New-York daily tribune., 1842-08-11
HE TRIB u NE.
VETO MESSAGE


presentatiyes, with my objections, q bin entitled
aAn act to provide revenue from imports, and to
chunge and modify existing laws imposing duties
on imports, and for other purposes" Nothing can
be more painful to any individual called upon to
perform the chief Executive duties under our limit
ed Consultation, than to be constrained TO withhold
his assent from an important measure adopted by
the Legislature; yet he would neither fulfil The
high purposes of his station, nor consult the true
interests, or the solemn will of the People, the
common constituents of both branches Of the Go
yernmenr, by yielding his well considered, most
deeply fxea, and repeatedly declared opinions
matters of great public conceInment, to those ofa
coordinate Department without requesting that
Department seriously to re-examine the subject o,
their difference. The exercise of some independ-
ence of judgement in regard to all of legisla-
tion is plainly implied in the responsibility of ap-
proving them. At all times duty-t becomes
peculiarly solemn and imperative one, when the
subjects passed uponby Congress, happen toinvolvs
as in the present instance the most momentous is-
sues to effect variously the varoes parts Of great
country aad to have given rise in all quarters to
such conflict of opinion, to render it impossible
to conjecture, with any certainty, on which side
themajoriry really is. Surely, if the pause for re-
hecticn, intended by the wise authors ofthe Cousi-
tuition, by referring the subject back to Congress
for reconsideration be ever expedient and aecessa
~ it is precisely such case as the present.
Ol the subject of distributing the proceeds of
the sales of the public lands, in the existing state
Of the finances, it has been my daty to make known
nv settled convictions on various occasions dur
ing the present session of Congress. At the open
ing of the Extra Session, upwards Of twelve
months ago, sharing fully in the general hope of
returning prosperity and credit, recommended
such q distributions but that recommendation was
even then expressly coupled with the condition
that the duties on imports should not exceed
twenty per cent. provided by tho Compromise act
of 1888. These hopes were not q little encour-
aged and these views strengthened by the report
OF Mr.. Ewing, then Secretary of the Treasury,
which was shortly thereafter laid before Congress-
in which he recommended the imposition OF duties
at the rate of 90 per cent. ad valorem on all Tree
articles, with specified exceptions. and stated, "if
this measure be adopted, there will be received in
the Treasury from customs, in the last quarter OF
the present year, (1341,) $4,000, 900; in all of
the year ls4a, about $22,5O0, ,000 and in the
year 1S43, after the final reduction under the act
Of fMarch 9, 1885, abont $4,000, ,o00;' = and adds,
lit is believed that after the heavy expenditures
required by the public service in the present year
shall have been provided for the revenue which |
will accrue from that or nearly proximate rate OF
duty will be sufficient to defray tho expenses eli
the Government, and leave surplus to be annu-
ally applied to the gradual payment OF the national
debt, leaving the proceeds of the public lands to be
disp posed of as Congress shall see fit" was |
most happy that Congress at the time, seemed en-
trely to concur in the Recommendations OF the Ex-
ecutive, and anticipating the correctness of the
Sscretary's conclusions, and in view of an actual
surplus, passed the Distributed act of tho dtt
September last, wisely limiting its operation by
two conditions, having reference, bota OF them, to
possible state of the Treasury, di}- cent trem
that which had been anticipated by the Secretary
of the Treasury, and to the paramount necessities
of the public service ltordained that " 1t at any
time during the existence of that act, there should
be an imposition of duties on imports inconsistent
with the provision of y1e act of the Cd March,
1888 and beyond the rate of duties fixed by the
act, to wit. 90 per cent. OH the value of such i'm
ports or any of them, then the distribution should
be suspended and should continue SO suspended
until that cause should be removed" BY pre-
vous clause it had, In like spirit of wise and
cautious patriotism, provided for another case IN
which all are even now agreed that the proceeds
of the sales OF the public lands should he used Tor
the defence of the country. 1t was enacted that
the act should continue and be in force until other
wise provided by law, unless the United States
should become involved in with any foreign
power, in which event, from the commencement
of hostilities, the act should be suspended until
the cessation of hostilites
Not long after the opening of the present ses-
sion Of Congress, the unprecedented aud eNtraor,
dinary difficulties that have recently embarrassed
the finances Of the country, began 10 assume n Sc
rious aspect. 1t soon became quite evident thae
the hopes under which the act Of the 4th of Septer-
Il al iust
eyes either Of Congress who imposed, or OF the
Executive who approved, the first of the two con-
ditions lust recited were not destined TO be iuhed.
Under the pressure, therefore, of the embariass-
men,s which had thus unexpectedly arisen, 1t APP
peared TO me that the course TO be pursuea had
been clearly marked out for the Government by
that act itself. The condition contemplated IN 1t,
as requiring suspension oil its operation had oc-
Cured II became necessary, in the opinions OF
all. TO raise the rate of duties upon imports above
90 per cent, ana with aview both to provide avail
able means to meet present eXlSencles, and to lay
the foundation for successful negotiation oi
loan felt it incumbent upon me to urge upon
Congress to raise the duties accordingly, imposing
them in spirit Of wise discrimination, lor tue
two-fold object of adording ample revenue Tor the
Government and incidental protection TO the Var,-
ous branches of domestic industry | also pressed,
in the most emphatic bat respectiui iausu"sso
could employ, the necessity of making the land
sales available to tho Treasury the basis OF pub
lic credit. / did no, think that could stand es-
cusea much less justified, before the people OF The
United States, nor could reconcile it TO myself 10
recommend the imposition of additional taxes upon
them, without, ut the same time, urging the :. eu'-
ploymeat of all the legitimate means OF the gov
ernn,en, toward satisfying its wants. these oPin-
ions were communicated in advance OF any denn,se
action of Congress on the subject either OF ,,i Tue
tariff or land sales undera high sense OF paol'c
duty, and in compliance with an express inluhc-
ton Of the Constitutions SO ,hat if COLLISION ex-
tremelS to be deprecated such collisions always