Rivers and Harbors Bill
Encyclopedia
The Rivers and Harbors Bill was a bill passed by Congress in 1846 to provide $500,000 to improve rivers and harbors. When the Senate passed the Rivers and Harbors Bill 34 to 16 on July 24, 1846, opponents lobbied for a presidential veto. It was vetoed by President James K. Polk
on August 3. The bill would have provided for federally funded internal improvements on small harbors, many of them on the Great Lakes
. Polk believed that this was unconstitutional because the bill unfairly favored particular areas, including ports which had no foreign trade. Polk believed that these problems were local and not national. Polk feared that passing the Rivers and Harbors Bill would encourage legislators to compete for favors for their home districts – a type of corruption
that would spell doom to the virtue of the republic
. In this regard he followed his hero Andrew Jackson
, who had vetoed the Maysville Road Bill
in 1830 on similar grounds. Henry Clay
and his Whig Party
, by contrast supported the bill because they believed the national government had a responsibility to promote trade commerce and economic modernization.
Southern Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly voted to support Polk's veto. The veto was condemned by politicians from both parties who represented the Great Lakes region, who saw it as an attempt by Southerners to slow down the rapid economic growth of the Midwest..
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
on August 3. The bill would have provided for federally funded internal improvements on small harbors, many of them on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Polk believed that this was unconstitutional because the bill unfairly favored particular areas, including ports which had no foreign trade. Polk believed that these problems were local and not national. Polk feared that passing the Rivers and Harbors Bill would encourage legislators to compete for favors for their home districts – a type of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
that would spell doom to the virtue of the republic
Republicanism in the United States
Republicanism is the political value system that has been a major part of American civic thought since the American Revolution. It stresses liberty and inalienable rights as central values, makes the people as a whole sovereign, supports activist government to promote the common good, rejects...
. In this regard he followed his hero Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, who had vetoed the Maysville Road Bill
Maysville Road veto
The Maysville Road veto occurred on May 27, 1830, when President Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill which would allow the Federal government to purchase stock in the Maysville, Washington, Paris, and Lexington Turnpike Road Company, which had been organized to construct a road linking Lexington and the...
in 1830 on similar grounds. Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
and his Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, by contrast supported the bill because they believed the national government had a responsibility to promote trade commerce and economic modernization.
Southern Democrats in Congress overwhelmingly voted to support Polk's veto. The veto was condemned by politicians from both parties who represented the Great Lakes region, who saw it as an attempt by Southerners to slow down the rapid economic growth of the Midwest..