Commencing at the very earliest period of our history. we find appropriations made outside of the enumerated powers in the Constitution if we exclude the taxing power. I have a list of some to which I propose now to call attention. In 1794. during the administration of George Washington. a bill was passed and received his signature appropriating $15.000 for the support of refugees from the Island of San Domingo. Mr. Madison was a member of Congress at the time. lie opposed it upon the same ground that Senators oppose this bill. that it was not within the enumerated powers of the Constitution to make this appropriation. but Congress by a very decided majority passed the bill.
Keywords matched
refugees