James Caldwell (Ohio politician) 14th United States Congresses (March 4, 1813 to March 3, 1817). After he retired from Congress, he resumed business in St. Clairsville. He served as one of Ohio's Presidential elector in 1820 for James Monroe, and in 1824 for Henry Clay. After his wife's death, Caldwell moved to Wheeling, which his father had helped establish, several brothers lived, and where his son Alfred Caldwell practiced law and was becoming a prominent politician. James Caldwell Jr. lived and ultimately died at Beemer's Tavern, essentially a residential hotel. During his final years, he was president of Wheeling's Merchants and Mechanics Bank, which
Bonus Bill of 1817 that while the Constitution did not empower Congress to establish any system of internal improvements, he stated, "To the appropriation of the public money to improvements... I do not see any well-founded constitutional objection..." With that statement, Monroe now held that congress had the power to appropriate the public moneys at its discretion; and that though it was in duty bound to select objects of general importance, it was not the province of the president to sit in judgment upon its selections. Additional internal improvements legislation would soon follow. Bonus Bill of 1817 The Bonus Bill of 1817 was legislation