The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-12-02
VETO MESSAGE.
To the House Of Representative:

to pay Guy C.. Sampson the sum therein
mentioned" and herewith return the same
with my objections thereto, to the House o.
Representatives, in which it originated.
Ii is declared in the bill that the sum there
in directed 10 be paid, is ''for labor and ex-
pense in preparing a digested index OF all
such portions Of the Revised Statutes pas
sed in one thousand ight hundred and thirty
nine, as have been altered or repealed, and
all public acts passed since such revision, with
the public laws passed at the session of the
Legislature OF this State, for one thousand
eight hundred and forty-four."
1t appears that The service in question was
performed by by Mr.. Sampson under an ap-
| pointment made by the Governor. in pursu-
at the last session Of the General Assembly
Resolred, by the Senate and House Of
[Representaiives that the Governor be reques-
Fed TO appoint some person TO make disested
index Of all such portions of the Revised
Statutes, passed in 1899, as have been repeal
ed or altered: and all public acts Of this
State passed since said revision, with the
public laws passed at The present session Of
this legislature. and cause the same 10 be
published with the laws passed at this session.
Prorided, The whole expense Of publishing.
with compiling the same, shall not exceed
one hundred dollars,-snd provided it shall
not cause delay in the publication OF the laws
passed at the present session, Of more than
ten days.
1t will be observed, on an inspection of the
Resolution, that the index was to be publish
ed with the laws Of the session of 1874. 1t
became the duty therefore. of Mr.. Sampson
to furnish an index. in season TO be in the
hands of the person who had contracted TO
print the laws, by the time he was, By his con-
tract to have them ready for delivery-which
it appears was on the frsi Of December.
As theGovernor was TO cause the index TO
be published, it was. Of course, 10 be sent TO
him, when completed,-aDd that, for the OBJ
vious reason that he would he held resposible
las, by the Resolution. il YVES evidently IN
tended he should be,) for its correctness
The General Assembly could not have in
tended 10 impose on him the duty of publish
ing any index which might be furnished kim
by the person he should appoint, because ii
would have subjected him to the hazard of
severe censure for sending forth an errone-
Gus or defective index besides suspending
the public interest upon the same hazard
The Legislature evidently intended the
doubl security Of ordinary caie in making
the appointment, and the subseqent supervi-
sion of the Governor himaelf-else they
would have provided that the person appoint
ed to prepare the index, and not the Cover
nor should cause it to be published.
But Notwithstanding this obvious and neces-
sary construction, Mr.. Sampson took upon
himself TO determine that, after making the
| I II do
the matter; and that the index was not 70 be
sent to me, but TO the Secretary Of State; ;
and that he was bound 10 see that il was pub
lished with the laws-their publication being
subject TO his superintendent He accord
ingly sent the index to the Secretary, but Mt {
until the 23Ih Of November, two days, only,
before it was TO 20 into the hands OF the prin-
ter for publication. The Secretary, on the
Doth, very properly sent il 10 me. On exam-
lining few pages. found several errors in
the references to the pamphlet laws, publish
ed since the revision-the appropriate refer
ences being to the year of their passage, and
the pages OF the pamphlet in which they were
published hich, in numerous cases, were
found erroneous in one or both OF these par
ticulars. Great errors and DEFICIENCIES were
also found in the descriptive part sfthe index,
while. to a great number of important unre-
pealed sections Of laws, there was no refer
cnce whatever. or sections not thus MOTTO
ed. have found more than thirty on a recent
examination Of about one half Of the index.
The errors TO which | have referred, were
specified in a paper accompanying my COM
municalio on this subject, to the Senate. or
the Sd instant; with which | also sent the
Index itself. with a request that it might be
preserved in the archives ofihat body, as APP
propriate evidence Of my fidelity to the trust
committed to me. The index and accompa-
nying explanation were referred TO the Com
nittee on Claims of the Sc nate, before
whom | was requested 10 appear. and by
whom ii was admitted that my specification
Of errors was correct, and that The index, as
it came to nv hands, was not such as should
have been published.
did not publish the Index; and hut for
the previous preparation of another without
nv authoty. which al that juncture de-
cided TO accept, none would have been pub
lished.
: But it has been commended, that the index
should have been returned TO Mr.. Sampson
for correction; and that because it was not
he is entitled to compensation for making IT,
, thoush il was fatally defective. To this posi-
+ lion will devote moment's attention.
Upon examining the index on the Goth o.
November-tle day that received i'll mo-
only saw that could moi order its publication
tbu, that II should return it, could not trus
to any corrections which Mr.. Sampson nigh
make without subsequent inspection Of it
since very gross errors had escaped him IN I
copy prepared with apparent care for th'
press. And besides. as he had denied my
: right Of supervision in The case, had reason
to doubt whether he would submit the inde'
to me after he should have attempted TO cor
rect il. The proper corrections would
moreover, have involved the necessity oil re
constructing. and rc-drafiing it, which, It wa
apparent. could not be effected. and tn
whole submitted to me, and necessary tim
allowed me for its re- examinatio, before tn
expiration of The ten DAYS when the the print
, ing Of it should be completed-mnch less tba
all this could have been done within twenty
feur hours which only remained between m.
examination Of it, apd The first Of December
Indeed it could not have even have reached
Mr.. Sanpson-his residence then being r
| To- Il f,..t