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some of them should find that it was cheaper to make compensation, than to incur the displeasure of the American government. A sense of justice or a regard to the principles of national law, have little influence, where the means of obtaining redress are not in the power of the injured party. Spain affords the only instance where any satisfaction has been obtained, and that not from any superior regard to principle, the claims having been delayed to the last moment, but merely because Cuba and the Floridas were within the reach of the American arms.

CHAPTER IV.

Second session of the fourteenth congress-Message-Compensation law repealed-Proceedings of the commissioner of claims regulated-American navigation act passed-Internal improvements of a national characterTheir importance-Mr. Gallatin's report upon the subject-A bill having passed both houses of congress making appropriations to this object, is negatived by the president, on the ground of its unconstitutionality-The president's objections-The bill lost-Arguments in favor of congress possessing the power by the constitution, as it now is-Presidents Madison and Monroe recommend an amendment of the constitution, conferring the power-Both houses adhere to the opinion, that such an amendment is unnecessary, and refuse to propose any-Provision made for the admission of the state of Mississippi into the union-Electoral votes counted; and the result declared-Mr. Monroe inaugurated-His address-The principles of his administration in relation to appointments developed in a private correspondence with General Jackson-The president's tour through the northern and western sections of the union-General Jackson's order of the 22d of April, 1817.

Meeting of congress. The second session of the fourteenth congress, as provided by the constitution, commenced on the 2d of December, 1816. On the 3d, the president transmitted his annual message, giving a favorable account of the foreign relations, and of the finances of the United States. The receipts, including the balance in the treasury at the commencement of the year, he estimates at fortyseven millions, and the funded debt at one hundred and ten millions. The customs received in 1816, owing to the excessive importations immediately succeeding the war, far exceeded any former year. The tranquil state of Europe, and the prosperous circumstances of the country, furnished little of interest for the president's message, or the attention of congress.

Compensation law repealed. The compensation law of the last session had excited general dissatisfaction, and been the occasion of preventing many of the members of the present congress from being elected to the next. Early in the session, a committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of repealing or modifying the act. The committee, after remarking on the delicacy of the task assigned to the representatives of the people, of determining on the value of their own services, say that the compensation of

the members of the national legislature ought to be such as to command the first talents. That the value of money, considered as the means of living at this period, had depreciated nearly one half, compared with the time when their wages were first fixed at six dollars per day. That that sum is not now an adequate reward for persons qualified to discharge the duties of legislation, to compensate them for leaving their business, and devoting a considerable portion of the year to the public service. That it necessarily deranges their business for the remainder. And that the obvious consequence of an inadequate compensation will be an incompetency of talents in the national representation, or the perversion of the office to sinister purposes. After stating some reasons, why in their opinion an annual salary would be preferable to a per diem allowance, the committee, in deference to what they deem to be the public sentiment, report a bill in favor of the latter, leaving the sum a blank, to be filled by the house. The subject of filling this blank occupied much of the session, the sum varying from six to twelve dollars. In the end, none could be agreed on, and towards the close of the session a bill was passed, repealing all laws upon the subject, after the rising of the present congress. The effect of this measure was to give each member of the fourteenth congress three thousand dollars for two hundred and forty days service, or twelve dollars and an half a day, and leave to their successors the unpleasant task of fixing their own compensation.

Proceedings of the commissioner of claims. The commissioner appointed under the act of the last session on the subject of claims, for property lost or destroyed by the enemy during the late war, adopted a principle in relation to houses destroyed, which embraced claims to a great amount, which were supposed not to be within the purview of the law. The particular case which eccasioned the greatest animadversion, was the house of Mrs. Carson, of Washington, from which a gun was fired at General Ross, and was burned by the enemy, as was supposed, for that reason. The commissioner decreed her a compensation, on the ground that it was occupied as a military station, which occasioned its destruction. The principle of this case embraced many others, which were also allowed. The president, apprehending that the commissioner was proceeding upon a mistaken construction of the law, suspended his functions, and referred the subject to congress. The result was the passing of a law explanatory of the former act,"

and limiting its operation in regard to buildings, to such only as were occnpied for military purposes by order of the commanding officer of the station, and directing the commissioner to report the facts in each case, with the testimony, to congress, for their ultimate decision.

Navigation act. A law was passed this session, bottomed upon the principle of the British navigation act, prohibiting the importation of any goods, except in ships of the United States, or of the country producing them, applicable to those nations only whose navigation laws were founded on similar principles. England and Sweden were the only nations that came within the provisions of the

act.

Bill relating to internal improvements. In the course of the session a bill passed both houses, after much discussion, which set apart all the interest of the government in the bank of the United States, including the premium given for the charter, and all dividends accruing on the shares subscribed by the secretary of the treasury, "to constitute a fund for constructing roads and canals, and improving the navigation of water-courses, in order to facilitate, promote, and give security to internal commerce among the several states, and to render more easy and less expensive, the means and provisions for the common defense; such improvements to be effected with the assent of the several states within whose limits they should be made." The president refused his assent to the bill, on the ground that it was a subject of legislation not embraced within the provisions of the constitution. This brought on an interesting discussion between the legislature and the executive, in relation to the powers of the general government regarding internal improvements. Both concurred in the opinion that it was a power highly beneficial and importaut to be exercised. The executive supposed it must be obtained only by an amendment of the constitution to that effect; the legislature claimed that it was already provided for in that

instrument.

Reasons in favor of the system. The geographical situation of the United States strongly urged internal improvements of a national character to unite their different sections. A high ridge of mountains and a wilderness, in a great measure uninhabited, separated the Atlantic states from the valley of the Mississippi. These impediments are too great to be overcome by individual or state exertion; objects of high national importance, require that the intercourse between these two great

sections of the country should be facilitated as much as possible. The most obvious are, the increasing the value and promoting the settlement of the government lands, by rendering them accessible; the increase of the impost duties, by enabling the inhabitants of the west to. abtain foreign goods on more easy terms; facilitating the operations of the government, by opening a more convenient communication with the city of Washington; the more safe and expeditious transportation of the mails; and strengthening the bonds of the union, by rendering its remote parts accessible and known to each other, and increasing their mutual dependence. As a means of defense in case of any future war, the subject was all important. The experience of the last had shown that military operations cannot be successfully carried on in the west, without an easy and expeditious communication with the east. In time of peace, much the greatest portion of the military force must be stationed on the western border to control the Indian population. Most of the reverses of the American arms on the Canadian border, during the last war, are to be traced to the difficulties of transportation from the Atlantic to the northwestern frontier. Considerations like these, added to the immense private benefits to be derived from internal improvements, pressed the subject upon all branches of the government with great force. Early in the presidency of Mr. Jefferson, he recommended to congress to take measures to appropriate the surplus revenue to the purposes of internal improvement; in consequence of which Mr. Gallatin, then secretary of the treasury, was directed to report upon the objects upon which the public moneys might be profitably expended, to facilitate the intercourse between the different parts of the union. In the year 1808, he presented an able and minute report upon the subject, embracing three leading objects; the union of the waters of the great lakes with the Hudson; the waters of the Ohio with the Chesapeake; and the establishment of an inland navigation by canals, uniting the waters of the great bays along the Atlantic coast. The expenses of these, and other objects embraced in his report, were estimated at twenty millions, which it was then thought the treasury, in the course of a few years, might sustain. The restrictive system, and consequent war, suspended for a considerable time any further measures. The subject engaged the early attention of Congress, after the close of

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