No. 216.] 493 



How far the constitution gives power to Congress to make appro- 

 priations for internal improvements necessary to the success of our 

 domestic commerce, 1 will not undertake to say ; but this I will say, 

 that w^hatever may be done for foreign, may with equal propriety be 

 done for domestic commerce. If Congress can make appropriations 

 for the improvement of harbors on the Atlantic, they may make ap- 

 propriations for like improvements upon our great lakes and rivers. 

 If they may make break waters on our sea-coasts, so they may upon 

 our lakes. If they may remove bars, shoals or other obstructions to 

 navigation at the mouths of our great rivers, so may they remove like 

 obstructions in other parts of said rivers where the safety of commerce 

 may require it. For such expenditures upon our Atlantic coast, our 

 statute books show appropriations to the amount of many millions of 

 dollars, under all administrations, the constitutionality of which is not 

 now to be called in question. If Congress have the power to au- 

 thorise a subscription for part of the stock of a company engaged in 

 making a canal, by which the commerce of the country is to be pro- 

 moted, the} may subscribe for the whole stock ; that is, they may 

 make the canal. Yet such subscriptions have been made under the 

 most cautious administrations. 



If Congress may appropriate money's worth, as land for instance, 

 to internal improvements, they may appropriate money itself to such 

 improvements. Yet such appropriations have been frequently made, 

 with the assent of those who deny the right to appropriate money to 

 such improvements. The constitutional power to appropriate money 

 rests upon the same basis with that to appropriate land ; yet it is 

 often expedient to appropriate land when it would not te so to ap- 

 propriate money. We frequently have but little unappropriated mo- 

 ney in the treasury, but always abundance of unappropriated land. 

 And often large tracts of public lands may be doubled in value by 

 ceding a part for internal improvement, as granting, for instance, 

 alternate lots upon the route of a canal through the public land. 



It is disgraceful to the country that the natural advantages of our 

 great lakes and rivers remain unimproved, and nothing can be more 

 unjust than that the expense of making the necessary improvements 

 should fall upon the States in which they are to be made. The ex- 

 pense of making the Illinois canal, in w^hich our whole country is 

 interested, should not fall upon the State of Illinois ; nor that of 

 Louisville upon the State of Kentucky. These and the like improve- 

 ments are for the general benefit, and should be made at the common 

 expense. 



