Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-07-14
DEBAYE ON THE VETO.
MIR. STUART'S SPEECH.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES. Jvse 20. ,

veto message OF the President, returning Wi,
MS objections the bill "!o extend for a Unite
r PERIOD The present laws for laying and collec,
a ing duties on imports" the question being OF
reconsidoring the said bill, and Mr.. BRIcc
: having concluded his remarks
Mr.. A. III. ii. STUART, of Virginia, rose AM
said that he had but few words TO saw o,
; the subject now before the House. He di
not propose TO enter into any critical ANALYST
/, OF the language of .hc Presidents message, no
would ne undertake TO review all the PROPOSE
; tons which it contained. Many of them ha
already been treated with ability by gentlemei
who had preceded him in Tie debate, and es
. pecially by the gentleman from Massachusetts
MIR. BRIGGs) who had just taken his sea,
There are some points, however, Mr.. Speaker
(sald Mr. So which have not yet been present.
ed to the House and to the Country as distinct
ly and as fully as | could desire, and pro-
pose to conline myself to them.
1t will be observed, Mr.. Speaker, that the
PRESIDENT III his message does no: pretend &c
place his veto of the bill which he has returned
| to us upon any constitutional or conscientious
objection. lie rests it entirely on the grounds
OF eXpediency. He withholds his assent from
1t because OF supposed conflict between its
provisions and those Of the act of the Sd OF
mise act. Now beg leave here TO take issue
with thePresident in regard TO this matter Of
TACT, that there is any such conflict main
tain that there is none. The particular poin,
OF objection with the President 10 The ,en,po-
rary tariff bill is, that it contemplales pros
pectlve distribution ofthe proceeds of the pub
lie lands Now, concedmg that the President
has placed the correct construction unon our
OIL, aver that 1t is no violation of the com.
promise act to withdraw the avals of the pub
nc lands from the ordinary purposes of the
government and distribute them among the
o'ates. On the contrary, maintain, upon the
authority OF the language of the compromise
act itself, upon the evidence derived from the
history OF the action of Congress in regard TO
the SUBJECTS OF revenue and the lands i'm 1893.
ana upon the intrinsic testimony afforded bv.
inc OBVIOUS motives and reasons which infIu.
ehced the parties TO the compromise, that that
act distinctly contemplated the distribution of
The proceeds oithe lands thatthe distribution
was one OF the essential clements of the com
promise and, as necessary consequence. I
fnrher maintain that The failure to distrib,,te
the ldnd fund now would, of itself, he yiola-
'ion oil the true understanding of those who
adopted the compromise, and palpable fraud
upon the rights of one of the parties to it.
Let us Tor moment examine the language
ol the act OF 1888 1t is to be found in HE
I}dgo 'e'u'-- -cu--I~....- .,f IN. Hit,
is all that relates to the views which now
propose TO present to the House, is in the fol-
lowing words:
Sec. 3. BE ii further enacted, That until the
Both day of June, 1912, the duties imposed by ex-
listing laws, as modified by this act shall remain
and continue 10 be collected. And from and af-
ter the day last aforesaid, all duties upon Imports
shall be collected in ready money and all credits
now allowed by law in the payment of duties
shall be and hereby abolished. ind such duties
shall 6e-|aidfor the purpose N raising as
may he necessary 10 an economical administration
| " tie GOrernment; and from and after the day
last aforesaid, duties required to be paid by law
! on goods wares, and merchandise shall he assess.
ed upon the value thereof at the port where the
same shall be entered under such regulations as
may be prescribed by law.
Now, ask gentlemen what is the import
of the clause which provides that after the
Both, June, 1912, (this day. ''Such duties shat
be fe0ted for The purpose Of raising revemme
as may be necessary 10 an economical adminis-
trGtion OF the Couernment9 Itwilbe observ-
ed hiatt language employed is broad anC
comprehensive. 1t has qualifications OF
conditions preiixcd or appended to it, ]: I:
clearand distinct, and unreStrained by any linn
iaton whatsoever. ii does not provide TIA
'snch duties shall be levied as may be neces-
sary IN aid IF the land find, or OF any othe
fund, for the purposes of The Government
1t provides that such duties shall be levied a.
: may DC necessary. This language exclude.
the idea of the land fund being brought int,
c the general revenue just as eAcctualiy as it ex
cludes the idea OF direct tax or an excise du
ty. IL IS confined to duties, and the amour
OF those duties is to be regulated by the want
=, OF the Government economically administered
There is no other standard prescribed for est
r mating their amount than the 1caniS of IA
n Government economically administered. TIL
proceeds Of the public lands constitute no clt
9 ment in forming this estimate: Hence. cor
ciude that the sound construction OF The Ian
n gage of the compromise act is, that such d,titc
: as arc Of MemselUcS-imdCpcndcm of dire
k tareS-independem Of ercjseS--indcpes,dei
C Of the tand )u',d, or any other fund-ncce
|, sary 10 an economical administration of Il
&c Government, shall be levied
This is the view which ] derive from Il
= language of the act. Let us now see how f
. this construction is sustained by the history
|. the action of Congress in regard to these XII
r dred subjects Of distribution and imposts, as
"a appears from the journals Of the two House
f. have looked into this subject with some cal
and the results of my investigations are thes
y The land distribution bill passed the Seua
on the 25ih of January, 1888, (see Sena
n Journal, page 13S,) and was Communicated
tic the House for its concurrence. The Hou:
=, being busily occupied with the considerati
Of Of tariff bill then pending before iione
which from the peculiar crcunS