Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-08-25


Thus the measure, first among those deemed by r
he Legislature OF this Union indispensably ne n
essary for the salvation Of It's highest interests
md for the restoration Of its credit, its honor. its
prosperity, was FRUSTRATED, defeated, annull,d, by
he weak and wavering obstinacy Of one man, ac- Q
,identally, and not by the will Of the Pople, in
vested with that terrible power, as If prophetcaly
described by one of his own chosen ministers, at
this day, as "the right to deprive tho People OF
self government" /;
The first consequence Of this Executive legis-
lation was not only PROSTATE the efforts of the
Legislature ITSELF to relieve the People from their
distress, TO replenish the exhausted Treasury and
call forth the resources of the country, to redeem
the public faith to the ful6lment oil the national
but to leave all the burdens and
embarrassments Of the public Treasury, brought
upon it by the improvidence Of the preceding Ad-
ministra,ion, bearing upon the People with ag
gravated pressure. The fatal error OF the prece-
ding Administration had been excess Of expen-i
diture beyond its income. That excess had been
average Of eight millions Of dollars year, at
least, during the four years Of its existence. The
practical system of its fiscal operations had been
continued increase Of expenditures and diminu,ion
Of evenues, and left as bequest to its successor
no effective reduction OF expenses. but a double |
reduction of revenue to the amount OF millions, to
occur, Of course, by the mere lapse OF time, I'M
less avercd, within fifteen months, by subsequent |
legislation. /
by the double exercise Of the Presidential in |
terdict upon the two bills for establishing Ma
tional Bank this Legislation was prevented. The
excess Of expenditures beyond the revenue contin-
| ued and Increased. The double reduction Of rev.
enne prescribed by the compromise OF 1888, was
suffered to take its full eiect-no reduction of the
expenditures had been prescribed; and, In the
course oil eighteen months since the Inauguration
| of President Harrison, an addition of at least
! fifteen millions to the enormous deficit already
! existing in the Treasury at the close of the last
Administration. q IL
ing party in Congress, by those who had made it
the law, while the exercise of the veto power u
lone disabled the Legislature itself from the pow
er OF applying the only remedy which it was with
In the competency of Legislation itself 10 provide.
The great purpose for which the special session
of Congress had been called was thus defeated
by the exercise Of the veto power. At the meet
ing of Congress, at the regular annual session,
the majorles of both Houses, not yielding to the
discourgement of disappont, hopes and balled
energies, undertook the task of raising, by mpost
duties, revenue adequate the necessities of
the Treasury, and to the fulilnent OF the national
obligations.
BY the assdueus and unremittng abors Of the
committees of both Houses charged with the du-
ties OF providing for the necessities oil the rcve-
nue., and for the great manufacturing interest Of
| the Northern, Central, and Western States, which
must be so deeply affected by any adjustment Of
a tariff, TO raise exclusively revenue adequate to
| the necessary expenses OF the Government from
IL
~, n not wholly, sufficient for that purpose,
elaborated and amply discussed through long
Series OF weeks in both branches Of the Legisla-
ture. The process of CESSATION through which
alone such a complicated system could be ogan-
lied, necessarily consumed many months Of time;
nor were the committees or the House exempted
from severe reproach, which the purchased pres
ses Of the Executive Chief are yet casting
upon Congress, without rebuke or restraint from
him. The delays were occasoned by the patient
and unwearicd investigation of the whole subject
I by the appropriate committees. AS the period
i approached when the called Compromise Tar
i'll was to be consummated, leaving the Govern
ment without any revenue tariff sanctioned by the
law, the prudence of Congress-, without precipita-
ting their decision upon the permanent system
which they fondly hoped to establish, provided
and sent to the President temporary expedent
limited in its operation to the space of one month,
during which avoid -u>si, torc IIutu anlIpa-
thies of the President, they had suspended for
me same month the distribution of the proceeds
of the sales of the public lands which by a pre
Vious law, was TO take effect the day after the en-
Plrailon of the compromise. Not only was this
most conciliatory measure contemptuously reject
ed, but In total disregard of the avowed opinions
OF his own Secretary of the Treasury, concur
ring with those, nearly unanimous, of all the
most eminent lawyers of the land, in SOLITARY re
! lance upon the hesitating opinion of the Attor.
! ney General, he has undertaken not only to lew
! taxes to The amount of millions upon the people,
but to prescribe regulations for its collection, and
TOR ascertaining the value of imported merchandise.
which the law had in express terms reserved for
the Legislative action of Congress.
And now, to crown This system of continual
and unrelenting exercise of Executive legislation
ny the alternate gross abuse of constitutional
power and bold assumption of powers never vest
ed In him by any law, come to the Veto Mes
sage referred by the House to this committee.
A comparative review Of the four several yetoes
IN. m a Of
pended the Legislation Of this Union, combined
with that amphibious productions the reasons for
approving and signing bill, and at the same time
striking, by judicial construction, at its most i'm
fportant enactment illustrated by contemporaneous
enusions OF temper and of sentiment, divuloed at
cornwall festivals, and obtruded upon the public
eye by the fatal friendship of sycophant private
correspondents, and stripped TO its naked nature |
by the repeated and daring assumption both of
Legislative and of judicial power, would present
anomalies OF character and conduct rarely seen
upon earth. Such AN investigation, though
strictly within the scope Of the Instructions en-
oraced IN the reference TO this committee. would
! require volnmnous report, which the scantiness
OF time will not allow, and which may not be ne
cessary ior maturing the judgment of the House
upon the document now before them
The reasons assigned by the President for re-
turning to the House Of Representatives with his
objections, the bill to provide revenue from inn
ports and TO change and modify existing laws inn
posing duties and for other purposes, are preceded
by brief dissertation upon the painful sensations
/ which any individual invested with the veto pow
er must feel IN exercising it upon important acts
! oil the Legislature. The paragraph is wordcd
with extreme caution, and with obvious intent to
avoid the assertion, made in such broad and un-