The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-08-16

feet to the proVlSO IN t1e uiSIiouo"
as TO prevent semi annual payment oil
what had accrued during the previous SIN
months. unless the accruing itself had been
suspended by an excess Of duties beyond 2O
per cen, during those six months: aud
therefore he says that the assumption "tnat
distribution of the proceeds OF the pubic
lands is, by existing laws, 10 be made OH
the LIST Of July 1912, Notwithstanding there
has been an imposition on imports exceed
ing 20 pei cent up to that day,is erroneous
and dangerous" This was the first TIM.
believe, tina, any body had suggested that
the excess Of dulles above 20 per cent. pre-
rious to July l, 1912, suspended, (by virtue
of the proviso in the distribution acD the &C.
cruing of the proceeds of the land sales for
the benefit of the States, during that time.
By the distribution Act, the allowance OF
the proceeds of these sales TO the States
was to be from and after the 3lst oil De-
cember ls4l. although it was known that iIr
virtue of the Compromise Act itself, duties
above 20 per cent. Were 10 continue until
the LIST of July following.
II is furthermore rendered apparent that
the suspension of the distribution was mot
to be produced by an excess OF duties above
30 per cent. previous TO the LIST OF July Nv
under the compromise act; because the suS
pending prnviso declares "that if at any
time during the existence OF tins act, there
shall be an imposition Of duties OIL imports,
beyond 20 per cent, then the distribution
shall be suspended, 8-c."-thus evidently
contemplating that il was TO be upon tie
raising of duties above 20 per cent. By the
future action of Congress, tina the susPcn-
sion was 10 depend. and not on AN excess
over 20 per cent. in virtue OF a law then III
! existence.
I Ii TINS seems TO me that the second ground
taken By the President, suks from under
him: that the Bill which he vetoed did not
conflict with the proviso of the distributions
law, but that it simply carried forward The
existing state of things. including the pro-
viso, TO LIST Of August, leaving the suSP"n-
sion of the distribution to take place then
! and should there be, in the meantime, an
! imposition of duties above 20 Der cent. on
imports, the suspension should take efisct
on the LIST of August and continue IN force
while duties remained above % per cent
The obvious insuficiency of the reasons
assigned by the President for bis veto. madG
deep impression here. The exercise Ut
the veto power is always calculated to pro-
duce strong sensation, because It rs an M
terposition of the will OF one nan TO render
the deliberate action Of both houses OF Con"
giess OF no effect, unless it shall finally be-
come the action Of TWO THIRDS OF each vi
! those houses. IL is q tremendous power
and should never be exercised except i"f
strong and overpowering reasons--so strong
and overpowering as evidently to eonsfrd'H
the President, Reluctantly, 10 exercise til
power Ii was however very apparent IN
this case, that there was no reluctance. ani
equally APPARENT, that there was no high and
urgent necessity. On the contrary thrrc
is an evide l. ring in the Veto Mess 'gn
to find plausible reasons for the act. II Is
difficult therefore, to resist the conviction
that there was other reasons for il han those
which appear in the Message. What those
reasons Were, | viii not undertake. to say
1t NAV be that his mind was corFoded with
the suspicion that Congress Intended by the
act which he vetoed, 10 "head him." lhrrc
have not been wanting strenuous efforts Ia
produce upon him this impression But
nothing can be more unjust than such slls
picion. On the contrary, it is well known
/ here that the utmost pains were taken so 10
shape tie Bill as TO make II acceptable 10
him. TINS was cvinced BY the amrndm''nt
made 10 it in the Senate, which was prompt
ly concuned in by the House.
intended when began, to make few
remarks upon the subject Of thu distribution
I
of the proceeds Of the public land, but have
unconsciousIy occupied so much space up
on the other topic that ] am reluctant 10 tax
I your patience any further. You will per-
nit me however, TO touch upon the subject
as briefly as possible.
Next in Importance 10 go1d prote ctIvc
TaIiff, do regurd the permanent dIstribu-
ton of the proceeds Of the sales Of our pub
lie lands. They should never, in my opin
ion, be ma le the source Of ordinary revc
nue. for the support of government. That
revenue should be all drawn from duties on
imports. Protection to the in 'us,rv Of the
country demand it. One of the most es-
sential requisites to that protection is uni
formity and stability, which it is obvious we
cannot have if tho amount ia the Treasury
is TO be augmented or diminished BY The ex
tremely fuctuating receipts from the sales
of our public lands, which as experiences
shows, always rise the highest when our
imports are the greatest and fall when
general pressure brings down the amount
imported and consumed in the country -
The receipts from the public lands thus
exeris positively injurious influence upon
protection. II they are kept out oil tlie
Treasury exceptin the case of war-which'
of ITSELF is the highest protection TO manu-
features then may the original design OF
the Constitution be carried out; namely, the
providing for the common defence and gen.
eraI welfare'-(protection 10 industry Inclu-
ded)-by supplying the Treasury from du'
ties on imports. And contend that the
protected int rests have a right TO all the
protection which the collection of the whole
revenue from imports will furnish. without
substituting for any part of it, the receipts
from the public lands.