The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-08-19
VETO MESSAGE.
TO The House Of Representatives.
Of ho TrniIoJ CJ,yoc.

Ii Is with unlcigned regret that find myself un-
der the necessity of returning to the House of Rep
resentatives, with my objections, bill entitled
can act to provide revenue from imports, and to
change 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 limi-
ted Constitution, than to be constrained to withhold
his assen, from an important measure adopted by
the Legislature; yet he would neither fulfil the high
purposes of his station, nor consult the true inter-
ests, or the solemn will of the People, the common
constituents of both branches of the Government,
by yielding his well-considered, most deeply fixed,
and repeatedly declared opinions on matters of
great public conce-nment to those of coordinate
Department, without requesting that Department
seriously to re-eAamine the subject of their differ
encc. The exercise of some independence of judy
ment in regard to all acts of legislation, is plainly
implied in the responsibility Of approving them
AT all times duty-it becomes a peculiarly SOL
emn and imperative one, when the subjects passed
upon by Congress happen 10 involve, as in the
present instance, the most momentous issues to
affect variousy the various parts of great coun-
try, and TO have given Use in all quarters to such
conflict of opinion, as 10 render it impossible to
conjecture, with any certainty, on which side the
majority really is. Surely if the pause for reilcc-
ton, intended by the wise authors Of The Constilu-
ton, by referring the subject back to Congress for
hn ,linnt nd
il is precisely such a case as the present.
On the subject of distributing the proceeds of the
sales of the public lands, in the existing state of
the Finances, it has been my duty to make known
my settled convictions on various occasions during
the present session Of Congress, AT the opening
Of the extra session upwards Of twelve monihsago,
sharing fully in the general hope of returning pros
periiy and credit recommended such disribu-
ton; but that recommendation was even then cS-
prcssly coupled with the condition that the duties
on imports should not exceed the rate of 20 per
cent provided by the Compromise &c, of 1915
These hopes were not Il little encouraged and these
views strengthened, by the report Of MIR Ewing,
then Secretary of the Treasury, which was shortly
thereafter laid before Congress, in which he rec
commended the imposition of duties at the rate of
20 per cent. ad ralorem on all free 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, USlD $5,S00,0O0 IN all Of the year 1912,
about S22, 800 900; and in the year 1913, after
the final reduction under the act of March ., 1888,
ubont $50 900, OOO;" and adds, sit 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 proximale rate Of duty, will be
sufficient to dclray the expenses of the Govern
mcnt, and leave surplus to be annually applied
to the gradual paymen, ofthe national debt, leav-
ing The proceeds of The public laads 10 be disposed
of as Congress shall see fit" | was most happy
tina; Congress, At the time, seemed entirely to con-
cur in the recommendations Of the Executive, and
anticipating The correctness ofthe Secreiary's con-
illusions, and in view Of an actual surplus passed
the Distribution act Of the 4lh Of September last,
wisely limiting its operation by two conditions,
having reference, both Of them 10 possible state
of the Treasury, different from that which had
been anticipated by the Secretary of the Treasury,
aud to the paramount necessities Of the public ser
vice. 1t ordained that, " il at any time during the
existence Of that act, there should be an imposition
of duties on imports inconsistent with the provision
of the act of the I'd Of March, 1888, and beyond
the rate of duties fixed by that act, TO wit 20 per
cent. on the value Of such imports or any Of them
then the distribution should be suspended and
should continue so suspended, until that cause
should be removed" by previous clause i, had,
in like spirit Of wise and cautious PATRIOTISM
proved for another case in which all are even
now agreed that the proceeds Of the sales Of the
public lands should be used for the defence Of the
country. 1t was enacted that the act should con.
ilnuc and be in force until otherwise provided by
law, unless the United States should become in
vovcd in war will, any foreign power, in which
event, from the commencement Of hostcs, the
act should be suspended until the cessation of ho,.
tiliiies.
Not long after the opening Of the present session
Of Congress, unprecedented and extraordinary
difficulties that have recently embarrassed the finan
ces of the country began 10 assume a serious as
poet 1t soon became quite evident that the hopes
under which The act Of the 4lh September was pas
sed, and which alone justified it in the eyes either
ofCongrcss who imposed or of the Executive who
approved the frs, Of the two conditions Just recit-
cd, were not destined to be fulfilled Under the
pressure, therefore, Of the embarrassment which
had thus unexpectedly arisen, it appeared to me
that the course to be pursued had been clearly
marked out by the Government by that act itself
The condition contemplated in it,ns requiring sus-
pension of its operation, had occurred. II become