The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-04
TwENTY-NNTH CONGRESS,
First Session.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
TUESDAY, August 4, 1916.
me- iournaI Of yeslerday having been read.

The officers of the House as 70 be in conformity with
the fact which they stated-the journal az II $1,000
being now incorrectly made up ,r,,-
The Journal was amended accordingly lihs
vote we did not PUBLISH
The effect of the amendment was 10 change the
result oftbe vote 80 that the resolution, the Speaker
announced stood passed
The journal was then approved.
THE VETO.
The SPEAKER announced the unfinished BUSH
ness to be the bill making appropriations for the I'm,
proVement Of certain harbors and rivers, which had
been returned TO this House. in which originated, by
the President, with his objections
Mr. BAYLY approved Of this veto. It's doe
trnes in his opinion were sound. they placed the
President il ne did rot stand there before, on Inc
ground Of our most orthodox republicans anu MS
construction Of the constitution rescued me clause
which gave TO Congress The power 70 reg com
merce from the sweeping character which the inge-
nuity OF politicians had endeayored TO place upon
It, He referred TO the debates in the convention TO
show thai the term commerce was used syhohy-
mousIy with trade, and that this clause referred 10
The business Of commeree, and not TO the medium
az transit He maintained that Congress had no
more aathodty under this clause TO construct
internal improvements, than to furnish shipping
But not only was the power TO enter into system
of internal improvements, not gwen In the consutu-
ton but was asked for and refusedi and yel was
attempted by politicians 70 create this power oy I'M
DllCauOn. lie TcleTtcu luhciS"
Injustice and psrtiaty OF the system, which he said
placed 1t in utter and rreooncable conflict with the
snirt of the constitution, Of which throughout all IL
proys ions uniformly was striking feature. Inns
bill was a striking instance OF The partallty OF this
system; appropristiBg nearly one ana hal millions
OF dollars the whole south, contributing more than
any other secon received but $50 900 for Savannah
harboT.
Having disposed OF the constitutional argument
Mr. q briefly adysrted TO the obvious considerations
which rendered il independent, especially unuer the
General government. IL had resulted disastrousy ~
the States, where, however, 1t was connheu oy "a
greater restrictions, direct taxnnon, local Know
edge. g. but il entered upon by this government IN
the absence Of these restraints, and with the stun
nina of the tariff system which prohted by all these
EXPENDITURES no man could tell where II ~oulu ems
He next proceeded TO reply to objections to ne
veto of gentlemen who had preeedeu Nun ne
argued. in reply 10 Mr.. THosPsos, OF Pennsylva'
MIA that the sending in Of the estimates by the Sec
rerary of War did not preclude the President from
the free exercise Of his discretion upon the bill lht
ecretary acted on his responsibility, In send
rng the estimates TO Congress In addiuoh, th'
President knew, and the secretary knew tnat thls
subject had frequently been under the consideration
of Congreas; that il was one upon which they NIGH
act in spite of the opinions and the veto oil the fres
dent by majority Of two-thirds OF both branches
of Congress-. And what was he TO do! Was the
secretary to furnish them no estImateS
Again: the gentleman says 1t he intended 10 veto
this bilI, why did he not previously inform Con-
gres, Of 10 If he hsd done il, Mr.. Is. said, we
should have heard nothing but one burst oil indlgna-
ton and clamor against executive interference win
the legislation Of the country from one end OF the
country to the other Beside, he referred 70 various
passages in the message of the President and In the
report of the secretary, from which tn, imPhcauor
fair and direct OF oPposluoh 10 1nis s'e VI
internal improvements
Having incidentally touched upon and replied to
e,7ain other remarks of Mr.. THOMPSON, he mex
procteded to notice certain Of the positions OF MI.
The gentleman said that In his can
VASES when it had been charged that the democratic
n,rty vere opoosed to this system, he had denied
1t. Where did he get the right MIR. b. wished
IN know Whv did he not tell his constituents
what were Mr. Polk's senumentR why not refer
them to Mr. Folks report IN 1881 on ths sooJse' %
internal in r,vcmt Is, in which ne LOOK as strung
round AGA ,., -yatem as in the present mes
-lge3
He allud, } the marks Of Mr.. DOUGLASS yes
lerday anu -gued 10 show an inconsistency De
tween the position laid down by that gentemah
gainst a system of internal improvements ana MS
vote in favor of this bill.
In reply to the remarks Of Mr.. BRMKERHoFF IN
favor OF sparing exercise Of the veto power, he de-
Tended that power as one of the most important con-
servatve and republican features of the constitution
He argued that 1t was little liable TO abuse; Eothng
out motives of the sternest duty could ever induce
,ts exercise and by 1t bringing the Executive lhlo
conflict with Congress. There never had oeeh u
veto but was sustained warmly by the people; and
n stead of it's being used more sparingiy ne would
ike to see it more frequently brought INTO eNef-
else -. ~.
lie had understood the gentleman from GEORGIA,
Mr.. KING, j yesterday, to say this was cao'ne'
MEASURE and that 1t was an ater'houshl W
yeo il He desired to give the gentleman an oPPor'
unity of informing the House oh VINO"
he statement was made. i
Mr.. KING said the gentleman had misunderstood
nm. He had made ne such statement, but merely
the inquiry to that effect 10 tne se"ue
nan from Pennsylvania, Mr.. THOMPSON he
rad heard such rumor, but on no Pa.uIu'af a9
thority, and he had asked the question merely. he
further stated the reasons why he had supposed II
probable that the estimates Of the Secretary otWar
had undergone a cabinet consultation.
Mr. BAYLY was very glad that the gentleman
mad really no authority for such statement. He
utterly denied that there was any foundation
for it.
Mr.. KING repeated that he had not made the
statement
Mr.. BAYLY acquiesced in the explanation, and
repeated hs qualification at it.
Mr. TIBBATTS (Mr. B. yielding at requeat)
desired to offer the following amendment to the
amendment of Mr.. WENTWORTH to the resolution
of Mr.. DRoMGooLE, (Which amendment of Mr.. w.
provided for certain printing additional to the mes
sage):
With the .ill reported by the Committee on Com
MERGE and the amendments adopted by the Housewife
part OF the Presidents message at page 49, beginning
at the words II refer" the words national interest
that part Of the report o. the Secretary OF War
beginning at the words the report from at page wv TO
the words repeated instances at 204 incusiys that
part OF the report OF the chief Of typographical engineers
with the words river and hsrbo improvements
page 2s1 to the figures % 1861 se 3d. at page sg in
elusive that part ofhs letter OF the Secretary OF the Treas
ury of the 4h December lsls III doc No o. commencing
the words "harbors and rivers" &C., at page a. to the
figures 80, 600" at page -, inclusive.
Mr.. WENTWORTH accepted the amendment,
and modified his proposition accordingly.
Mr.. BAYLY resumed and concluded, by fur
Their brief reference to the complaint Of Mr.
DOUGLAS, that the President had not designated
the items in the bill of which he would approve.
He reviewed the message in reference to this point,
arguing that it was clear and explicit in its terms
and yielded on this point to an explanation by
Mr.. d.
Mr. b having concluded,
Mr. LlGON obtained the floor. He was under
stood (though scarcely heard on the left Of the
cha) to say tina, at this late stage Of the session.
he was satisfied no good could result from apro-
tracted discussion this subject Other matters
he maid of CONGRESS-,