Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-08-18
VETO NE S s A G E.
To the House Of representatives OF The
United Mates.

uultru MultN
II is with unlcigned regret that find
nv sell under The necessity 81 returning
To the House Of Representatives. with
my. objections, bill entlrled San Act
20 provide revenue from imports, and to
change aud modify eX'sliag laws imp"s
ny duties on imports and Tor other pur
poscs." Nothing Can be more painful TO
my individual called upon TO perform the
chief Executive duties under our limited
Constitu,ior, than Ia be constrained to
withhold his assent from an important
measure adopted by the Legislature yet
he would neither Iullil the high purposes
ofhis station nor consult the true inter
esls, or the solemn Will of the People, the
common constituents of both branches of
the Goverrm men, by yielding his well
considered mos, deeply fixed. aud repeat
ed declared opinions on matters OF great
oubic conccrnment TO those Of co.ordl
nate Department, without requesting that
ID, parlmem seriously to re examine the
subject of their difference.
The exercise ot some Independence Of
! judgment in regard To all acts OF leglsla-
lioir, is plainly implied IN the responsible
Is of approving them. At all times dut,
= il becomes peculiarly solemn aud
Imperative one, when the subjects pas.
Sed upon by Congress, happen to Involve,
as in the present instance, The most mo.
,nen,ous issues, to affect variously the
various parts of great country, and To
have given rise in all quarters 10 such II
conflict Of opinion, as render ii impo 's'ble
10 Conjecture, with amy certainty, on
Which side the ma rlty is. Surely. If
the pause for reflection, intended by the
wise aulhcrs of the Consliuticn, by re.
(errng he subject back To Congress for
re consideration be ever eXpudio Il aud
necessary, il is precisely such case as
the present.
On the subject of distributing The pro
ceeds of the sales of the public hands, in
he existing state Of the finances, it has
been my duty to mike known my settled
convictions on various occasions during
the present session of Congress. At the
ppeui g of The extra seSsi,n, upwards ol'
l2 months ago, sharing fully III the gen
era hope OF returning prosperity aud
rred.t, | recommended such dis;ribu
ion; but that recommendation was even
then expressly coupled with the condi
ion that the duties on imports should no'
exceed the rate Of 20 per cent provided
nv the { 0mpromlse Act OF 1898. These
hopes were not little encouraged and
these views strengthened By the report
f Mr. Ewing, then Secretary of the
Treasury, which was shortly thereafter
laid before Congress, in which he re
commended the imposition of duties ii,
he rate OF 20 per cent. ad valorem on
all free articles, with specified exceptions.
and stated, "it this measure be adopted.
there will be received in the Trcasrr,
from customs, in the last quarter of the
present year, iS4l, $1,000, 900; IN all
The year 1912. about 22,50o.000
md in the year ls43, utter the ii Ial re-.
juclion under the act Of March =, 1893,
,bout $20,S0O,O00 and adds, 81, is
believed that after the heavy expendi
ures required by the public service in
the present year shall have been prrvl-
ded tor, the revenua which will accrue
from tha; nr nearly proximatc rate of
duty, will be sufficient to deiray the ex-
penses Of the government. and leave u
surplus TO be annually applied to the grad
uu payment of the national debt. leav
mg the proc eds of the public lands To
bc disposed Of us Congress shall see fit"
| was most happy that Congress, at the
time, seemed entirely to concur in the
recommendation of the Executive, aud,
anticipating the correctness of the Sec
retary's conclusions. ard in view of an
,ciual surplus passed The Distribution
act of the 4'h September last, wiscl, \
Uniting its operation by two conditions,
'aying reference, both o.. them, TO a pos |
,lblc state of the Treasury, different
from that which had been anticipated b,
he Secretary of the Treasury, and to
the paramount necessities of the public
service.
Ii ordained that, "if at any time dur.
ng the existence of that act, there should |
be an imposition Of duties on imports in
consistent with the provision OF the ac,
# March, 1898, aud beyond the rate of
duties fixed by tha, nc', to Wit 30 per
cent. on The value of such imports or
my Of them, then the distribution should
De suspended and should continue ST.
suspended, until the cause should be re.
moved" BY ap,evious clause il had
III like spIrI, of wise and cautious pa.
riotsm, provided 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. Ii was enacted that the acl
should continue aud be in force until
otherwise provided by law, unless the
United States should become involved IN ]
war with any foreign power, in which
avent, from the commencement Of hos |
u,ies, the nc, should b, suspended until
he cessation Of hosulIiies.
Not long after the opening of the pre-.
sent session Of Congress, the unprece |
dented aud extraordinary difficulties that
have recently embarrassed the finances
nflhe country began TO assume a serious
aspect. IL soon became quite evident
ihat the hopes under which the act of iih
September was passed. and which alone
jusilli' d it in the eyes either oi Congrcs
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