Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-03-17

a session so barren in valuable results. -
With great difficulty and at the very last
moment, mos, (but not ally Of the common
appropriation bills, ii is true, were got
through. So tina, the machinery Of Gov.
ernmcnt will go on. And this short sen
tcnce describes almost the whole Of the
actual dongs Of the session., II we except
The bill for increasing the number Of the
Judges of the Supreme Court by adding
two members 10 that body.
Congress has not reduced The revenue,
the leading object presented to its consid.
Grafton IN the Presidents message at the
opening Of the session. II has not reduced
tie duties on imporla,ions; nor has it zee
trained the sales Of the public lands.
The Treasury Order (,hc Specie Circular)
Of July litb, 1896, so much, SO universally
and 50 justly complained of, is not rescind
ed, repealed, or superseded. Both Houses
i, Is true, by very large majoritics, passed
an act resembling and superscdiug this
obnoxious order; but the President Meth
er approved It nor negatlved It. lie put it
in his pocket. 1t was presented to him
some days before the adjournment but
these days not being ten, he had o right
as he cons,rucs the constitution. to do
neither one thing nor another. He did not
even inform the Senate, with whom the
bill original 81, tina, he had not time TO consid.
or the bill. He had, doubtless, abundan,
time but, it had passed both Houses by
more than two thirds OF each, he probably
foresaw that ifhe returned the bill, with his
objections, it would still be passed by the
constitutional majority, and so become
law, without his consent. He chose. there.
fore, TO hold it back from a further p!ocec
ding or action Of Congress, and n that
way to defeat it. We hold this to be the
most excep,onablc OF all the modes Of cx-
crcising the veto power, because |. is the
least responsible, and because it deprives
Congress of an opportunity Of exercising
its constitutional authority of passing law
by the votes Of two-lhrds Of each House,
without the consent, or against the Will,
of the President. On this occasion. the
strongly expressed, undoub'ed, and notori'
ons Will Of much more than Two thirds Of
both Houses has been knowingly and in
ten,ionally disregarded. The will Of one
man has ,riumphcd over the will Of the
People. This is the unques;ionable and
""q"oe'ionoJ fact and we leave common.
In speaking Of the measures which have
failed, we must not be understood, in all
cases, as manlfesting our appreciation Of the
measures themselves. We only say that
with all its mojori,ies, and ali its power, the
Administration has failed, completely fa.
led, to fulfil the purposes which it under.
took to accomplish 1t has found itself Just
able, and only just able, and that indeed
not without the help Of the Opposition, 10
keep the Government along. If that OPP
position had been less patriotic, If it had
sought to create embarrassment, If it had
either withdrawn or voted against mea
sures, we see nothing but that Government,
must have come TO full stop.
The Fertilization iii h.s boon lost bv q
disagreement between the two Houses
We 10 not mean Mr.. Bcnton's bill for new
works that never b1eathcd breath fsome
people think it did not have breathing time)
after it reached the House of Representa-
,ivcs. But we speak of the common, an
nual Apr opriation for works already begun,
and now in progress. This appropriation
has failed, by the disagreement Of the Ad-
ministration House Of Representatives and
Administrator Senate. on the subject OF
the DISTRIBUTION q the Treasury surplus. a
measure which was connected WIN the OIL
making this appropriation; 60 that al! the
works. where PRIOR appropriations are ex
hausted' must await the provisions OF inc
next Congress- AND TINS leads US 10 say
that. while Congress has adopted no mea
sure to reduce income. it has refused Ia
make distribution Of large and clearly ss
rertaiDed surnlus. wc saw ascprtainpt bo
cause, as was urged in both Houses, It Is
now as obvious that there will be surplus
next January, as 1t was, on the % OF July
| In hon the late mt OoScCd that there