Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1842-09-03
VETO MESSAGE.
TO TIC House Of Representatives.

my self under the necessity Of returning to
the House of presantaives, with my 4
objections, a bill entitled San act TO pro.
vlle revenue from imports, and 10 change /.
aud modify existing laws imposing dutes
on imports, ard Tor other purposes. No
ding can be more painful to auy indlvdu +
al called upon to perform the chief Execu- |
tive duties under our limited Constitution, I
than TO be constrained to Withhold his !
assent from any important measure adopt |
ed by the Legislature; yet he would net- !
Tier fulfil the high purposes Of his STA /
don, nor consult The true interests, or the
solemn will Of the People, the constituents
Of both branches II the Government, by
Welding his well considered, most deeply
fixed, and repeatedly declared oplGions on
matters of great public concernmenut, to
those Of a coordinate Department, with
out requesting that Department seriously
to rc.exanine tho subject o! their differ
ence. The exercise of some independ-
cncc Of judgmeat in regard TO all acts of
legislation, is plainly implied in the re-
spousibiIity of those approving them. Al.
all times duty--it becomes peculiarly
solemn and imperative one, when the sub
lecls passed upon by Cong ress, happen to
Involve, as IN the resent instance, the
most momentous issues, to affect variously
, The various paris OF the country, and to
J have gwen rise in all quarters to such IA
: copnlct Of opinion, as to render ii mpos>
:. sible TO conjecture, with any certainty, on
= which side the majority really is.-Slre-
! " if the pause for reflection. Intended by
y wise authors ofthe Constitution, by refer
. ring the subject back 10 Congress for re-
y consideration be ever eXpedieut and ne
y cessary, it is precisely such case as the
= present.
81 On the subject Of distributing the pro-
> ceeds of the sales OF the public lands, in
:, the existing state of the finances, it has
A. been my duty TO make known my settled
~ convictions on various occasions during
~ the present session OF Congress. A the
u opening Of the extra session, upwards OF
u twelve months ago, sharing fully in the
y general hope Of returning prosperity and
: credit, recommended such distribution
but that recommendation was even then
J expressly coupled with the condition that
he duties on imports should not exceed
the rate Of twenty per cent. provided by
the Compromise act of 1888. These
hopes were not little encouraged, and
these views stronghold by the report oil
Il Mr.. Ewing, then Secretary oflhe Treasu-
- mae ehortIt, tharcnFor Ia III no
2 fore Congress, in which he recommended
the imposition of duties at the rate Of 30
:, per cent. 0d rdiorem on all free articles
- with specified exceptions, and stated al
this measure be lopted, there will be re-
ceived in the treasury from customs, in
the last quarter Of the present year, lS4l,
$5 100000; in all OF the year 1912
: about S22 500, 900; und in the year 1913
+" after the final reduction under the net o.
: March 2, 1888, about 20,S00,000;" ant
+ adds, sit is believed that after the heavy
: expenditures required by the public ser
= vice in the present year shall have beer
= provided for, the revenue which will ac
- crue from that or nearly a pgoXmate rate
- of duty, will be sufficient to delray the ex
y penses of the Government, aud leave {
= surplus to be annualIypPpIied to the grad
> ual payment Of the nailoaa! debt, leaving
, the proceeds Of the publlc lands to be dis
- posed of as Congress shall see fit" l
" WIS most happy that Congress at the time
= seemed entirely to concur in the recon-
- mendations of the Executive, and antici
pating the correctness 0l the Secretary
- conclusions, and in view of an actual sur
: plus, past the distribution act oil the 4tt
10 September last, wisely limiting its opera
tons upon two conditions, having refer
: ence, both Of them, to possible state 0
- the Treasury, different from that which
had been antiCip ated by the Secretary 0
the Treasury, and to the paramount ne
cessities of the public service. 1t ordain
ed that, elf any time during the exist
ence Of that act, there should b. an lmpo
. sition Of the act Of the March, I S33, an
a beyond the rate OF duties fixed by tina
Sc act, to wit: 20 per cent on the value o
re such imports or any of them, then tn
On distribution should be suspended an
or should continue SO suspended until tina
We case should be removed" BY previou
g clause il had, in like spirit of wise an
IL cautious patriotism, provided for anolhe
- case in which all are even now agree
:. that the proceeds of the sales Of the publ
~ lands should be used for the defence q
the country. 1t was enacted that the &C
/, should continue and be in force until 9th
N0 erwise provided by law, unless the Unite
States should become involved in wa
with any foreign power, in which even
from the commencement Of hostilties, tn
---- act should be susrendad until the cesss