The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-11
THE VETO ON THE FRENCH CLAIM
BILL. -" ....

| THE VETO ON HE rhENSh SLhi"
BILL.
, W, Law before our readers the Presidents mes
sent into the Senate on Saturday night, yetoing
I,As hill providing for the payment Of the French
claims. The Senate took ap the message to-day,
and the vote standing 81 for the BILL and Is against
the bill was rejected, not two.thirds of the Senate
voting for IT,
On its original passage through the Senate, the
vo,, stood thus. Several of the senators voting
,oon the bill then, whose names are not among the
yeas and nays to,day;)
Il Those who voted in the affirmative are, ..
Msssrs Archer Ashley, Bagby, Barrow, Bsrrisn,
|rhomas Clayton, John H. Clayton COrwin Cnttenden,
hsys Dayton Greene, Houston, Huntington flanagan,
|hnson OF Maryland Johnson OF Louisiana Miller More
head Niles, Pesrcs. Sewer Simmons, uPham Webster
|Wrstcott and Woodbridge.
Those who voted in the negative are,
N.,.rs Allen, Atchson, Atherton, Benton, Breese.
houn Cas- Cshlmers Coquitt, Dickinson, Dix, Han
Ian haywood, Jenness, Lewis McDufhe, Mangum,
|Peanyb Rusk' semPls, spsight. Turnsy' and
Yulee .....
We have no time TO enter upon the merits Of
This question to-day We shall reserve il for an
other opportunity. The bill itself rests upon the
very questionable and powell principle, that govern
msnt after having exhausted the resources ofnego-
nation or of war, to obtain redress for commercial
INJURIES done to its citizens, and having failed to OBJ
|uln it, is then bound to pay for these injuries it.
|,sh But we have no time to 90 into this question
now.
The antiquity of these claims, and the refusal of
the government in all past time, and when so able,
10 pay them, form grave ground of doubt and diff
ifculty about them, as the President states. They
are of fly years standing; and, if valid, would
certainly have been acknowledged and paid before
this time At the close Of Mr.. Jeferson's admins
ration the treasury contained a surplus far above
he amount Of these claims: their merits were then
better known than now; yet the statesmen Of that
day entertained no idea Of paying them. Since
that time the treasury has seen a surplus Of near
forty millions of dollars; yet no Congress would
apply even fraction Of that great sum to this object
Such refusals to pay these claims, under such cir
means so abundant, and know-
edge so complete Of their merits or demerts-must
stand for conclusive proof that, in the judgment OF
our predecessors, so much better acquainted with
the subject than we can be, there was the most ser
Gus ground for doubling the proPriety of paying
them.
The time and mode OF the present assumption to
pay them form strong objections to doing so. We
are engaged in foreign war, which is already ex-
hausthg our resources from taxation, and compel
ling us to resort to loans and treasury notes. We
know not the length or cost of this war; and to d.
vert Eve millions Of dollars from the service of the
country, under these circumstances, to meet old
claims of fifty years standing rejected by all admin
islrations when the treasury was OVERLOOKING, and
who knew them well, is to do an act which cannot
easily receive the sanction Of the public judgment.
The mode of paying them is also a powerful OBJ
lection, as the President truly suggests. The bill
the public lands to the relief Of these
claimants. That is purpose for which they were
never ceded to this government mortgage Of
them for the debts Of the revoluuon--a pledge Of
their proceeds to those who enabled us to achieve
ton of national domain: but to give lien upon
these lands to private individuals is certainly de-
part from the object Of their cession to the United
States, and to do an act which may be of evil conse-
quence to the public interest in these lands and Of
evil example in the case of other old claims Of
doubtful merit. Such pledge begets large interes,
in the lands, which may injuriously interfere with
wholesome legislation n relation to their disposal.
II may become an example for all other rejected
claims. When it is seen that claims can be quar-
tered the lands which Congress will not pay out
Of the treasury, 1t may become an inducement for
all rejected claims to try that course and thus bring
great incumbrance on the national domain and its
disposal besides introducing the falacous idea that ar
old doubtful claim can be paid in land when it viii
not be paid in money.
The National lnteigencer has already raised 9
clamor against this veto Of the President Ii is
pleased to characterize it an act of "tyrenny." j
intmates that it has been done in violation of al
constitutional authority" If the Intelligence'
means that the President has no constitutional au
hority to veto for grounds (strong grounds) of ex
pediency, than it is directly at issue with Genera
Washington himself, who, on the 28th February
1887, sent in the following veto to the House Of
" Gentlemen Of the House Of Representatives.:
Having maturely considered the bill to alter and
amend an act entitled AN act TO ascertain ana Tx
the military establishment of the United States,
which was presented to me on the twenty second
day of this month, now return it to the House OF
in which it originated, with my
objections.
First If the bill passes into law, the two com.
panies oflight Dragons will be, from that moment
legally outof service, though they will afterwards
tnue actually in service and for their services, during
this interval, namely from the time of legal to the
time of actual discharge, it will not be lawful to
pay them, unless some future provision be made by
law. Though they may be discharged at the pleas
ure of Congress, in justice they ought to receive
their pay, not only to the time of passing the law
but at esst to the time of their actual discharge.
Secondly. it will be inconvenent and injurious
10 the public to dismiss the light dragons as soon
as notice of the law can be conveyed to them, one
Of tho companies having been lately destinedt to a
necessary and important service.
Thirdly The companies of light dragoops con-
sist of one hundred and twenty-six non-commis-
stoned officers and privates who are bound to serve
as dismonnted dragons when ordered so to do,
They have received, in bounties, about two thous,
and dollars; one Of them is completely equipped
and above half of the non-commssoned officers and
privates have yet to serve more than one-third OF
n "a ~ a