Mr. LeBlOND. I will. Now, Mr. Speaker, where does the gentleman find any warrant for the exercise by congress of the power to legislate in the manner provided for in this bill? He says that this road is to be used by the Government for postal and military purposes. It would seem as if he acknowledged that none of the ordinary powers of Congress are sufficient to warrant the enactment ofsnch alaw as this; and hence, availing himself of the extensive use of the military power within' the last 5 years, he throws into each one of these bills a provision reserving to the Government of the U.S. the power to use these roads for military and postal purposes as a justih'cation for what he proposes to do. That reservation cannot confer the power. Our postal facilities are ample without it, and the power to establish 0st roads does not confer power to create rai road corporations with power to appropriate private property for their use and to override the State courts. Neither does the power to establish military roads confer this power. The war beilig over the neces sit of military roads is over. IVhy, sir, never in the history of the Government until the present period was it imagined that the Congress ofihe U.S. had the ower to establish railroads and wagon roads 'or military purposes, except when, in time of war. necessity requires that such roads should be built. In time of peace this power has never been exercised. It is a power granted simply for the purpose of enabling the government toliiiilTinilitary roads in time of war, when the States decline or neglect. to exercise their power in this respect. But now, sir, it is proposed that this power shall be exercised in time of peace, for the purpose of benefiting private corporations. It is claimed by the advocates of this bill that the construction of this road is necessary to mcetthe wants of the public. Sir, I would ask the gentleman whether every road that is built throughout the length and breadth of the land is not a public necessity. But because a railroad is a public necessity does that confer upon Congress the constitutional power to establish it as a military road and override the right of the States to determine such matters for themselves? It is urged, as a further reason why we should exercise this extraordinary power, that the State of Pennsylvania is averse to the establilshment of these different roads. Suppose this be true; does the fact that Pennsylvania objects to the establishmentof' railroads in her State confer upon Congress the power to establilsh such roads? Sir, such power does not exist in this Congress, and whatever may be the pol icy of the State of Pennsylvania it cannot confer the power. If it be exercised in this case. we shal establish a principle which will authorize Congress to regulate all the internal concerns of the various States of the Union. This principle, carried to its logical consequences, would authorize Congress to control marria es, to control the nppointmentofguard inns, a ministrators, 10., to regulate, inaword, all the local affairs of the respective States. For one, I protest against this system of usurping the power of the States, and I ask members to consider well the effeet of these 2 bills before they assist in establishing a principle so broad and dangerous in its character. My colleague having indulged me in my remarks thus far, I will not trespass further upon his courtesy.