Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-08-25

power, as if propheiically described BY
one OF his own chosen ministers, al thi:
day, as .sthe right to deprive the People
Of self government
The first consequence Of this Executive
Legislation was not only 10 PROSTATE the
efforts Of the Legislature itself TO relieve
the People from their distress, to replenisl
the exhausted Treasury and call forth th'
resources Of the country, to redeem thu
public faith to the fulfilment OF the netion
al gagemenis, but TO leave all the bur
dens and embarrassments of the public
Treasury, brought upon il by the IMPROVE
dence Of the preceding Administration
bearing upon the People with aggravated
pressure. The fatal error Of the proceed
| ing Administration had been an excess o
expenditure beyond its income. That ex
cess had been an average OF eight millions
OF dollars year, a, least, during the tou
years of its existence. The practical sys
ten of its fiscal operations had been ;
continued increase of expenditures anC
diminulion OF revenues, and 1t left al 1
bequest to its successor no effective reduc
ton Of expenses, but double reduction o
revenue TO the amount of millions, 10 oc
cur, Of course, by the mere lapse Of time
unless aserted, within fifteen months, by
subsequent legislation.
BY the double exercise OF the Presden'
I tial interdict upon the two bills for estab
fishing a National Bank, this Legislation
was prevented. The excess Of expendi
lures beyond the revenue continued and
increased. The double reduction Of rev
enue, prescribed by the compromise o
1888, was suffered 10 take its full effect
no reduction of expenditures had been
prescribed; and, in the course of eighteen
months, since the Inauguration of Presi'
dent Harrison, an addition of at least fl,
teen millions to the enormous deficit al
ready existing in the Treasury at the
close OF the last Administrator, is now
charged upon the prevailing party in Con.
gress, by those who had made it the law,
while the exercise Of the veto power alone
disabled the Legislature itself, from the
power of applying the only remedy which
il was within the competency of legisla-
ton itselfto provide.
The great purpose for which the special
session of Congress had been called, was
thus defeated by the exercise Of the veto
power. A, the meeting of Congress, at
the regular annual session, the majorities
OF both Houses, not yielding to the dis
enlargement of disappointed hopes and
bailled energies, undertook the task OF
raising, by impost duties, revenue ade.
quate TO the necessities of the Treasury
and TO the Iuilment Of the national obi
cations.
By the assiduous and unremiiting la.
bors of the committees Of both Houses,
charged with the duties Of providing for
the necessities of the revenue, and for the
great manufacturing interests Of the North.
ern, Central, and Western States, which
must be so deeply affected by any adjust
ment of tariff, to raise exclusively rev.
enue adequate to the necessary expenses
Of the Government from duties on imports,
tariff bill believed to be nearly, if moi
wholly, sufficient for that purpose, was
elaborated and discussed through long
series Of weeks in both branches Of the
Legislature The process of CESSATION
through which alone such complicated
system could be organized, necessarily
consumed many months of time; MOI
were the committees or The House ex
empted from severe reproach, which the
purchased presses of the Executive Chic
are even yet casting upon Congress, with
out rehuke or restraint from hIm. The
delays were occasioned by the patient and
unwearied investigation Of the whole sub
ject by the appropriate committees.
As the period approached when the so
called compromise tariff was 10 be con-
summated, leaving the Government with
out any revenue tariff sanctioned by the
law, the prudence Of Congress, without
precipitating their decision upon the per-
manent system which they fondly hoped
to establish, provided and sent to the Pre-
Slden. temporary expedient, limited in
It's operation TO the space Of one month,
during which 10 AVOID, as they thought,
the possibility of collision with the ap-
pretended antpathies of the President,
they had suspended for the same month
the distribution Of the proceeds of the pub.
lie lands, which by previous law, was
TO take effect the day after the expiration
of the compromise. Not only was this
most concliatory measure contemptuous
y rejected, but, in total disregard of the
avowed opinions Of his own Secretary Of
the Treasury, concurrlng with those,
nearly unanimous, of all the most eminent
lawyers Of the land, in solitary reliance
upon the hesilating opinion of the Attor-
ney General, he has undertaken not only
TO levy taxes to the amount Of millions
upon the People, but to prescribe reguIa.
tons loI its collection, and lor ascertain
ing the value Of imported merchandise,
which the law had, in express terms, re-
served for the legislative action of Con
gress.
And now, to crown this system Of con.
1tinLal ana unreIentlng exercise of Execu'
tive legislation by the alternate gross a
buse of constitutional power and bold as
sumption of powers never vested in hin
by any law, we come to the Veto Mes
sage referred by the House to this com
mlttee.
A comparative review Of the four sew