The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-03


and how are WE 10 know whether II Is needed OF
not, whether 1t authorized by the President or
! n1t' Sir, think the attempt is a failure TO put
any such construction on this matter Are not these
reports of the different heads Of the departments
made TO the President HIMSELF Are they not sub
united TO him for his inspection and approya' Does
| he permit man TO hold seat IN his cabinet and
transmit through him TO be laid before Congress
documents which meet his decided disapprobaton
Does he permit himself TO be the medium OF COM
munlcaung the recommendations Of unconstitutional
appropriations A strange doctrine this
My own regret is, sir, that gentlemen did not
think with me- and postpone action upon the tariff
until the ten days, during which the President was
| allowed 10 hold this bl had expired. then held
confidently TO the opinion that these appropriations
would have been made had that course been taken;
that these improvements would not have been stop
| ped that these materials would not have been al
| lowed TO go TO decay; that those works now I'M
finished would not be permitted to be swept
away by the storms OF coming winter; that
the necessity for renewed and heavy sppropria-
| tons would not have arsen from this cause;
that the nayigators on these lakes and rivers
would have had some places of shelter and Sc
curlty; and that when misfortune does come across
| them-when tho storms Of heaven or the concealed
snags OF the river wreck their crafts and send their
messmatss and friends TO wstery grave they would
have no just ground To charge their government
with want Of parental care. I humbly conceive
that the Executive Of this country, in sending in his
veto 10 this bill, assumes a heavy responsibility.
am not among the number Of those who would abo-
lsh the veto power by any means. II had the fab
rleAuoh OF new constitution, should have place,
unalered, IA that constitution; but II is a power
which should be exercised with extreme caution
What does this Executive know about our lake&
Has he ever set foot upon the deck that floats over
them presume not sir He has no local know
edge upon the subject, in my opinion. The
| representa- lives OF the people from that region
deem oese improvements important We know
Ihem TO be important TO the safety Of com.
msrce, ImPortantto the protection OF the lives
OF our citizens. A very decided ma onty OF
the representatives Of the people on this floor
have given their assent to this bill after a full
Tree, and elaborate discussion The other branch OF
Ihls Congress-who are considered moro properly
the representatives Of the Slaes-haye passed It by
majority Of two-thirdsi and when look forward
TO the consequences that to from the neg
ect TO prosecute this system during the remainder
OF thus administration, ] say the Executive has as.
sumed fearful responsibty-a responsibility OF
which am by no means eDyious.
Mr.. RHETr wished to say few words in de-
fence OF the veto He first noticed the position taken
6y thegentlemsn from Ohio, Mr.. BRMKERPoTT, and
kentucky, lMr. TiBBArrs, and which being, as
Mr.. X. commended, very material error, consti.
tuted the basis Of their indictment of the Execu-
uVe-Vlz that the recommendation contained IN the
report OF the Secretary of War To be understood
as endorsed and sanctioned by the President Were
not the gentlemen aware that by the law under
which the reports were made by the secretaries,
they acted not at the mandate, according to the
will Of the President, but for the members OF
Congressional the form Of addressing the President
did not alter the case. He argued against this pO
sluon, on the ground that the President could not
control the course Of his secretaries; that they acted
on their own responsibility TO Congress; and in proof
that this was the democratic view Of the question,
he referred to the celebrated report Of Mr. Poinseu
Of his militia scheme, and Of the veto by President
Van Buren, Of the bill framed upon that; for which
when Gale to account before the people by the
wings, who charged, as certain democrats are now
doing, that the President responsible, the dem
ocratlc party had defended him on precisely the
ground which he (Mr. R } now occupied.
Mr.. THURMAN. Did Mr. Van Buren, do more
than recommend Mr.. Polnsetts plan TO the eon'dera
ioa OF Congressi
Mr., RHETT. Mr.. Van Buren, did more than
Nh. Polk has done in this case.
Mr.. THURMAN. | do not controyert that
My object ia not In dsas a-P-S~il-I Aniy ~'-h
that Mr. Van Burens course IN reference to Mr.
Polnsett's plan be understood.
Mr.. RHETT (contnuing) said, supposng that
Mr.. Polk had specially called the attention Of Con-
gress IN this form: 81 call your attention to the
scheme of internal improvements as designated and
laid down IN the report OF the Secretary Of War"
he would have done nothing more than MIR. Van
Buren, did. He further referred TO the circumstances
of that case, aid to the veto of Mr.. Van Buren,
which was defended by the democratic party on the
ground of the iDdepende of the departments to the
Executive, and their responsibility TO Congress
Those who. now took the opposite ground, had
snapped sides, and had taken the wrong slde-the
wing side.
But the real difficulty was that developed by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. BRODHEAD,
that the tariff and internal improvements part
and parcel Of one system. They were so, he adj
mltted, Of "the American system" They were the
two great elements Of all goyernment-the taxing
power and the dispensing power. He comtended
that gentlemen who argued that both should be un-
limited, took a course which tended to consoIida-
uon to absolute despotsm, and in this far from
being republicans, they arran federalists, In
illustration of this position, he referred at some
length to the history OF the course and progress OF
parties for years past this point. He also defend
ed the exercise Of the veto power in this instance
and generally, and trusted this veto would opera,e
like all the others which had gone before ia new
lease to the power of tie party with whom he acted
He trusted that their western friends would come to
stand seeing The tendency of the system to consol
'dation, and that this veto would operate the
nnh!;tan party from the principles Of that system,
and avert the universal sweep offederalsm the
land, |
Mr.. BAYLY obtained the floor, and yielded to a
motion that the House adjourn.
The motion being waived ,
Mr.. Mckay moved to suspend the rules for the
purpose OF receiving report from the Committee Of
Ways and Means, (oft amendments of the Senate
to the constitutional treasury billy
The question being taken, was decided in the
negatiFe-ayes 90, noes 55--not two-thirds voting
in the affirmative.
So the rules were not suspended.
Mr.. MoCLELLAND meved suspension Of the |
rules for the purpose of taking up Senate bills the
Speakers table.
The motion was rejected.
After some conversation,
Mr.. FARAN, adverting to the necessity of hav-
ing the message printed, in order that members
might discuss it with some sort or understanding |
as to what its actual contents were moved that the
House journ,
Which motion prevailing the House adj ourned. |
The following is the amendment offered on Sat
urday to the ID section of the post Office law by Mr.
CUMalNs:
Prorided That nothing In this section contained shall be
construed TO prevent editors and publishers of newspa
pers from sending by mail their Iapes regular subscr
hers free of postage to distance exceeding thirty
mileirom the place publication and also receive their
exchange papers free of postage"
Rsiscfed