What was Calhoun's suggestion that the federal government pay for the cost of internal improvements?

Question

Internal improvements such as roads and canals.

Answer 1

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The Bonus Bill of 1817 was a bill introduced by John Calhoun to provide United States highways linking The East and South to The West using the earnings Bonus from the Second Bank of the United States. It was a part of the American System, which was proposed by Henry Clay, a colleague of Calhoun.

Calhoun argued for it using general welfare and post roads clauses. The bill was strongly opposed in New England, because people there feared that providing the means for settlers to travel would drain their population and create competing states in the area obtained in the Louisiana Purchase.

Though he approved of the goals, President James Madison vetoed the bill as unconstitutional under strict constructionist ideals.