Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-08-29
REPOR1
MIR. ADAMS'S REPORT ON THE
VETO MESSAGE.


tho Message of the President Of the United States
returning to this House the act, which originated
in il, "to provide rerBnue from imports ana To
change and modify existing laws Imposing duties
on imports, and for other purposes, with his OBJ
iections to it, with Instructions to report thereon
to the House, have attended TO that service, and
respectfully report.
Tho Message is the last of n series Of Execu-
tive measures the result of which has been to defeat
and nullify the whole action of the Legislative
authority Of this Union, upon the most important
interests of the nation.
At the accession of the late President harrison
by election Of the people, to the Executive chair
the finances the revenue, and the credit OF the
country, were found in n condition greatly dis.
ordered and so lauguishing, that the first act OF
his Administration was 20 call special session OF
Congress to provide remedy for this diSempered
state OF the great body polite. 1t was even then
n disease OF 10 sudden occurrence and of no or
binary mnlignity. -Four years before, the imme-
diae predecessor of General Harrison had been
constrained to resort to the same eXpedent, spec
cal session Of Congress, the result of which had
only proved the first OF succession OF palllutives,
purchasing momeutary relief at the expense Of
deeper seated disease and aggravated symptoms,
growing daily more intense through the Whole
four years OF that Administration. 1t had expen
died, from year to year, from eight to ten millions
OF dollars beyond its income, absorbing in that pc
Rod nearly ten millions pledged for deposiie with
the States, eight millions Of stock in the Bank of
the United States, from five to six millions of trust
funds, ahd rs much Treasury notes; and was sink
ing under tho weight Of lis own improvidence
and iucOmpc,Cncy.
The sentence of Il suffering people had com
manded change IN the Administration, and the
contemporaneous elections throughout the Union
had placed IN both Houses OF Congress maorllles,
the natural opponents Of the principles which it
was the will Of the People should be substituted
III the administration of their Government, Instead
OF those which had brought the country 10 con-
dilion of such wretchedness and shame. There
was perfect harmony of principle between the
chosen President Of the People and his majority,
thus constituted IN both Houses oil Congress, and
the first act Of his Administration was TO call
special session of Congress for their delibeIation
mud action upon The measures :ndispensibly nee
essary Tor relief to public Distress and to retrieve
the prosperity Of the great community of the ma
ton.
On the 3lst day Of May 1871, within three
months after the inauguration of President llarri-
son, the Congress assembled at his call. But the
rcns OF the Executive car were already ia other.
hands. BY an inscrutable decree OF Providence
the chief Of the Peoples choice, in harmony with
whose principles the maorities of both Houses
had been constituted, laid low in death. The
Presden: who had called the meeting of Congress
no longer the President when The Congress
met. successor to the office had assumed the
title with totally different principles though pro
Tossing the same at The time Of his election, which,
far from harmonzlng, like those OF his immediate
predecessor, with the majority Of both Houses OF
Congress, were soon disclosed in damelrical OPP
position TO them,
The first development Of this new, and mos
unfortunate, condition of the General Govern
ment, was manifested by tho failure, once and
gam, oil the first great measure intended by Con
gress TO restore The country, by the establishment
OF National Bank-a failure caused exclusively
10y the operation of the veto power by the Pres-
DOM In ttaa-t ,tEtr ii (ND,, .ntfl
nited States, the Executive is not only separated
from the Legislative power, but made dependent
upon and responsible to il. Until very recent
period of our history, all reference in either House
o Congress TO the opinions or wishes of the Pres
ident, relating TO any subject in delberallon before
them, was regarded as an outrage upon the rights
Of the deliberave body, among the first of whose
duties il is to spurn The influence OF the dispenser
of patronage and power. Until very recently, il
wns sufficient greatly to impair the influence of
any member to be suspected OF personal subservi-
ency TO the Executive and any allusion to his
wishes in debate was deemed departure not less
from decency than from order An anxious de-
sire TO accommodate the action sof Congress to
the opinions and wishes Of Mr.. Tyler had led to
notifications of the first bill for the establishment
of a National Bank, presented to him for his APP
proval, widely differing from the opinions enter
lained of their eXpediency by the majority of both
Houses of Congress, but which failed TO obtain
that approval for the sake of which they had been
reluctantly adopted. second attempt ensued,
under the sense Of the indispensable necessity oil a
fiscal corporation to the revenues and credit Of the
nation, TO prepare act, TO which an informal in
tercourse and communication between member
OF the House, charged with the duty of preparing
the bill, aud the President OF The United States
himself might secure by compliance with his O.
pnons pledge in advance of his approval of the
bill, when it should be presented to him. That
pledge was obtained. Tie bill was presented to
him in the very terms which he had prescribed as
necessary TO Obtain his sanction. and it met the
same fate with its predecessor: and it is remarka-
bic that the reasons assigned for the refusal to ap.
prove the second bill! are in direct and immediate
couhict with those which had been assigned for
the refusal to sign the first.
Thus the measure, fist among those deemed by
the Legislature of the Union indspensiby neces-
sary for the salvation of its highest interests, and