The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-08-30
REPORT OF Mr.. ADAMS,

= REPORT OF Mr.. ADAMS,
FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE on THE VETO
The Select Committee, TO whom was re
ferred the Message of the President of tn
United States returning to this House III
act, which originated in it, ''to provide rev
enue from imports, and 10 change and mod
ify existing laws imposing duties ON i'm
ports, and for other purposes" with his OBJ
Jections 10 it, with instructions to repor
thereon to the House, have attended to tina
service. and respectfully report:
The message is the last of series of FIX
ecutiye measures the result of which has
been 10 defeat and nuify the whole actor
of the Legislative authority of this Union
upon the most important interests ofthe ma.
tio1.
AT the accession of the late President
Harrison, by election of the People, to the
Executive chair, the finances, the revenue
and the credit of the country were found in
condition so greatly disordered and So
languishing, that the first act of his admin
istration was 10 call speciul session of con.
gress to provide remedy for this dislem-
pered state ofthe great body polite. 1t
was even then disease of no sudden &C.
cunehce, and of no ordinary malignitv.-
-Four years before, the immediate predeces-
sor of General Harrison had been constrain.
ed 10 resort TO the same expedient, a special
session of congress, the result of which had
only proved the first of succession of palli
atives, purchasing momentary relief at the
expense of deeper seated disease and aggra-
waited SYMPTOMS, growing daily more intense
| through the whole four years of that Ad
ministration. 1t had expended, from year
| 10 year, from eight TO ten millions Of dollars
beyond its income, absorbing in that period
nearly ten millions pledged for deposite
with the States, eight millions of stock in
the Bank of the United States, fIom five to
six millions of trust funds, and as much
treasury nole,; and was sinking under the
weight of its own improvidence and incom-
potency.
The sentence of a suffering People had
commanded change In the Administration,
and the contemporaneous election through
out the Union had placed in both Houses of
congress majorilies, the natural opponents
Of the principles which it was the will of the
People should be substituted in the admins
tration of their Government, instead of those
which had brought the country TO coudi.
ton of such wrelchedness and shame
There was perfect harmony of principles
between the chosen President Of The People
and this majority, thus constituted in both
Houses of congress; and the frs. act of his
Administration was to call special session
of congress for their elaboration and action
upoC the measures indis?ensibly necessary
for relief to the public distress, and 10 re-
trieve the prosperity Of the great communi-
ty of the nation.
On the 3lst of May, ls4l, within three
months after the Inauguration of President
Harrison, the congress assembled at his call
But the reins of the Executive car we're al.
ready in other hands. By an inscruiable
decree ofProvidence the chief Of the Peo-
pies clIoice, in harmony with whose prin.
ciples the maiorities of both Houses had
been constituted. was laid low in DEATH
The President who had called the meeting
of Congress was no longer the President
when congress met. A successor TO the Of !
fee had assumed the title, with totally diff. !
ferent principles, though protesting the same
al the time of his election, which. far from
harmonizing, like those of his immediate
predecessors, with the majority of both hou-
SEES of congress, were soon disclosed in dia-
metrical opposition TO them.
The first development Of this new, and
most unfortunate condition Of the General
was manifested by the failure,
o1ce and again. the first great measure
Intended BY Congress 10 restore the credit
of the country, by the establishment of a
National Bank-a failure caused exclusive
" by the operation ofthe veto power by the
resident. In the spirit of the Constitution
ol Inc United States, the Executive is not
ony separated from the Legislative power,
but made dependent upon and responsible
10 IT, oni,l a very recent period in our {
hlstory' all reference in either House of .
Congress 10 the wishes of the President. :
relating 10 any subject in deliberation he .
fore them, was regarded as an outrage IN. ,
d. the rights of the deliberative body among ;
The first Of whose duties it is 10 spurn the ,
influence ofthe dispenser of paironage and ,
power.
Until very recently, ii was sufficient
greatly to impair the influence of any men,
Der 10 be suspected of personal subservien I