Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-08-18
Veto Message.
TO the House Of Representatives.
of The United St0

III is with unieigned regret that hnc
myself under the necessity Of returning &c
the House Of Representatives, with my OBJ
jections, bill entitled "An act to provide
revenue from imports, and TO change and
modify existing laws imposing duties on
imports and fo- other purposes. Moth
ing can be more painful to any individual
called upon TO perform the chief Execu-
tive duties under our limited Constitution,
than to be constrained to withhold his as.
sent from an important measure adopted
by the Legislature yet he would neither
fulfil the high purposes Of his station, nor
consult the true Interests, or the solemn
will of the People, the common constitu-
ents of both branches Of the Government
by yielding his well.considered, most
deeply fixed, and repeatedly declared o.
pinions on matters of great public con.
cernmeDt to those of coordinate De-
2artment, without requesting that Depart.
ment seriously to Ie-exerclse Of some in.
dependence of judgment in regard TO all
acts of legislation, is plainly implied in the
responsibility OF approving them. Al all
times duty--it become peculiarly SOL
emn and imperative one, when the SUBJ
jects passed upon by Congress, happen to
involve, as in the present instance, the
most momentous issues, to affect various.
ly the various parts of great country,
and to have given rise in all quarters 10
such conflict of opinion, as to render it
impossible to conjecture, with any certain.
ty, on which side the majority really is.
Surely, If the pause for reflection, intend
ed by the wise authors Of tho Constitu-
ton, by referring the subject back to Con.
gress for reconsideration be ever expe-
dent and necessary, it is precisely such a
case as the present.
On the subject of distributing the pro-
ceeds 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 months ago, sharing fully in the
general hope of returning prosperity and
credit, | recommended such distributions
but that recommendation was even then
expressly coupled with the condition that
the duties on imports should not exceed
the rate Of 20 per cent. provided by the
Compromise act of 1888. These hopes
were not little encouraged and these
views strengthened by the report of Mr..
Ewing, then Secretary Of the Treasury,
NIL toh cbart1xr hor TO- laid kaG
Congress, in which he recommended the
imposition of duties at the rate Of 20 per
cent. adj ralorem on all free articles, with
specified exceptions, and stated, t" if this
measure be adopted, there will be receiv.
ed in the Treasury from customs, in the
last quarter of the present year, {l64l, }
So, 300, 900; in all of the year 1912, about
S2a 500, 900; and in the year l643, after
the final reduction under the act Of March
2, 1888, about $40, 500, 000;" and adds,
sit is believed that alter the heavy ex-
pendtures required by the public service
in the present year shall have been pro-
vided for, the revenue which will accrue
from that or nearly approximate rate of
duty, will be sufficient TO defray the ex.
penses of the Government, and leave a
surplus to be annually applied to the grad
ual payment Of the national debt-leaving
the proceeds of the public lands to be dis.
posed Of as Congress shall see fit" was
most happy that Congress, at the time,
seemed entirely to concur in the recon.
mendatons of the Executive, and antici-
pating the correctness Of the Secretary S
conclusions, and in view of an actual sur
plus, passed the Distribution act Of the 4th
September last, wisely limiting its opera
ton by two conditions, having reference,
both of them, to possible state of the
Treasury, different from that which had
been anticipated by the Secretary of the
Treasury, and to the paramount necessi.
ties Of the public service. 1t ordained
that 4" if 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 ofthe I'd March, 1888,
and beyond the rate of duties fixed by
that act, to wit, 90 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 1revl-
Gus clause IT had, in like spirit Of wise
and cautious patriotism, provided for ano-
Their case in which all are even now a.
greed that the proceeds Of the sales of the
public lands should be used for the de-
fence of tine country. 1t was enacted
that the act should continue and be in force
until otherwise provided by law, unless
the United States should become involved
in war with any foreign power, in which
event, from the commencement Of HOSTILE
ties, the act should be suspended until the
cessation of hostilities.
Not long after the opening Of the pres
ent session of Congress, the unprecedent.
ed and extraordinary difficulties that have
recently embarrassed the finances of the
country, began TO assume serious aspect.
1t soon became quite evident that the
hopes under which the act Of Sept. 9TH
was passed, and which alone justified it
in the eyes either of Congress who impos.
ed, or Of the Executive who approved the
first of the two conditions just recited,
were not destined 10 be fulfilled. Under
the pressure, therefore, Of the embarrass-
ments which had thus Unexpectedly aris-
en-, il appeared to me that the course to be