Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-09-16
THE PROTEST.

the message to day received from The
President,
THE PROTEST.
The Speaker laid before the House
the following message, in writing, from
the President Of the United States:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 80, 1842.
To the House Of Representatives.:
By the Constitution of the
United States it is provided that "every
bill which shall have passed the House
Of, Representatives and the Senate, shall,
before it becomes a law, be presented
10 The President Of the United States;
If he approve. he shalI sign it; but if
not, he shall return it to that House 10
which it shall have originated, who
shall enter the objections at large upon
the Journal, and proceed 10 re .consid-
er."
In strict compliance with the positive
obligation thus imposed upon me- by the
Constitution, not having been able to
bring myself to approve a bill which
originated in Ihe House of Representa-.
lives, eattIed, "An act 10 provide reVe.
nue. from imports, and to change and
modify existing laws imposing duties
on imports and Tor other purposes" |
returned the same 10 the House with
my objections 10 its becoming a law
These objections, which had entirely
satisfied my W mind oil the great i'm
policy, il not the unconstitutionaIity, Of
the measure, were presented in the
most respectful, and sven deferentiaI,
terms. would not have been so laf
foIgetful Of what was due from one de.
partment of the Government TO another,
as 10 have intentionally employed, in
my official intercourse with the House,
any language that could be, in the
slightest degree, offensive 10 those to
whom it was addressed. Ii in assign
ing my objections TO the bill, | had SO
far forgotten what was due 10 the House
of Representatives as TO impugn its mo-
Iives IN passing the bill, | should owe
not only 10 that House, but to the coun'
try my most profound apology. Such
departure from ProprIety is, however,
rot complained Of in any procee ding
which the House has adopted. Ii has
on the contrary, been expressly made O
subject OF remark, and almost of com.
plant, that the language in which my
dissent was couched vas sLudlously
guarded and cautious.
Such being the character of the off
cial communication in question, | con.
fess | vas totally unprepared for the
course which has been pursued in regard
10 it. In the exercise Of the power tC
regulate its proceedings, the House
for the first time, it is believed, in the
history Of the Government, though
proper TO refer the Message to q SeIec
committee Of its own body, for the pur
pose (as my respect to the House woult
have compelled me to inIer) of dellber
ately weighing the objections urged a.
gainst the bill by the Executive, will
a view to its owu Judgment upon tn
question Of the final adoption or rejec.
lion of the measure.
OF the temper and feelings in relation
TO myself Of ZONE OF the members selec
ted for the performance of this duty,
have nothing to say. That was a mat
ter entirely within the discretion Of tn,
House Of Representatives. But tina
committee, taking a. different view G
its duty from that which | should hav
supposed had led to its creation, inslea
OF confning itself 10 The objections urg
ed against the bill availed itself OF III
occasion formally to arraign the motive
Of the President for others of his oct
Sinco his induction into office. In tn
absence OF all proof, and, as | am boun
TO declare. against all law or preceder
in parliamentary proceedings, and,
the 50 me time, in a manner which
would be difficult TO reconcile with
comfy hitherto sacredly observed in III
intercourse between independent az
co ordinate departments o the Cover
ment, it has ~assaiIed my whole ofici
conduct without a shadow of a prete,
for such assault, and, stopping short
impeachment, has charged me neve
iheIess, with offences declared to de
erVe lmpeach nent. Had the extraor
binary report which The committee thu
made 10 The House been permitted
remain without the sanction of the la
ter, should not have uttered a regret
complaint upon the subject. But, una
c%ompanied as il is by any particle
testimony TO support the charges
il contains, without q deliberate exam