Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-06-30

Tile TariG-the Public Lands-Prcsiden
Iyler.-The National Intellgencer has the
following article:
RuMoRs AND FAcTs.-In the newspapers as
well as in the current of conversation rumors
are circulating that should the bill for the pro,
visionai continuation of the present Tariff I'M
I'll another shall be formed, which lately pass
ed the House of Representatives, also pass the
Senate, the President of the United States will,
in The exercise of his constitutional authority,
forbid its becoming law.
Upon what ground it is supposed that the
veto power is to be exercised in this case we
should be at loss to imagine. lift was not stated.
$&b h spP2T at me sohasace by those who might
Distribution act from prejudice is the ground
upon which the veto is to be placed upon this
bill. :.
We cannot give any credit to this rumor,
because, in the first place, if the passage Of
the bill should be defeated by the veto, the
Distribution Act remains where it is; whilst,
if the bill should pass in its present shape, tho
Distribution Act does no more than retain its
present position upon the statute-book. The
clause only guards this distribution against
suspension by the effect of this bill : the re4
lection Of the bill certainly will not bring a.
bout its suspension.
But why should it be supposed that the
President en:ertains any objection to this par
ticular provision Of the pending bill? Facts,
we think, are against such asupposion. We
will but glance at them, and, if the reader Will
accompany us, he cannot but arrive at the
same conclusion -
The Distribution Law was approved by the
President on the 4,h day of September, 1871.
That act contains the following prcviso
"Propided, "That if, at any time during tho
>f .el,o oil no
'siton of duties on imports inconsistent with
"lhe provisions of the act of March 9, 1888,
| "entilled Gan act TO modify the &c. of four
Steenth of July, 1882, and all other acts inn
sposing duties on Imports and beyond the
:.rdte Of duty fixed by that act, to wit, twenty
! aper centum on the value Of such imports or
"any of them, then the distribution provided
| sin this act shall be suspended, and shall SO
"continue until this cause of lis suspension
"shal be removed and when removed, DO.
sprevented by other provisions Of ans ae',
'ssuch distribution shall b es, on una
day Of IS be seven Gays an, al,
same Congress passed .An act relative TO de-,
ties and drawbacks" this act, coming In con-
tact with the above proviso lothe Distribution
| Act, Congress introduced and incorporated III
it the following saving clause "Prouided,
THAT if, in virtue Of this section, any duty
"exceeding the rate Of twenty per centum adj
'svalorenl shall be levied prior to the Both OF
sJune, 1912, the same shall not in anywise
''alfect the disposition Of The proceeds of the
"pubIc lands as provided for by an act pass
'ed at the present session of Congress" This
act, containing the latter provision, was also
approved ofby the President. '..@. :.
Now, then, the bill that has passed the
; House Of Representatives, and is now IN the
: "Senatc, "to extend Cor limited period the
"present laws for laying and collecting duties
on imports,'' contains the following proviso
"Propided, That nothing herein contained
'shal suspend the distribution of the proceeds
.sof the public lands, any thing herein contain
= "ed, and any thing contained i'll the provist
;. ito the sixth section Of the act approved tb
: 18th of September, 1S41, entitled AN act t
;. Inappropriate the proceeds of the sales Of TIT
n "public lands and to grant premption rights,
r "to the contrary notwithstanding" -
We submit to the common sense Of on
= readers whether it be al all probable that ith
:, President would veto bill because Of its con
u tanning this provision; when it is seen that
! approved of the very same principle in Tn
proviso to the act Of the last session "relatiy
4 to duties and drawbacks -