The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-20
REPORT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE PRE-,
SIDENT'S VETO.

Mr.. ADAMS, from the Select Committee appoint |
ed the subject, made the following report
The Select Committee TO tchom referred The Message
Of The President Of the United States returning 10 this
House the act, tohieh originated in IL, to proode re-
from imports, and to change and modify srsng
ia,os imposing duties imports, and for other pnPos-
es ,oh has objections 10 it, eih instructions 10 report
thereon to the House haze attended 10 that service and
respectfully report
The Message is the last of series of Executive
measures the result of which has been defeat and
nufy the whole action of the legislative authority
of this Union upon the most important interests of
the nation.
At the accession Of the late President Harrison, by
election of the people, to tho Executive chair the
finances tn revenue, and the credit Of the country
were found in condition greatly dsordered, and so
languishing, that the first act of his administration
was to call special session of Congress, to provide
remedy for this distempered state of the great body
polite II even then disease of no sudden oc-
currence, and of no ordinary malignty. Four years
before the immediate predecessor of General Harri-
had been constrained to resort to the same expe-
dient-a special session of Congress; the result of
palliatives purchasing momentary relief at the ex-
pense of deeperseated disease and aggravated ymp-
toms, growing daily more intense through the whole
four years Of that administration. 1t had expended,
from year to year, from SS0OO0OO to Si0,OOO,OOO
beyond its income absorbing, in that period, nearly
$40, 1000, 900 pledged for deposites with the States,
$4,000 900 of stock in the Bank of the United States,
from S. 900 to S6000000 of trust funds, and as
much Treasury notes. and sinking under the
weight of its own improvidence and incompetency.
The sentence of a suffering people had command
ed change in the administration, and the contempt
raneous elections throughout the Union had placed in
both Houses Of Congress majortes, the natural ex-
ponents of the principles which it the will of the
people should be substituted IN the administration Of
their Government, instead of those which had brought
the country to condition Of such wretchedness and
shame. There was perfect harmony Of principle be-
tween the chosen President of the people and this
majority, thus constituted in both Houses Of Con-
gress and the first act of his administration was, to
call special session of Congress, for their debera-
ton and action upon the ndispensably ne
cessary for relief to the public distress, and to
trieve the prosperity of the great community OF the
nation.
On the 3lst day of May, lS4l within three months
after the Inauguration of President Harrison, the
Congress assembled at his call But the rens OF the
Executive car were already in other hands. BY an
nscrutabe decree of Providence, the chief of the
peoples choice, in harmony with whose principles
the ma ortes Of both Houses had been constituted
was laid low in death. The President who had CALI
cd the meeting of Congress, no longer the Pres-
dent when the Congress met A successor to the Of
fee had assumed the title with totally different prn-
ciples, though protesting the at the time of his
election, which far from harmonizing, like those OF
his immediate predecessor, with the majority Of both
Houses of Congress, disclosed in diametri-
cal opposition to them.
The first development of this new and most unor-
tunate condition of the General Government
manifested by the failure and again. Of the first
great measure intended by Congress TO restore the
credit Of the country, by the establishment of
tional bank-a failure caused exclusively by the ope
ration Of the veto power by the President In the
spirit of the Constitution ofthe United States, the ex-
ecutive is not only separated from the legislative pew
Ell, but made dependent upon, and responsible to 1t.
Until very period of history, all reference
in either House Of Congress- to the opinions wishes
of the President relating TO any subject in delibera
ton before them, regarded an outrage upon
the rights of the delberatve body among the first of
whose duties it is to spurn the influence Of the dis
penser of patronage and power. Until very recently,
it was sufficient greatly TO impair the influence Of any
member to be suspected of personal subservIency to
the Executive; and any aluson to his wishes, in de-
bate, was deemed departure not less from deceney
than from oder An ANXIOUS desire to accommodate
the action of Congress the opinions and wishes of
Mr.. Tyler had led notifications of the first bill for
the establishment of national bank, presented to
him for his approval, widely differing from the opn.
ions entertained Of their expediency by the majority
Of both Houses of Congress; but which failed to OBJ
tain that approval for the sake of which they had been
reluctantly adopted. A second attempt ensued, un-
der sense of he Indispensable necessity of fiscal
corporation of the and credit of the nation,
prepare act to which informal intercourse and
communication between member of the House,
charged with the du of preparing the bill, and the
President Of the United States himself, might secure,
by compliance with his opinions, pledge in advance
Of his approval Of the BILL when it should be pre-
sented to him. That pledge was obtained. The bill
presented to him in the very terms which he had
prescribed necessary to obtain his sanction and
met the same fate with its predecessor; and it is re-
markable that the assigned for the refusal
approve the second bill are in direct and immediate
conflict with those which had been assigned for the
refusal to sign the first
Thus the measure first among those deemed by the
Legislature of the Union indspensaby necessary for
the salvation of its highest interests and for the reso
ration of its credit its honor its prosperity, pros
trated, defeated, annulled, by the weak and waverng
obstinacy Of one man, accidentally, and not by the
will of the people, invested with that terrible power
if prophetically described by of his chosen
minister's at this day. the right to deprive the peo
pie of self government"
The first consequence of this executive legislation
was not only to PROSTATE the efforts of the Legislature
itself to relieve the people from their Distress to
plenish the ex hausted treasury and call forth the
of the country redeem the public faith TO the
fulflment of the national engagements, but to leave
all the burdens and embarrassments of the public trea
sury brought upon it Ivy the mprovidence of the pre-
ccding administration, bearing upon the people with
aggravated pressure. The fatal of the preced
ing administration had been excess of expenditure
beyond its income. That excess had been an average
of eight millions Of dollars year. at least, during the
four years of its existence. The practical system of
It's fiscal operations had been continued increase of
expenditures and dminution of revenues and it left,
bequest to it's successor no effective reduction of
expenses, but double reduction Of revenue to the
amount of millions, to of course by the mere
lapse of time, unless averted, within fifteen months
by subsequent, legislation.
BY the double exercise Of the Presidential interdct
upon the two bills for establishing natiynaI bank,
this legislation was prevented The excess of exnen-