Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1842-08-18
VETO MESSAGE.
TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF
THE UNITED STATES.


It is with unfeigned regret that l find my
self under the necessity Of returning to the
House of Representatives. with my objections,
a bill entitled IAN act to provide revenue
from imports, and to change and modify ex-
listing laws imposing duties on imports and
for other purposes" Nothing can De more
painful to any individual called upon to per-
form the chief Executive duties under our
limited Constitution, than to be constrained
TO withhold his assent 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 con-
stituents of both branches Of the Government
by yielding his we'll considered, most deeply
fixed, and repeatedly declared opinions on
matters of great bubble Government to those
Of Co ordinate Department, without reques-
ting that Department seriously to re-exam-
inc the subject of their difference.
The exercise of some independence of
Judgment in regard to all acts of legislation,
is plainly implied in the responsibility of APP
proving them. At all times duty-it be-
comes a peculiarly solemn and imperitive
one, when the subjects passed upon by Con-
gress, happen to involve. as in the present
instance, the most momentous issues, to at
feet variously the various parts of great
country, and to have given rise in all quar-
ters to 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, intended
by the wise authors of the Constitution, by
referring the subject back to Congress for re-
consideration be ever expedient and neces-
sary, it is precisely such case as the pres
ent.
On the subject of distributing the proceeds
of the sales of the public lands, in the exist
ing state of the finances, it has been my duty
to make known my settled convictions on va
rious occasions during the present session of
Congress. At the opening of the Extra Ses-
sion, upwards of twelve months ago, sharing
fully in the general hope of returning pros
perity and credit, l recommended such dis
tribution; but that recommendation was even
then expressly coupled with the condition
that the duties on imports should not exceed
twenty per cent, provided by the Comprom-
ise act of 1888. These hopes were not a lit
tie encouraged and these views strengthened
by the report of MIR. Ewing, then Secretary
of the Treasury, which was shortly thereaf-
ter laid before Congress, in which he recon-
mended the imposition of duties at the rate
of 20 per cent, Gd uazorens on oil free articles,
with specified exceptions, and stated, eff this
measure be adopted, there will be received
in the Treasury from customs. in the last
quarter of the present year, (194l) $780,
600; in all of the year 1912, about $22, 5OO,-
600; and in the year 164S, after the final re-
duction under the act of March 2, 1888, about
$2O,OOO,OOO;" and adds, +" it is believed that
after the heavy expenditures required by the
public service in the present year shall have
been provided for, the revenue which will &C
crue from that or nearly pfoximate rate of
duty, will be sufficient to defray the expen-
ses of the Government, and leave surplus
to be annually applied to the gradual pay
ment of the national debt, leaving the pro-
ceeds of the public lands to be disposed OF as
Congress shall see fit" was most happy
that Congress at the time seemed entirely to
concur in the recommendations of the Exec
utive, and anticipating the correctness of the
Secrelary's conclueiens, and in view of an
actual surplus, passed the Distribution act of
the 4th September last, wisely limiting its
operation by two conditions, having refer
ence, both Of them, to a possible state Of the
Treasury, different from that which had
been anticipated by the Secretary Of the
Treasury, and to the paramount necessities
of the public service. 1t ordained that, if
at any time during the existence of the act,
there should be an imposition of duties on
imports inconsistent with the provision of the
act of the I'd March, 1888, and beyond the
rate of duties fixed by the act, to wit, 20 per
cent, on the value of such imports or any of
them, then the distribution should be suspen-
ded and should continue so suspended until
that cause should be removed" BY previ-
Gus clause it had, in like spirit of wise and
cautious patriotism. 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 coun-
try. 1t was enacted that the act should con.
tinue and be in force until otherwise provi-
ded by law, unless the United States should
S~~~"aa involved in war with any foreign
power, IN which event, from the commence
ment Of hostilities, the act should be suspcn-
ded until tho cessation of hostilities.
Not long after the opening of the present
session Of Congress, the unprecedented and
extraordinary difficulties that have recently
embarrassed the finances of the country be-
gan to assume serious aspect.
1t soon became quite evident that the
September was passed, and which alone
justified it in the eyes either of Congress
who imposed or the Executive who approx
ed the first of the two conditions just recited,
were not destined to be fulfilled. Under
the pressure therefore. of the embarrass-
ments which had thus Unexpectedly arisen,
it appeared to me that the course to be pur-
sued had been clearly marked out for the
Government by that act itself.
The condition contemplated in it, as re-
quiring suspension of its operation had
occurred. 1t became necessary. in the opin-
ions of all, to raise the rate of duties on i'm
ports above twenty per cent, and with q
view both to provide available means to