The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-07-06
= VETO NO. 3.
VETO MESSAGE.
of REPRESENTATIVES.

- return the bill which nrlTllated III '''S
sof Representatives, entitled San ACT TO GH'c''a
sfor limited period the present laws i'r layLng
and collossi4g duties on Imports Will ''i0 '0'-
ingsobjections:
=, II snsnends-n other words, aHroGatcs for tic
tinle-the provision of the act 81 l'3;} conlhion-
IL called efha "cempromisc act." The OILY /
Tround on whichths departure tronrsth2 solemn
Enlistment of a great and aTitatilr question
seems to have been regarded as cNp"'.c" Is
the altered necessity of establishing, w. le sIs
latiyo enactments, rules and regulations, asses
sing the duties to be levied on imports, alter the
Both June, according to the homo valuation;
andyet the bill expressly provides that nj be-
fore the 1st Of August, there be no legIs atioh
upon the subject, the laws ior1aylng and col
leGting duties shall be the same as though Tins
act had not been passed." In other wards, That
the act of 1888, imperfect as it is cons'dcrcd'
shallin that case continue to be, anu 10 DC c%c-
cuted, under such rules and regulations as pre-
vious statutes had prescribed, or had enabled
the Executive Department TO provide for that
purpose leaving the supposed chasn IN the re-
venue laws such as it was before.
am certainly far from being disposed to deny
that additional legislation upon the suDcc', Is
yery desirable; on the contrary the Necessity as
we'll as difficulties, of establishing uniformity
I in the appraiscmcnts to be made IN conformity
with the true intention of that act, was brought
to the notice of Congress in my message TO Con-
press at the opening Of lis present session. but
however sensible may be Of the emblrrass-
ments to which the Executive, in the absence
! of all aid from the superior wisdom OF the lc-
Sgislaturc will be liable, in thc enforcement OF
Tfhe existing laws, have not, with the sncercst
wish to acqueiscc in its expressed Will, been
able to persuade myself that the eXigcncy oil
l.. t,,iu uSti m l
inc the bill in question, with my present views
of its character and effects The existing laws,
as am advised, are sufficient to authorize and
enable the collecting officers, under the dlrcc-
tons of the Secretary Of the Treasury, TO levy
the duties imposed by the act Of 1888.
That act was passed under peculiar circrm-
stances, to which it is not necessary that
should do more than barely alludc. What may
be in theory, its character have always regard
ed it as mparting the highest moral Obligation
1t has now existed for nine years, unchanged III
any essential particular, with as general ac-
3quiescance it is believed of the country, as that
country has ever manifested for any OF her WISE
ly established institutions. 1t has insured TO 1t
the reposc, which always flows from timely,
wise, and Moderate counsels-a repose the
more striking because of the long and angry
agitations which preceded it. This sauary law
proclaims, inseXpress terms, the principle which,
while it led to the abandonment of scheme oil
indirect taxation founded on a false basis, and
pushed to dangerous excess, JustIiics any en-
largenient of duties that may be called for by
the real exigences of the public service. IL
provides "that duties shall be laid for the purpose
of raising such revenue as may be necessary TO
an economical administration o. the Govern
ment.' 1t is therefore in the power OF Con-
gress to lay duties as high as lis discretion may
dictate, for the necessary uses oi the Govern
ment, without infringing upon the act ol 1888.
/ do not doubt that the eyigenccs Of the Govern
ment do require an lncre5se of the tariff ol dY--
ties above twenty per cent; and as f1rr1c doubt
that CONGRESS- NAV above as well as below that
rate. so discriminate as 10 give incidental pro-
lection 10 manufacturing industry, thus to make
the burdens which il is compelled to impose
upon the people, forthe purpose OF Government,
productive of a double benefit. This most oI
the reasonable Opponents OF protective dulles
seem willingly TO oconcede; and If we may Judge
from the manifestations OF public OPINION IN an
quarters, this is all that tine manufacturing III
-terests really require. l am haPPy III 'he per
suasion that this double object can be most easily
and effectuallv accomplished, at the present
iuncturee, without any departure from the spirit
and prnciple of the statute in question. The
manufacturing classes have now an opportunity,
which NAV never occur again, Tor permanently
:. identifying their interests with those OF iie
whole country, and making them, in the HIGH
1est sense of the term, national concern. The
moment is propitious 10 the interests oil the
whole country, in the introduction OF harmony
among all its paris aud all lis several interests.
The same rate Of imports, and 20 more, as vii
most surely re-estabsh the public credit, will
secure the manufacturer all the protection he
ought to desire, with every prospect of perma-
!: nence and stability which the hearty ac-
s<quescence of the whole country, on a reason-
able system, can hold out to him.
But of this universal acquiescence, and The
harmony and confidence, and the many other
benefits that will certainly result from if, re-
gard the suspension of the law for distributing
the proceeds of the sales OF the public lands as
an indispensable condition. This measure, Is,
inmy judgment, called for by large number,
if not great majority, Of The people OF the
United States; by the state Of the public credit
and finances by the critical posture OF our var
GUS foreign relations; and above all, by that
most sacred of all duties-pubic faith The
act Of September last, which provides for the
distribution, couples it inseparably with the
condition, that it shall cease-frst in case of
war; second, as soon and so. long as the rate OF
duties shall, for any reasonSwhatever, be raised
above 20per cent Nothing can be more clear,
express, or imperative, than this lan@uagc.-