American Republican And Baltimore Daily Clipper

Improvement of Harbors and Rivers.

The bill making appropriations for the improvement of certain harbors and rivers, which passed the House of Representatives on Friday last, applies to these objects the gross sum of $1,373,450; a large portion of which is appropriated to the improvement of harbors upon the lakes. The port of Baltimore gets $20,000, and Havre-de-Grace a like sum for fortifications.

We are glad that even this small beginning is to be made towards erecting works of defence in our State, though it is probable that the sum appropriated for Baltimore will do little more than lay the foundation upon which it is proposed to build up a battery at Sollers' Flats.

We approve of this mode of applying the surplus funds in the treasury, as the country should be placed in a complete state of defence—though we doubt whether some of the objects to which money is to be applied in this bill would be embraced within the range of Gen. Jackson's Maysville veto message. But upon this point we have no scruples of conscience, as we consider it the duty of Congress to aid works of internal improvement which are calculated for the protection of the country, by facilitating the transportation of troops, munitions of war, or otherwise—and hence we regret the failure of an amendment offered to the bill, requiring the transfer of the stock held by the United States in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company to the State of Maryland. In the case of war that work would be of great service to the nation; and yet almost the whole burden of its construction has fallen upon Maryland, notwithstanding it was commenced with an express understanding that the national government should bear a full share of the expense. We hope that some member from Maryland will introduce a separate bill to effect the proposed transfer, as we think that, in justice it ought to be made.