northwestern Territory, and of admit- terests of each." ting it into the Union. At this time Mr. Jefferson and his The bill to enable the people of Ohio to form a constifriends William B. Giles and John Taylor, of Caroline, tution and to exercise the rights of self-government, passmay be justly considered as among the leaders of that po- ed the 30th of April, 1802. Like the ordinance by which litical party who contend for a strict and limited construc- they had been before governed, it contained articles of tion of all constitutional grants of federal power. But mutual compact binding on the United States and the they did not hold with the doctrines of the present day as State of Ohio. The first of these granted the sixteenth to what is called the tariff policy, either in point of con- section of every township of land to the trustees for the stitutionality or expediency, nor entirely with the modern use of schools; the second provided for the reservation doctrines of the same party, in relation to internal im- of several salt springs on the Scioto and Muskingum provements. Whether Mr. Jefferson or Mr. Giles were rivers; and the third carried out the recommendations of of opinion that Congress could not construct and regulate the report as follows: "The one-twentieth part of the nett roads crossing the territory of a State, or of part of it, for proceeds of the public lands lying within the said State, general national purposes, by virtue of any of the constitu- sold by the United States, from and after the 30th day of tional grants of power or not, is not certain. If they sup- June next, after deducting all expenses incident to the posed the power to be comprised in the express grants, same, shall be applied to the laying out and making pubthey conceived it to be obtainable by the consent of each lic roads leading from the navigable waters emptying into particular State, a part of whose territory might be need- the Atlantic, to the Ohio, to the said State, and through ed for public uses in making and regulating roads for na- the same. Such roads to be laid out under the authority tional purposes. And, according to this notion of exercis- of Congress, with the consent of the several States through ing the powers of the General Government, Mr. Giles, in which the road shall pass." The consideration for this his report on the subject of admitting the State of Ohio concession by Congress was an exemption of all lands sold into the Union in 1802, makes use of the following lan- by the United States from all State taxation for five years guage in the third article of perpetual compact between from the day of sale. Of this one-twentieth part of the the new State and the United States, proposed by him and revenue derived from the public lands, two-fifths were to adopted by both parties. be laid out by Congress in making a road or roads leading from the Atlantic waters to the State of Ohio, and the remaining three-fifths were to expended by the Legislature of Ohio in making roads within the State.

After noticing the articles of compact contained in the ordinance for the government of the Northwestern Territory, the report proceeds: "Taking into consideration these stipulations; viewing the lands of the United States It is obvious that the consent of the States here spoken within the said territory as an important source of revenue; of had relation to such States as might own the territory deeming it also of the highest importance to the stability over which a road might be made from the Eastern wand permanency of the union of the eastern and western ters to the State of Ohio; and these being Pennsylvania, parts of the United States, that their intercourse, as Maryland, and Virginia, the consent of each was asked far as possible, be facilitated, and their interests mutually and obtained "to lay out, make, and regulate" the Cumand liberally consulted and promoted, are of the opinion berland road. that the stipulations aforesaid may, consistently with these My own opinion has always been that Mr. Jefferson interests, be varied," &c. The report proceeds to re- did not suppose the consent of these States necessary to the commend that one-tenth of the proceeds of the public power intended to be exercised, but as advisable in order lands within that State should be set apart for the pur- to the maintenance of harmony and good feeling between pose of making a road or roads from the navigable rivers these States and the Federal Government, as each of these of the Atlantic to the State of Ohio, and through the same. States might desire to command its own outlet to the great Those who deny the power of this Government to make Western country, and one of them was proceeding by raroads and canals, whenever demanded by considerations pid strides with a turnpike from its eastern to its western of public utility, would do well to consider this report, emporium at the head of the Ohio river. It is scarcely and to reflect on the times when, and the circumstances possible that Mr. Jefferson ever conceived the absurd and under which it was made. The party styling itself republi- dangerous innovation of adding to the constitutional powcan had just come into power. Mr. Madison's report and ers of the Union others derived from the mere concession resolutions were in the recollection of every politician of of a single State, not assented to by a convention of the that party, and were considered by each as his political people of the States, nor adopted as an amendment of the text-book. Mr. Jefferson, the leader of that party, was constitution, but merely on the sanction of an ordinary act at the head of the Government, Mr. Madison his Secreta- of legislation. ry of State, and Mr. Giles the file leader in this House. It is difficult to perceive that the administration of Mr. In the first year of an administration begun and conducted Jefferson had at that time drawn or maintained any disunder such auspices, it would be but natural to expect a tinction between the power to regulate foreign, and that strict adherence to the limited constructions contended for to regulate internal commerce. These powers are grantin the recent struggle which had resulted in the elevation ed in the same words, by the third member of the eighth of the party to power. It was natural that the powers section, article the first, of the constitution: "To reguassumed would be drawn, not necessarily or reasonably late commerce with foreign nations and among the several implied, from express grants. And yet the power pro- States, and with the Indian tribes." Ever since the adop posed to be exercised by Mr. Giles's report is not given in tion of the present constitution, and under every administerms, nor does the report attempt its vindication from the tration, Congress has been in the habit of providing for power of making war, or of regulating internal commerce. the erection of lighthouses, breakwaters, and other On the contrary, the public lands are spoken of as a means for the protection and security of commerce with source of revenue--"an important source of revenue," foreign nations and between the States coastwise. And and the expenditure of part of it recommended on those what are breakwaters, lighthouses, and other improvebroad principles of sound policy maintained by the fede-ments in the channels and mouths of our rivers, and in ral party then, and by the friends of the tariff and of in- our roadsteads, other than so many easements, facilities, ternal improvement now, and at all times. These roads and securities afforded by Government, for the safe and were then recommended as means of facilitating the in- speedy transportation of persons and goods engaged in tercourse between the Eastern and Western States of this foreign and domestic trade, in all cases where the water is

66

MAY 3, 1832.]

Cumberland Road.

[H. OF R.

the element on which that transportation is made? And of Illinois, a distance of five hundred and ninety-two miles. if the power to afford these aids to our commerce con- The probable distance from Vandalia to the Mississippi ducted on the water has, to this day, been questioned by at St. Louis is sixty-three and a half miles, and from none, why are not similar aids to transportation by land thence to Jefferson city, the seat of Government of Misjustified by the same construction? The words confer- souri, one hundred and thirteen and a half miles, making ring the power to regulate it are the same in relation to a total distance of seven hundred and sixty-nine miles. internal and external commerce, and, as a gentleman from Of this whole distance, that from Cumberland to WheelGeorgia observed the other day, they are entitled to the ing, one hundred and thirty miles, and from Wheeling to same construction. Zanesville, in Ohio, seventy-three miles, in all two hundred and three miles, have been finished; thirty-nine miles more in Ohio are nearly finished, and the whole to Columbus under contract. Great progress has been made, and is now making, in the unfinished parts of the road in Indiana and Illinois, as far as Vandalia. It may be fairly es[timated that about one-half of the whole distance from Cumberland to Jefferson city has been done, or one-half the whole expense incurrred, should it be the pleasure of Government hereafter to pursue the work in Missouri. The part finished is not only that which, under equal circumstances, would be the most expensive, but greatly so, considering the inexperience of both Government and its agents

It cannot be denied that the Cumberland road would be useful to Government in time of war, by accelerating the passage of munitions and forces: nor can it be denied that it has greatly contributed to the safety and speed of the public mails. But it was not on these grounds that the administration of Mr. Jefferson recommended the measure. They looked to considerations of greater magnitude than these to the stability and permanency of the Union, promoted by a mutual cultivation of the interests of all its parts. If it were necessary to justify the Cumberland road on the "ground of a power involved in that to regulate internal commerce among the States," that ground would be fully justified by the effects. Before that communica- in the commencement. tion was opened, the transportation of property from Baltimore to the Ohio river at Wheeling or Pittsburg, cost at the rate of seven, and sometimes ten dollars per hundred weight. Freights between the same points are now reduced to one-third or less of the former costs, the time required to effect the transportation reduced to little more than half, and the burden drawn by the same power nearly doubled.

The actual cost of the work between Cumberland and Wheeling, in 1822, when it was finished, was

Since which time, there has been expended in repairs on that part of the road, the sum of

Making the present cost of the road between Cumberland and Wheeling

$1,718,846 35

172,369 00

$1,801,195 35

The State of Indiana was admitted into the Union du- When this part of the road was finished, Congress was ring the administration of Mr. Madison. Among the ar- unwilling to entrust its preservation to the States, because ticles of compact between that State and the United States, of the supposed hostility of Pennsylvania to the location of is one setting apart five per cent. of the proceeds of the the road, and the General Government was unable to republic lands as a fund for making public roads and canals, pair it by the imposition of tolls to the amount necessary of which three-fifths parts are to be applied to those ob- for that purpose, by reason of the diversity of opinion prejects within the State by its Legislature, and the remain-vailing as to the constitutional power of Congress. ing two-fifths by Congress, in making roads leading to that Ohio has passed an act to impose a toll for the preserState. The State of Illinois was admitted under the same vation of the road in that State, and the last Congress asadministration, on the 19th of April, 1820. In the articles sented to that act. The example of Ohio will doubtless of compact with that State, a similar reservation is made, be followed by Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, so that west of five per cent. on the sales of public lands, but of this of the Ohio no call for repairs can ever be made on the reservation Congress are to disburse two-fifths in making General Government. roads leading to that State, and the other three-fifths are to be employed by the State Legislature for the purposes of education within the State.

The amendment under consideration proposes to give the assent of Congress to laws of Pennsylvania and Maryland; each proposing the preservation of so much of the I have already observed that the plan of Mr. Jefferson road east of Wheeling as lies within its territory, by the contemplated a road from the Eastern waters to the Mis- imposition and application of tolls sufficient for that pursissippi; but during his administration, the United States pose, so soon as the United States shall deliver the road acquired Louisiana, and during the administration of Mr. in a state of good repair. If this measure shall pass with Monroe, Missouri, formed out of part of that territory, a suitable appropriation for the needed repairs, Congress was admitted into the Union; and, so far as this subject can never again be called upon for further expenditures is involved in the act for the admission of that State, the on that object. reservation for roads is precisely like that in the case of Of the whole road made, and contemplated to be made, Indiana. Under these two compacts with Indiana and that part which lies east of Wheeling is by far the most Missouri, Congress have power to apply three-fifths of important; and that, as has been observed, has already each reservation to the making of roads leading to those cost a little less than two millions of dollars; and the States respectively; and so far as those States are con- question now is, will Congress give its assent to the laws cerned, Congress are justified by their consent to make of the States under consideration, and grant the sum nea road across the State of Illinois, because such a road cessary for a complete repair, or will they suffer this noleads both to Missouri and to Indiana. By their respect-ble and useful work to go to ruin? This is the question, ive compacts, these States have assented to the continua- and nothing short of this. tion of the Cumberland road, but Illinois did not; and yet Mr. Speaker, at the commencement of the present sesCongress has appropriated money in anticipation of the sion, I thought I perceived a disposition to consider the funds reserved for continuing the Cumberland road across right to construct harbors and breakwaters as depending that State, which is an additional circumstance to prove on one of the conferred powers, and that to construct that the power to make the Cumberland road has not been roads and canals on some other power. I thought I perconsidered by any administration since 1802, nor then, as ceived also a disposition to discriminate between improvederived from the consent of the States through which it ments in Eastern and Western rivers. This was my has been made, and is making. reason for directing all such measures to the Committee It appears from the report of Colonel Gratiot, that the on Internal Improvements without exception, and for disCumberland road has been definitively located from Cum-charging the Committee on Commerce from their further berland, in Maryland, to Vandalia, the seat of Government consideration.

H. OF R.]

Alexandria Aqueduct and Canal.

[MAY 4, 1832.

The Committee of Ways and Means having reported tolls adequate to the end, and no more, Congress can have the present bill for finishing several works already begun, no reason for interfering, nor will there be any necessity and the Committee on Internal Improvements having re- for it. It will be the interest of Maryland to comply with ported a number of separate bills for separate public her engagement faithfully, and the good faith of Pennworks, and among them one appropriating about $300,000 sylvania is pledged to the same purpose. We are pledged for continuing the Cumberland road in Ohio, Indiana, and to those States by our assent to the law of Ohio. By that Illinois, those interested in these separate bills are seen measure we delivered over to the care of that State so adding the matter of each one after the other, in the form much of the road as was finished, and at the time in good of an amendment, to the bill reported by the Committee repair. We agreed, in like manner, to deliver over each of Ways and Means, fearing these separate bills may not section thereafter as soon as finished. The same thing will be reached on the calendar. The bill for continuing the be done in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; or, as there is no Cumberland road in Ohio has thus been added; and to re- opposing interest there to prevent them from passing simifuse to add the bill to repair the Cumberland road east of lar laws, not a dollar for repair can ever be asked for. Wheeling, and assenting to the laws of Pennsylvania and Why not deliver the road to Maryland and Pennsylvania Maryland, would evince an inexcusable partiality. in the same state of repair? They are blameless. WhatTo continue the road in a new State is to make a road ever others may think of the power and jurisdiction where none exists. That may be done in any year when of the United States over the Cumberland road within most convenient to Government. To refuse an appropri- those States, they and Mr. Jefferson thought alike. He ation in any year, would only be to postpone, for that asked them for leave to lay out, make, and regulate this year, a work in progress. The refusal would destroy no- road. They granted this leave by law. These laws are thing in being. But, in relation to the road between in force, and those States cannot act against them but with Wheeling and Cumberland, the matter is quite different. our assent, and this we propose to give by the amendment That road has already cost nearly $2,000,000, and is going to under consideration.

destruction, so much so that a circuitous route of natural Gentlemen object to overloading this bill by the addiroad is in full competition with it. The road must be re-tion of so many subjects of improvement together. They covered, and every year it is delayed the greater will be think the bill will be too big to be swallowed; they term the cost. In a little time all business on it must be sus- this mode of doing business log-rolling. I have often had pended. A French engineer, being once asked how to occasion to remark that all just and wise legislation is make the worst road in the world, answered, first make compromise-compromise of interests and of opinions. the best, and then let it shift for itself. This has been the Without this, there can be neither law nor government. case with the Wheeling road. It would be even now impossible to re-cover it by tolls, and unless we make at least a good beginning this year, we will pay the more for our delay. A judicious expenditure of the sum proposed by the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. Davis,] will enable us at the next session to judge whether any, and what further sum will be necessary.

There is not now in this bill an item which I would not vote for in a separate bill. If every gentleman would do the same, and that ought not to be doubted, then this logrolling, as it is called, has the advantage of enabling us to look at the whole ground, the whole expenditure at once. A gentleman from Pennsylvania, in the last Congress, [Mr. DENNY,] observed that whenever a fresh water river was named, some gentlemen seemed to take the hydrophobia. This method of doing business may have a happy effect in curing that disease.

The amendment was then negatived.

Mr. MERCER moved an amendment appropriating twenty-five thousand dollars for the removal of an obstruction in the Savannah river; and it was briefly advocated by Mr. WAYNE, but was rejected.

Let me ask gentlemen why they would prosecute the road west of the Ohio, and let the eastern part of it go to ruin. A gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. MCDUFFIE] has described the road from the Ohio to the Mississippi as rather a private local benefit than a public advantage, more useful to gentlemen who prefer travelling by land to travelling by water. In this view there is much more reason than some of us might be willing to admit. While I will most cheerfully vote for the continuance of this road Mr. VANCE proposed a third section to the bill, going to Jefferson city, and for bridging every river in its course, to repeal so much of the act for the continuation of the I look upon its continuance westward as sinking into ten- Cumberland road as enabled the President to appoint a fold insignificance when compared to the importance of superintendent of that work, and to place it under the its preservation east of Wheeling. Between Wheeling management of the Engineer Department. This amendand St. Louis, there is a constant safe communication by ment was agreed to.

water. The rivers north of the Ohio furnish means of The committee then, after rejecting an amendment water communication with the Government of each State proposed by Mr. GILMORE, to appropriate ten thousand east of the Mississippi; but over the mountains there is dollars to the improvement of the Alleghany river; anono such communication. There is no comparison between ther moved by Mr. JENIFER, to apply forty thousand to the business done from Wheeling, westward, by land, the improvement of Back creek; and another moved by (great as that business is,) and that down the water. Yet Mr. DANIEL, appropriating twenty thousand dollars for all the freights and travel from Wheeling, by water and Licking river, and twenty thousand dollars more for Big by land, have to pass over the road from Cumberland to Sandy river, rose, and reported the bill to the House; when Wheeling. To suffer this, therefore, to fall into ruins, and The House adjourned. yet prosecute the improvement westward, would be the height of folly.

FRIDAY, MAY 4.

The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. CRAWFORD] ALEXANDRIA AQUEDUCT AND CANAL. expresses a fear that the appropriation we ask is but the beginning of a system of repairs at public expense. He Mr. DODDRIDGE moved that the House now proceed is precisely wrong; it is the end of that system. No re-to the business connected with the District of Columbia. pairs at public expense ever would have been made, nor

The motion prevailing, the House took up the bill for ever could have been justified, if it had not been for the appropriating one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, early hostility to the road within the State of Pennsylva- to be expended under the direction of the President of nia. That hostility has ceased, and Pennsylvania has libe- the United States in the construction of an aqueduct over rally proposed to preserve the road within her limits, and the Potomac, above Georgetown, intended to connect the Maryland has done the same. While these States shall outlet of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal with the lateral continue to keep the road in repair by the exaction of canal about to be constructed by the Alexandria Canal

MAY 4, 1832.]

Alexandria Aqueduct and Canal.

[H. of R.

Company on the right bank of the Potomac, from a point erected their jail. Although large sums were annually opposite Georgetown to the city of Alexandria. collected at the custom-house there, the Government had Mr. DODDRIDGE, after stating that it had been sug-never planted a shrub nor watered a flower, nor made a gested by the friends of this measure that it would be a blade of grass to grow in all that portion of the District, better plan to give the money at once to the company to in the forty-two years during which it had been under its be expended under their own management, offered an control; nor in all that time had the people of Alexandria amendment to that effect, but guarded by a proviso that ever asked this Government for one cent. Its population, the President should pay out the money from time to when it came under the charge of the Government, had time, as the progress of the work might require. been nine thousand, and it continued about the same numHe observed that this bill and amendment presented ber still. They had been overwhelmed by public misforthat form of aid which the people of Alexandria would tunes, but though depressed by poverty, they had never prefer, and which, also, had his own preference as being indulged in any jealous interference in the eternal disputes the better mode of promoting the object in view. But between the two sister cities. Mr. D. concluded a very if the House should not approve of the present bill, the eloquent and impressive speech, by an appeal to the recommittee had prepared and reported another providing presentatives from all the States, in behalf of a disfranfor a subscription of stock to the Alexandria company to chised people, who had no representation on that floor, the same amount, and the people of Alexandria would and had never asked the smallest aid from Government joyfully and thankfully receive the aid, in whichever form since they had left the fostering care of the legislation of Congress might prefer to grant it. Mr. D. then went their native State. into a history of the District as connected with the legis [Mr. D. having concluded, a debate immediately arose lation of Congress, since its first erection in 1790; and upon the amendment he had proposed, which occupied caused the act to be read, by which Congress set apart the House throughout the remainder of the day, and a territory for the seat of Government, then expected to which resulted in the rejection, not only of the amendbe located at the mouth of the Conecocheague. He dwelt ment, but of both the bills which looked to the same obupon the indebted condition of the Government, and the ject. Of the debate, the following is a very succinct and singular spectacle of a Government so situated, and with- summary view.] out a dollar in its treasury, looking out for the seat of a 'The opposition to the bill was opened by Mr. BLAIR, metropolitan city, and providing for the erection of great of Tennessee, who, though personally friendly to the public buildings as the seat of its legislation. He also re- people of the District, and a decided advocate of internal ferred to the embarrassed state of Virginia finances at improvement, considered this object, as he said, better the time she made a donation to the General Government calculated to damn that system than almost any that could of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, and surren- be proposed. He admitted that, if he were a citizen of dered the town of Alexandria to its exclusive control. He Alexandria, he should strain every nerve to further the unconsidered a similar grant by Maryland of seventy-two dertaking; but he insisted that it ought to be undertaken thousand dollars to be an act of equal munificence, when and accomplished by the resources and enterprise of that the state of her finances at that time was considered. He city, not by donations from the public treasury. What proceeded to describe the origin of the city; the purchase Congress had done in this city, it had done for the accomof five hundred and forty-one acres from the original pro-modation of the National Government. The shower fell prietors at sixty-six dollars and sixty-six cents per acre, on the nation's ground, in which all had an interest; but and the gradual sale of city lots, until the Government had the donation sought was for one object purely local in its received from this source one million and eighty-two thou- character, to prevent Alexandria from sustaining its comsand dollars, besides which, it still held unsold lots to the petition with Georgetown in the benefits of the Chesavalue of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Of this peake and Ohio canal; Government might as well make sum, the Government had expended, for city purposes, one donations to the inhabitants of the more distant streets of hundred and eighty-six thousand three hundred dollars, Washington to enable them to compete with the people and had made a clear profit out of the original dona- on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was true Virginia and Marytion of those two States of half a million of dollars. The land had made the donations referred to by the gentleman; population of Washington, he said, was not a Maryland but they had in view an ample return, and they had repopulation, but miscellaneous in its character, having been ceived it.

collected from all the States. That of Georgetown was Mr. WARDWELL inquired whether the sum of one a Maryland population. Among this people the Govern-hundred and twenty thousand dollars was founded on estiment had expended three millions of money on the public mates, or referred only to the sum granted by Virginia. buildings, besides all the incalculable advantages arising Mr. DODDRIDGE replied that it referred to the latter, from the presence of the Government, the visits of those who and he reminded Mr. BLAIR of a bill before the House had business with it, and the influx of strangers from all granting a vast amount of the public lands within the parts of the world. Its population, having neither manu-State of Tennessee as a donation to that State. He supfactures nor commerce to any extent, might be said to posed the gentleman's scruples would not stand in the way subsist on the Government. of such a bill. Mr. D. adverted to the works of taste with which the Mr. FELDER went at large into a very animated opGovernment had adorned the city, and noticed with plea-position to the amendment, and insisted that the Alexansure this fact as an illustration of the contrast between dria company had no stronger claims than any other comparatively young and healthy Governments, and those company in the United States, and even not so strong. He which were old and corrupt, in the application of their thought it ungracious to taunt the Government with the surplus revenue. In the one it was devoted to works of bounty of Virginia. If she wished her donation returned, public utility, and monuments of the public taste; while she should have his vote. He went into a general course in the other it was wasted on jobs and favorites. Having of reflections on the debasing tendency of the habit of thus noticed what the Government had done for the Dis- looking to Government for aid, instead of relying on inditrict on this side the river, he then inquired what monu-vidual enterprise and industry. He considered the appliments of its munificence were to be found on the other cation as an entering wedge, and had too much reason, side. There was but one object of sense to remind the from the past experience of the Government, to apprepeople of Alexandria of the relation in which they stood hend a contemplated fraud upon the treasury. He adto the Government, and that was connected with all the verted to the instance of the pension bill in illustration, associations of infamy and crime. The Government had and dwelt on the facility with which the Government of

H. OF R.]

Alexandria Aqueduct and Canal.

[MAY 4, 1832.

so extended a country might be imposed upon. He pre- When Alexandria came under the General Government, sumed it would next be proposed to run a canal all the she had 20,000 tons of shipping, and the only bank that exway down to Norfolk, and the same arguments might be listed in the State of Virginia; but the blasting influence used in its favor. Millions of applications might be as well of congressional policy had caused the grass to grow in founded as this. He denied the right of the Government her streets. That city, since the formation of the District, to make such a donation, and considered it as usurping had brought $3,737,000 into the treasury in the shape of the place of Providence, when it undertook to water by customs, and all its contributions together exceeded showers of its bounty the flowers and shrubs of the District. $4,000,000. Yet she had received nothing in return but The people of Alexandria, instead of looking to the the erection of a jail. He adverted to the diminished showers of Government, had better rely on their own in-value of bituminous coal, from the handling it must undustry. If canal boats could not traverse the Potomac, dergo in the act of transshipment, amounting to three why not carry the produce in river craft from Alexandria? cents on every bushel; and as it was hoped that, when the He thought it wrong to receive without question the re-canal should have reached the coal beds, that mineral presentations of gentlemen interested, as conclusive argu- could be furnished at twelve and a half cents a bushel, the ments for different works of internal improvement. Such loss would amount to twenty-five per cent. on the whole testimony was excluded from the courts, yet a man was of that trade. As a proof of the feasibility of the proscouted if he dared to doubt it in that House. But he posed canal, he stated that seven different offers had alknew human nature too well not to distrust even his own ready been made to contract for the work, varying accordrepresentations, if made under such an influence. ing to the manner in which it might be required to be Mr. MERCER was glad the bill had aroused so much executed, from $90,000 to $140,000. After replying to of the attention of the House. He had hoped that the re- Mr. BLAIR, by referring to the benefits conferred on Tenmarks of his colleague would have obviated any thing like nessee by the canal at the Muscle shoals, and to Mr. FELa constitutional discussion, and was sorry to hear the DER, by reminding him that this was not a work at a power of the Government to appropriate for a district of distance, but one which the Government had under its which it was the only local legislature called in question, own eye, and insisting that this District was as much a and the people of Alexandria reproached as beggars, be-national institution as the navy or army, Mr. M. concludcause they applied to their own legislature for aid, just as ed by observing that, unless the people of Alexandria all the people of the States did. If the people of Dela- should succeed in accomplishing the object towards ware had petitioned the Legislature of Delaware for aid which the present aid was asked, it could be demonstrated in constructing the recent railroad, would the Legislature to be their interest to burn down their city and abandon it have reproached them as beggars? Were no memorials forever. presented by the people of the gentleman's own State of South Carolina to their Legislature? He referred to what had been done by the Legislature of Pennsylvania for the interests of improvement in that State. As to what had been said about aiding Alexandria to rival Georgetown, it was sufficient to reply that a memorial for this very work had been presented from Georgetown. He repelled the charge of interested motives, and referred the opposition to the bill to that prejudice which existed in all countries of it the better. against works of improvement when first introduced. Mr. BURD warmly advocated the amendment; dwelt The gentleman was opposed to the tariff, and earnestly upon the national character of the work, and the power desired its reduction. Did not he expect that himselfand and duty of the Government to promote internal improvethe people of his district would derive some benefit from ment.

Mr. FELDER rejoined, and in the course of his reply related an anecdote about a new turnpike road constructed by the State, parallel to an old road, the consequence of which was the depreciation of all the property on the old road fifty per cent., and increasing that on the new three hundred per cent., by which some of the parties were ruined, while others had their fortunes made. He considered all Government as an evil, and the less we had

vernment was vested by the constitution with exclusive legislation over the District, and it ought to exert the same paternal care over the people of the District, who were its dependent subjects, and unrepresented, which a State Legislature was bound to exercise over its own citizens. The effect of the amendment would be to provide for all the upper country a double market.

such a measure? Mr. CRAIG followed on the same side, and argued to Yet, if the gentleman's argument was good for any show that this measure formed a necessary link in the conthing, all he might hereafter say on that subject was to go nexion of the products of the interior with the point where for nothing. Mr. M. then went on to explain that the it must meet foreign commerce. That point was not people of Alexandria, before subscribing to the Chesa- Georgetown; for ships could not load there. It was Alexpeake and Ohio canal, had employed an engineer to as-andria, which was alone the shipping port for all the trade certain the practicability and expense of a lateral branch of the upper Potomac. As to the constitutional question, to that city, and never would have subscribed to the one, it did not enter into the subject, because the General Gobut with the understanding that the other was to go into effect. They had subscribed $300,000 towards that object, and had thus far honorably and punctually paid up their instalments; but unless this scheme went into effect, that subscription would be the most suicidal act that ever was performed. Mr. M. went into an argument to prove the national character of the work, as immediately tending to lower the price of coal, fish, plaster, lumber, and other Mr. E. EVERETT briefly stated his reasons for advo objects of the canal trade. A canal substituted the labor cating the measure proposed. He insisted that Congress of horses for that of men in conducting boats, and, by was bound to do for the District what a paternal and libemultiplying the force five times, did, in effect, convert ral Government would do for its own citizens; and he had five boats into one. He adverted to the great cost and no doubt that if Alexandria was still under the care of her inconvenience of transshipment, and stated, in illustration, native Legislature, she would readily obtain from it the the fact that, of 188,000 barrels of flour, which had come boon she now asked from Congress. down the canal last season, only 2,000 had reached Alex- The Government had brought itself under a moral obliandria. The waters of the Potomac extended seven hun-gation to do this for Alexandria, by its own acts, in filling dred miles above Georgetown, and presented 1,400 miles up the channel on one side the Potomac, and by bringing of coast, all the products of which must be subjected to a down the canal so as to terminate at Georgetown. He heavy per centage for transshipment, unless the canal should give them access to the only port where they could meet the shipping in which they were to be carried abroad.

thought Mr. BLAIR had in part answered his own argument. It could not be useless, as the gentleman had said, to canal by the side of a great river, since the gentleman had