Alabama State Intelligencer, 1831-01-01

any farm, The negotiations in regard to such points in our foreign relations as remain to be adjusted, have been actively prosecuted during the re recess. - cess. recess. Material advances have been made, which are of a character to promise favora favorable - ble favorable results. Our country, by the blessing of God, is notin a situation to invite aggression; and it will be our fault if she ever becomes so. Sincerely desirous to cultivate the most libe liberal - ral liberal and friendly relations with all; ever ready to fulfil our engagements with scrupulous fi fidelity; - delity; fidelity; limiting our demands upon others to mere justice; holding ourselves ever ready to I do unto them as we would wish to be dong by; arid .'.voiding even the appearance of undue partiality to any nation, it appears to me im impossible - possible impossible that a sinple and sincere application ofour principles to our foreign relations can fal to place them ultimately upon the footing onwhich it is our wish they should rest. Of the points referred to, the most promi prominent - nent prominent are, our claims upon France for spolia spoliations - tions spoliations upon our commerce; similar claims upon Spain, together with embarrassments in the commercial intercourse between the two coun countries, - tries, countries, which ought to be removed; the con conclusion - clusion conclusion of the treaty of commerce and naviga navigation - tion navigation with Mexico, which has been so long in suspense, as well as the final settlement of limits between ourselves and that republic; and, finally, the arbitrament of the question between the United States and Great Britain | in regard to the northeastern boundary. The negotiation with France has been con conducted - ducted conducted by our Minister with zeal and ability, and in all respects to my entire satisfaction. Although the prospect of a favorable termi termination - nation termination was occasionally dimmed by counter pretensions, to which the United States could not assent, he yet hud strong hopes of being able to arrive at a satisfactory settlement with the late Government. The negotiation lias been renewed with the present authorities; and, sensible of the general and lively confi confidence - dence confidence of our citizens in the justice and magna magnanimity - nimity magnanimity of regenerated France, I regret the more not to have it in my power, yet, to an announce - nounce announce tlie result so confidently anticipated. No ground, however, inconsistent with this expectation, lias been taken; and I do not al allow - low allow myself to doubt that justice will soon be done to us. The amount of the claims, the length of time they have remained unsatisfied, and their incontrovertible justice, make an earnest prosecution of them by this Govern Government - ment Government an urgent duty. The illegality of the seisures and confiscations out of which they have arisen is not disputed; and whateverdis whateverdistinctions - tinctions whateverdistinctions may have heretofore been set up in regard to the liability of the existing Govern Government, - ment, Government, it is quite clear that such considerations cann >t now be interposed. The commercial intercourse between the two countries is susceptible cf highly advan advantageous - tageous advantageous impr cements; but the sense of this injury lias had, and must continue to have, a very unfavorable influence upon them. From its satislactc ry adjustment, not only a firm and cordial fr.cndship.but a progressivedevelope progressivedevelopenient - nient progressivedevelopenient of all their relations, may be expected. It is, therefore, my earnest hope that this old arid vexatious subject of difference may be speedily removed. 1 feel that my confidence in cur appeal to the mctlVes which should govern a just and magnanimous nation, is alike warranted by the character of the French pec pie, and by the high voucher we possess for the enlarged views and pure integrity of the monarch who now presides over their councils; and nothing shall be wanting on my part to meet any ma manifestation - nifestation manifestation of the spirit we anticipate in one-of corresponding frankness and liberality. The subjects of difference with Spain have been brought to the vie w of that Gu\ eminent, by our Minister there, with much f rce and propriety; and the strongest assurances, have been received of their early and favorable con -

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. r On the 7th «f IJfceember, at the hour of 12 o'cloek, V Pw Pwrsideut - rsideut Pwrsideut of the United States transmitted to both Hot.V«,of Congress the following MESSAGES - Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives. The pleasure I have in congratulating you upon your return to your constitutional duties, is much heightened by the satisfaction which the condition of our beloved country at this period justly inspires. The beneficent Aut'aof of all good has granted to us, during the pre present - sent present year, health, peace, and plenty, and nu numerous - merous numerous causes for joy in the wonderful success which attends the progress of our free insti institutions. - tutions. institutions. With a population unparallelled in 't* in increase, - crease, increase, and possessing a character which com combines - bines combines the hardihood of cnterpriie with the considerateness of wisdom, we see in e section of our happy country a stead: : n nprovement - provement nprovement in the means of social intercc i***, and correspondent effects upon the geniu- <nd laws of our extended republic. The apparent exceptions to the haiiMiiy of the prospect are to be referred rather to inevitable diversities in the various inter*at whiefi enter into the compo*h'Ton f so e u uslve - slve uslve a whole, than to any want of altar' ''-'St to the Union - .interests whose collisions servfc only, in the end, to foster the spirit of conci conciliation - liation conciliation and patriotism, so essential to the pre preservation - servation preservation of that union which, I most devoutly hope, is destined to prove imperishable. In the midst of these blessings, we have re- . cently witnessed changes in the condition of other nations, which mav, in their consequen consequences, - ces, consequences, call for the utmost vigilance, wisdom, and unanimity in our councils, and the exercise of all the moderation and patriotism of our pec pie. The important modifications of their go government, - vernment, government, effected with so much courage and wisdom by the people of France, afford a happy presage of their future course, and has naturally elicited from the kindred feelings of this nation that spontaneous and universal burst of applause in which you have partici participated. - pated. participated. In congratulating you, my fellow citi citizens, - zens, citizens, upon an event so auspicious to the dear dearest - est dearest interests of mankind, I do no more than respond to the voice of my country, without transcending, in the slightest degree, that sa salutary - lutary salutary maxim of the illustrious Washington, which enjoins an abstinence from all interfer interference - ence interference with the internal affairs of other nations. From apeople exercising, in the most unlimit unlimited - ed unlimited degree, the right of self-government, and enjoying, as derived from this proud charac characteristic, - teristic, characteristic, under the favor of heaven, much of the happiness with which they are blessed; a people who can point in triumph .to their free institutions, and challenge comparison with the fruits they bear, as well as with the moderation, intelligence, and energy, with which they are administered; from such a people, the deepest sympathy was to be ex expected - pected expected in a struggle for the sacred principles of liberty, conducted in a spirit every way worthy of the cause, and crowned by an he heroic - roic heroic moderation which has disarmed revolu revolution - tion revolution of its terrors. Notwithstanding the strong assurances which the man whom we so sin sincerely - cerely sincerely love and justly admire has given to the world of the high character of the present King of the French, and which, if sustained to the end, will secure to him the proud appina appination - tion appination of Patriot King, it is not in his success, but in that of the great principle which has borne him to the throne - the paramount au authority - thority authority of the public will - that the American people rejoice.

whole, will consider it either honest or wise if! to purchase local favor at the sacrifice of prin principle - ciple principle and the general good. So understanding public sentiment, and tho thoroughly - roughly thoroughly satisfied that the best interests of our -ft common country imperiously require that the course which 1 Inve recommended in this re regard - gard regard should be adopted, I have, upon the most mature consideration, determined to pursue it. It is due to candor, ^ well as to my own feel feelings, - ings, feelings, that I should express the reluctance and anxiety which I must at all times experience in cxercising'the undoubted right of the Exec Executive - utive Executive to withhold his assent from bills on other grounds than their unconstitulionality. That this right should not be exercised on slight oc occasions - casions occasions all will admit. It is only in matters of deep interest, when the principle involved may maybe - be maybe justly regarded as next in importance to infractions of the Constitution il self, that such a step can be expected to meet with tiie ap approbation - probation approbation of the people. Such an occasio n do I conscientiously believe the pheserc to, be. In the discharge of this deliciue and highly responsible duty, I am sustained by the reflection that the exercise of this power has been deemed consistent with the obligation of official duty by several of my predecessors; ' 7 - n ns inn, tor , that, whatever liberal institution*ovdy hav- - r - .. encroachments cf Executive power, which lias been every where the cause of so much strife and bloody contention, hut little danger is to be apprehended from a precedent by which that authority denies to itself the exer exercise - cise exercise of powers th it bring in their train influ influence - ence influence and patronage of great extent; and thus excludes the operation of personal interests, every where the bane of official trust. I de derive, - rive, derive, too, no small degree of satisfaction from the reflection, that, if I have mistaken the in interests - terests interests and wishes of the people, the Constitu Constitution - tion Constitution affords the means of soon redressing the, error, by selecting for the place their favor' has bestowed upon me, a citizen whose opin opinions - ions opinions may accord with their own. I trust, in the mean time, the interests of the nation will be saved from prejudice, by a rigid applica application - tion application of that portion of the public funds which might otherwise be applied to different ob objects, - jects, objects, to that highest of all our obligations, the payment of the public debt, and an opportu opportunity - nity opportunity be afforded for the adoption of some bet better - ter better rule f r the operations of the Government in this matter than any which has hitherto been acted upon. Profoundly impressed with the importance of the subject, not merely as it relates to the general prosperity of the country, but to the safety of the federal system, I cannot avoid repeating my earnest hope that al) good ci citizens, - tizens, citizens, who take a proper interest in the suc success - cess success and harmony of our admirable political institutions, and who arc incapable of desiring to convert an opposite state of things into means for the gratification of personal ambi ambition - will, - tion - will, ambition - will, laying aside minor considerations and discarding local prejudices, unite their honest exertions to establish some fixed ge general - neral general principle, which shall be calculated to effect the greatest extent of public good in re regard - gard regard to the subject of internal improvement, and afford the least ground for sectional dis -

oeyonci tne supervision ot our constituents; u superior, its officers and agents w;U be con constantly - stantly constantly ex post d to imputations of favoritism and oppression. Direct prejudice to the pub public - lic public interest, or an alienation of the affections and respect of portions of the people, may therefore, in addition to the general discredit resulting to the Government from embarking with its constituents in pecuniary speculations be looked for as the probable fruit < f such as associations. - sociations. associations. It is no finswer to tills objection to say that the extent of consequences like these cannot be great from a limited and small num number - ber number of investments: because experience in tlier matters teaches us, and we are not at liberty to disregard its admonitions, that un unless - less unless an entire stop be put to them, it will soon be impossible to prevent their accumulation, until they are spread over the whole country, and made to embrace many of the private and appropriate coiicems of individuals. The power which the General Government we uld acquire within the several States by becoming the principal st: ckliolder in corp - rations, c ntrolSng every canal, and each six sixty - ty sixty or hundred miles of every important road, and giving a proportionate vote in all their elections, is alnost inconceivable, and, in my view, dangerous to the liberties of the people. This mode of aiding such works is, also, in its nature, deceptive, and in many cases con conducive - ducive conducive to improvidence in the administration of the national funds. Appropriations will he obtained with much greater facility, and gran granted - ted granted witli less security to the public interest, when the measure is thus disguised, than when definite and direct expenditures of mo money - ney money are askfd for. The interests of the nation would doubtless be better served by avoiding all such indirect modes of aiding particular ob objects. - jects. objects. In a Government like ours, more espe especially, - cially, especially, should all public acts be, as far as prac pract - t pract cable, sjtnple, undisguised, end intelligible, that they may become fit subjects for the ap apapprobatiui - approbatiui apapprobatiui oranimadversion of the people. - Thebill authorizing a subscription to the Lou Louisville - isville Louisville and Portland canal affords a striking il illustraion - lustraion illustraion of the difficulty of withholding addi addiditional - ditional addiditional appropriations for the same object, when the first erroneous step has been taken by inslitutinga partnership between the Go Governmehtand - vernmehtand Governmehtand private companies. It proposes a third subscription on the part of the U. States, when each preceding one was at the time re regarded - garded regarded as the extent of the aid which Go Government - vernment Government was to render to that work; and the accompanying bill for light-houses, &c. con contains - tains contains an appropriation for a survey of the bed of the river, with a view to its improvement, by removing the obstruction which the canal isdcsignedto avoid. This improvement, if successful, would afiord a free passage to the river, and render the canal entirely useless. To such improvidence is the course of legisla legislation - tion legislation subject, in relation to internal improve improvements - ments improvements on local matters, even with the best in intentions - tentions intentions on the part of Congress. Although the motives which have influenc influenced - ed influenced me in this matter, may be already suffi sufficiently - ciently sufficiently stated, I ant nevertheless, induced by its importance to add a few observations of

1 favo»- -id, as I .id in our 1A- epublic of sns - *er vocation, have been, I believe, entirely removed; and the Government of Mexico has been made to understand the real character of the wishes and views of this in regard to that country. The consequence is, the establish establishment - ment establishment of friendship ami mutual confidence. Such are the assurances which I have re received, - ceived, received, and 1 see no cause to doubt their sin sincerity. - cerity. sincerity. I had reason to expect the conclusion of a commercial treaty with Mexico in season for communication on the present occasion. Cir Circumstances - cumstances Circumstances which arc not explained, but which, I am persuaded, are not the result of an indisposition on.her part to enter into it, have produced the delay. There was reason to fear, in the course of the last summer, that the harmonv of our re relations - lations relations might be disturbed by the acts of cer certain - tain certain claimmts under Mexican grants of terri territory - tory territory whichJias h itherto been under our juris jurisdiction. - diction. jurisdiction. Tae co-operatii n of tl*e represen representative - tative representative cf Mexico near this Government was asked ecemson, and was r adily afford afforded. - ed. afforded. Instructions nn-1 advice have been given to the Governor cf Arkansas and the officers in command in the adj .ning Mexican State, by which it is hoped, the quiet of that fron frontier - tier frontier wiil he pre served, until a final settlement of the dividing line shall have removed all ground of cor.tr .verse. The exchange; of ratifications of the treaty concluded last rear with Austria has not yet taken place. I he delay has been f ccasioned by the nc n arrival of the ratification of that Government within the t' ae proscribed In the treaty. Renewed authority has been ask askcdfor - cdfor askcdfor by the representative of Austria; and, in the meantime, the rapidly increasing trade and navigation between the two countries have Inc n placed upon the most liberal foot footing - ing footing of the navigation acts. Several alleged depredations have been re recently - cently recently committed on our commerce by th nu nuti' - ti' nuti' nui rcssels of Portugal. They hive been made :he subject of immediate remonstrance ami reclamation. I am not yet possessed of sulficirnt information to express a definitive opinio of thi ircharactcr, but expect soon to receive it. No proper means shall be omit omitted - ted omitted toobtain for our citizens ail the redress to which they may appear to be entitled. Alnost at the moment cf tile-adjournment of yovlast session, two bills, the one entitled "An :ct for making appropriation f, r building light-louses, light-bents, beacons, and monu monuments. - ments. monuments. placing buoys, and for improving har harbors - bors harbors aid for directing surveys," and the other "An ict to authorize a subscription for stock in the Louisville and Portland Canal Compa Company," - ny," Company," were submitted for my approval. It was not possible, within the time allowed me, be before - fore before tie close of the session, to give these bills the consideration which was due to their cha character - racter character and importance; and I was compelled to retain them for that purpose. 1 now avail myself of this early opportunity to return them to the Houses in which they respectively Originated, with the reasons which, after ma mature - ture mature deliberation, compelled me to withhold tov approval.

I lie practice cf defraying out of the Trea Treasury - sury Treasury of the United States the expenses incur incurred - red incurred by the establishment and support of light lighthouses, - houses, lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers, within the bays, inlets, harbftrs, and ports of the United States, to render the navigation thereof safe and easy, is coeval with the adop adoption - tion adoption of the Constitution, and has been continu continued - ed continued without interruption or dispute. As our foreign commerce increased, and was extended into the interior of the country by the establishment of ports of entry and de delivery, - livery, delivery, upon our navigable rivers, the'sphere of those expenditures received a corrcspond corrcspondenlargement. - enlargement. corrcspondenlargement. Light-houses, beacons, buo ys, public piers, and the removal of sand-bars, sawyers, and other partial or temporary impe impediments - diments impediments in the navigable rivers and harbors which were embraced in the revenue districts from time to time established by law, were authorized upon the same, prnciple, and the expense defrayed in the same manner. That these,expenses have at times been extrava extravagant - gant extravagant and disproportionate, is very probable. The circumstances under which they are in incurred - curred incurred ure well calculated to lead to such a result, unless their application is subjected to the closest scrutiny. The local advantages arising from the disbursement of public money too frequently, it is to be feared, invite appro appropriations - priations appropriations for objects of this character, that are neither necessary nor useful. The number of light-house keepers is already very large, and the bill before me proposes to add to it iifty-one more, of various descriptions. From repre representations - sentations representations upon tire subject, which are under understood - stood understood te be entitled to respect, Iain induced to believe that there has not only been great im improvidence - providence improvidence in the past expenditures of the Government upon these objects, but that the security of navigation has, in some instances been diminished by the multiplication of light lighthouses, - houses, lighthouses, and consequent cb mge of lights, up upon - on upon the coast. It is in this, as in other respects, our eluty to avoid all unnecessary expense, as well ns e v ery increase of patronage not called for by the public service. Hut, in the dis discharge - charge discharge of tii.it duty in this particular, it must net Ik- forgotten that, in relation to our fo foreign - reign foreign commence, the burden and benefit of ng end accommod .ting it necessarily go together, and must do so as long as the public revenue is drawn from the pet pie thro' the cu»tcm-hi use. It is indisputable, that whatever gives facility and security to navi navigation, - gation, navigation, cheapens imports; and all who cc n nsume - sume nsume them arc alike interested in whatever produces this effect. If they consume, they ought, as they now do, to pay; otherwise, they do not pay. The consumer in the most in inland - land inland State derives the same advantage from every necessi.ry and prudent expenditure for the facility and security of our foreign com commerce - merce commerce and navigation, that he dees, who re resides - sides resides in a maratime State. Local expendi expenditures - tures expenditures have not, of themselves, a correspond correspondent - ent correspondent operation.

I>e subject to higher duties than the produc productions - tions productions of the mother country, or of her other cnloiial possessions; and, 3d. That our ves vessels - sels vessels thojd(l be allowed to participate in the circuitous trade between the United States and Afferent parts of the British dominions. TUe first point, after having been, for a long time, strenuously insisted upon by Great Bri Britain, - tain, Britain, Was given up by the act of Parliament of July, 1823; all vessels suffered to trade with the colonies being permitted to clear fysm thenefe with any articles which British vessels might export; and proceed to any part of the world, Great Britain and her dependencies alone excepted. On our part, each of the above points had, in succession, been expli explicitly - citly explicitly abandoned in negotiations preceding that of wli'fh the result is now announced. Thi» arrangement secures to the United States every advantage asked by them, and which the Btate of the negotiation allowed us to insist upon. The trade will be placed up upon - on upon a footing decidedly more favorable to this country than any on which it ever stood; ami our commerce and navigation will enjoy, in the coloni^ ports of Great Britain, every pri privilege - vilege privilege allowed to otbfer.nktjon*. 'f>! * the prosperity of tne count v, for as it deDends ort this trade, will he trre.nly I promoted by the new arrangement, there can be no doubt. Independently cf the more ob obvious - vious obvious advantages cf an open and direct inter intercourse, - course, intercourse, its establishment will be attended with other ciiusequenccs of a higher value. That -"hich has been carried on since the mutual interdict under all the expense and inconve inconvenience - nience inconvenience ana', idably incident to it, would havi been in supportably onerous, had it not been, in a great degree, lightened by concerted eva evasions - sions evasions in the mode cf making the transhipments at what are called the neutral ports. These indirections are inconsistent with the dignity of nations that have so many motives, not only to cherish feelings of mutual friendship, but to maintain such relations as will stimulate their respective citizens and subjects to efforts of di direct, - rect, direct, open, and honorable competition only ; and prrserve them fr< m the influence of se seductive - ductive seductive and vitiating circumstances. When your preliminary interposition was asked at the close of the last session, a copy of the instructions under which Mr McLane has acted, tog tiier with the communications which had at that time passed between him and the British Government, was laid befoul you. Although there has not been any thing in the acts of the two Governments which re requires - quires requires secrecy, it was thought most proper, in the then state of the negotiation, to make that communication a confidential one. So soon, however, as the evidence of execution on the part of Great Britain is received, the whole matter shall bejlaid before you, when I it will be seen that the apprehension which ' appeal s to have suggested one of the provi- I

a general character. In my objections to the bills authorizing subscriptions to the Maysville and Rockville Road Companies, I expressed my views fully in regard to the power of Congress to con construct - struct construct roads and canals within a State, or to appropriate money for improvements of a lo local - cal local character. I, at the same time, intimated my belief that the right to make appropria appropriations - tions appropriations for such as were of a national character had been so generally acted upon, and so long acquiesced in by the Federal and State Go Governments, - vernments, Governments, and the constituents of each, as to justify its exercise on the ground of continued and uninterrupted usage; but that it was, ne nevertheless, - vertheless, nevertheless, highly expedient that appropria appropriations, - tions, appropriations, even of that character, should, with the exception made at the time, be deferred until the national debt is paid, and that, in the mean while, some general rule for the action of the Government in that respect ought to be established. These suggestions were not necessary to the decision of tnc question then before me, and were, I readily admit, intended to awaken the attentu u and dyaw forth the opinions and i b bservatu - servatu bservatu ns of c ur constituents, up; n a subject of the highest importance to their interests, an . one destined to exert a powerful influence upon the future operations - four p litical sys system. - tem. system. l.kuow of no tribunal to which a pub public - lic public man in tins country, in a case of doubt and difficulty, can appeal with greater ad'mtage or more propriety, than the judgement of the people; and although 1 must necessarily, in the discharge of my official duties, be govern governed'by - ed'by governed'by the dictates of my own judgement, I have no desire to conceal my anxious wish to conform, as far as lean, to the views of those for w horn I act. All irregular expressions < f public opinion are ol necessity attended witli some doubt as to their accuracy; hut, making full allowan allowances - ces allowances in that account, 1 cannot, 1 think, deceive myself .n helloing, that the acts referred to, as well us the suggestions which 1 allowed my myself - self myself to make in relation to their be .ring upon die future operations of the Government, have been approved by the great body cl the people. That those whose immediate pecu pecuniary - niary pecuniary interests arc to be affected by proposed expenditures should shrink irom the applica application - tion application of a rule winch prefers their mol e gener general - al general and remote interests to those which are personal aiul immediate, is to be expected. But even sucli objections must, from the na nature - ture nature of our population, be but temporary in their duration; and if it were otherwise, our course should be the same; for the time is yet, I hope, far distant, when those entrusted with power to be exercised for the' good of the Y mt. - mi -