Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-08-18

IL. -
"e pu'He Iaith To the fulilment OF the N, .ioon,
ENGAGEMENTS bu, 20 leave all the burden, nod en-
ua,fassmsn's OF the public Treasury. brought upon
| by the impfov .dcnce Of the precet;5g AJm;n;.
naiion, bearing upon the Peonie viii 9ac.,".",l
PesHe- nc fatal error Of the preceding Al.
m'ni'hsion had been an excess Of exo.od,,To
. "ey QUO Us income. That eIcesshad been an aver.
sso OF eght millions of dollars a vear n Ia,s, a.,
ring the tour years OF its existence 'rh. n,,s.t
JSein OF ne hschI Operations had been a Continued
increase 81 expenditures and dimnution az re-.
WI" y e'' rs request TO its successor no ef.
ieeuve reduction OF expenses but do,tbl. ,es,,..
tion oil revenue 10 the amour, OF millions ~ 60.
Couse, oy the mere lapse Of time un!es, aver,eJ
""n''i n''eeh months, by subsequent legislation
10y u'e uouo'e exercise OF the Presidential inter.
1le' upon the two bills foe establishing n N,,ion,l
bank this legislation was prevented tn. go.
|. eAPe.unnres beyond tie revenue continued m d
increlsed. The double reduction of revenue ne
nSed ey The compromise Of 1883. was suffered 20
ke Its full ehect-no reduction Of the expendi,ur,s
had been prescribed; and, in the course OF esh;e.o
months, snes the inauguration of President u,iri-
son, an addition Of at least fifteen miions 70 IN.
enormous 9ene't atesdy existing in The Treasury at
the close OF the last Administration is nov CHARGED
upon the prevailing party in Congress, by those
who had made It the law, while tho exercise Of the
veto power alone disabled the Legislature i,se'f
rom 'he power oil applying the only remedy VIII ch
provide ' "
The grea, purpose for which the special session
OF congress had been caieI WIS thus defeated by
Of
congress, Of the regular annual session the mai,r.
ties Of both Houses, not yisldng to the discourage
/. men' OF osappon cd hopes and baffisd enersics
undertook the task Of raising, by impost duties,
revenue adequate 10 tho necessities Of the Tteas,
ry, ind to the fulfiment of the national obliva.
lions.
, BY the assiduOus and unremiuing labors OF the
committees OF both Houses charged with the duties
o! ptoVdns Tor the necessities OF the revenue ard
for the great manufacturing interest OF the Nor,h
ern, Central, and Western States which must be so
, deeply afflicted by my Adjustment Of tariff. 10
raise exclusively revenue adequate TO the neces
sary expenses OF the Government from duties on
Imports tariff bill believed to 30 nearly II moi
, "hoiiy, suincient Tor that purpose, was eiabo-
. rated and amply discussed through a long series
: Of weeks IN both branthes of the Legislature. The
! process oil CESSATION through which alone such
complicated system could be organized necessarily
consumed many months of time; nor were The
committees OF the House exempted from severe 70.
ptoAcn, winch the purchased presses Of the Execu
i've Chlei are even yet casting upon Congress
without re6uke or restraint from him. The claws
were occasoned by the patient and unwesIied in
vest alton ofthe whole subject by the Appropriate
: eomm"ees. AZ The period approached when the
SO called Compromise Tariff was 10 be eonsum
mated, leaving the Government without nny rev.-
nue. tariff sanctioned by the law, the prudence of
congress, without precipitaiing their decision upon
the permanent system which they fondly hoped to
establish, provided nDd sent TO the President TEN.
a porary eSpedient, limited in its operation TO the
space Of one month, during which, 10 avoid a. they
thought, the possibility Of collision with the an
pretended anup1hes Of the President, thew had
suspended fer The same month the Distribution OF
&c the proceeds OF the sales Of the public ands which
by previous law, 10 take effect the day after
= the expiration of the compromise. No. only was
= this most conciatory measure contemptuousl 70.
% ec,ed but in total disregard of the avowed o5in-
ons oil hrs own Secretary of the Treasury, concur
ring with those, nearly unanimous OF oil the most
eminent lawyers OF the land in solitary re.nce
upon the Eesitatbg opinion OF his Attorney Gene
raj, he has undertaken not only TO levy taxes 70 the
amount OF millions upon the people but 10 prescrb.
= regulations for its collection, and for asccrtanins
- The value OF imported merchandise, which the Ian
had IN express terms reserved for the legslatiy,
i action OF Congress.
And COW, TO crown this system OF con;inu ! ans
unrelenng exercise OF Executive legislation bv m,
" alternate gross abuse Of constitutional power ar,
q bold assumption OF powers never vested in him by
any law, we come TO the Veto Message referred bJ
= the House to this committee.
- A comparative review OF the four several yetoe
which, IN the course OF hf cen months, have uspend
e cd the legislation OF this Union, combined with tim
= amphibons production, the reasons for approyn.
=, and signing bill, and Ct the same time striking
W by judicial construction, at its most important en-
10 atuen' Illustrated by eontemponneous efus ons
temper and OF sentiment, divuged at convivii fes
tvals, and obtruded upon the public eye by the IA
tai inendshlp OF sycophant private ccrrespondenis
and stripped to lis naked nature by the repea,ed ana
caring assumption both OF legislative and Of judi
y cal power, would present anomalies OF character
!. and conduct rarely seen upon earth. Such an in.
VesNsauon, though strictly within the scope of the
m Instructions embraced in the reference to this com
~ mlttee, would require n vouminons report vxIirt
H. the seanIiness OF time will not allow and wbici
" may not be necessary FOR maturing the iudsmen
H. OF the House upon the document now bcf,re them
The teisons assisnei by the Pfesiicnt for return
~ ing to the House OF Representatives, with his OH
~ ections, the bill to provide revenue foon, 1,o,,
ne and 10 change aad modify existing laws limo
no sing uules and ior other PURPOSES are preceds,
Sc oy otiei dissertation upon the painful sensation
OF "h'eh any individual invc5ed with the veto powe
:. must teel IN exerciing 1t upon important &C of In
~ Legislature. The paragraph is wordeI vx;tb cT
in IRENE caution, aud with obvious intent 10 avoid IN
l. assertion, made in such broad ani unaual fed term
l. ~ St'et read al tne Philadelphia Independence
!, DAY dinner party, that Congress can enict no law
;. h'ut the concurrence Of the Executive Tber,
=, IS IN this paper stutijus effort 10 save anv in n
vidua from the imputaion of asserting he inor,li
,e hsG lhuepenCence oil Tue Executive upon the Lee
!; sisalurc, sn1 tn, impotence Of Congress To en,c
40 any law without him. That assertion made in =,
o. explicit and unqualified terms, in the Phiadelnh
no letter Is here virtually dlsclaned and dsavovsd
50 The exercise OF some independence o. Judgment i
- esaTd TO all acts Of legislation by anv indivi,,
=, Invested with the veto poscf, here eurts;'.,
no and narrowed down TO the mere pfiy.lege n
A not yielding his well Considered most deem
IN " hx;", AMI repeatedly declared opinions q,
no mluers OF g,ea; public Government 10 thoss q
m a Coordinate department, without REQUESTING IN,
department seriously 10 re examine the subject O
: their difference. The coordinate department II
TO the Legislature no longer the ordinate brapcl
OF the Legislature. The power Of CCrrless +,
a, enact law without the co operation of aov ind;
n Vldual Executive IS conceded, not merely bv an,
10 workable inference, for the closing paragraph OF IN,
y, message, recurring again TO the same troublesom,
rennnHcence, observes that, after aL the iTsrt III
- what he does - substantially to call on Consfes,
In 10 reconsider the subject H. on such reconsidera.
. ton m JOuty ri twO.thrls Of both Houses sbouid
=, be IN favor Of this measure i, will become l,,s
not" outstanding his objections. Tic ifuisu tbi,
remark may perhaps he accounted Tor by the sur.
s. misc that ii was new discovery mace since the
q w'i'ng OF the Philadelphia dinner party letter; and
:. the modest presumption ascfibcd TO tho Consti;u
, ton that the Executive can COMM, no error OF
i, opinion unless twosthfds Of both branches Of tic
= legislature ore in conflict with him. is tempered bv
!, the amiable assurance lhot in tina, event ne viii
- eheoriuly aequiosce IN a result which would he
!, precisely The Same whether he should acuuiescs il
!, Or moi. The aptitude OF this hypo hotieal posi.
~ ton mny be estimated by the e. cuiation Of tb-
" chances tha iho contingency which il suppose, Il
n within the verge Of possibility.
n The reasons assigned by the President for his oh
70 iecons 70 this bi further preceded by nara
n i've OF his aniecedent opinions and communications
y on the subject Of distributing the proceeds Of the
h sales Of the public lands. lie admits that a, the
opening Of tho extra session he recommended sucI,
J. Distribution but he AYERS that this recommend,
ton was expressly coupled with the condition that
the duties on Imports should not exceed the rate Of
h 20 per cent. provided by tho compromise &C, of
1888. "
. Who could insrins that ,0er tbis r,o,, 1911 ,s