Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-08-17
s'DE. NIv-.VO. 3
VETO MESSAGE.
or THE FRENCH SPOLlATlON BILL
In1rrs M nL.r,re III liz n.l iIm1,ra A mn rican
W ,suNeroH, Sunday NIGHT. Aug. 7.

- mode. The Message Las mol vel been lead IN ths
senate
1othe srna,e cChe Uaitcd Sia'es
rrfuat the Scoale. IN which originated, The Dill
tnlulrd an act Ia rtu,lde Et lie ascrfsinuent and
Satisfaction al claims al American eliizeus for salions
committed by the French rIinr IN The 3s, ii July.
loOl,' which MAS presented 10 the HE 9TH instant.
VIII NY Il Jrrtirus t. Ills coming law.
Ia attempting To give the lilI The cateul examination
II requires l'ullfH presented themselves N the OUTSET
tWn lie euiutrup4 oil thu period which the claims
h,uug, ihe oum, Heated nature oi the transactions in
which III, originated AID the potarlcd negotiations 10
" hrh the, ted between France aud the ned States.
lNc saft time Intervening between the passage of the
hiII hi tonertH and hn approaching clse nt iheir
s"n n vii "a the pressure M other official duties, have
not ~ fmed me toeHend my cAamlnalln ot The subject
int, It's nlnne deiaia. But IN The cou,detalion that
have been ihc to- aiveloi, find objections oi grave
ehmcl, 1g pr,visons.
For the satisfaction II he claims provided Cor, il il
prop.std - upptowA'c FIVE millions u dollars | can
prtcr,e In lflal u elpiiabe grouud upon Which his
large appropriation tah ust \ pnriun oi the cluims
lAyr been than hal century before the Govern
MI M, IN lis Executive N legislative d, parimrns aud
all OF them had their oHnfn IN events whirh orcurred
prIor to lson. since lht2 hey have been from limo to
ltn" hrlrr Cuugrcss NJ greater necessity OF prnpriev
Nts providing ut these claims NJ this lime thar Ia,
tNstel lei brut hail ceniuy during all which period
this questionable meaenfe has until the prespdt
in" received the iayuhht consideration If Congress.
Il Is scarcely pr able. Il the cIam had seen regarded NJ
p
table dtmand Uppn Tie Irtasfry that those " ho were
viii ihe events nhrh gave fisa l., H.
shuud hi hung since hnHc i No justice the claimants
The Ileasny has alen been IN a enndulun IN enabIa
lhr DaNtnn,n p d. - wrhuai anycnienre, II tho
clalhs Ind btrp canatHerrd Just. hG Jrntrsan. whu
WAS fully unguGl Il Tie ,Aty dl>spuuds Neen the
4 'Nemmapi 81 The L. States aad France out ri whlrh
ihc clas nro'r - his annua nfs-a2e N e0S, advert
ed To thr afne sur lus Then II The Treasury aud ils
probable neeumualian, aud uq frd leihef sl iud
he" reproductive IL the puble vaults" aud vet these
ct ms thuugh then hnlur Congress- were nlt frc lfn.
SID uf pad. Since hai. The public debt ct lhe rrvou.
ton and III the war ii lSl2 has been exIugusled aud
AT sevea periods slnee The ! reaeuy has been IN nos.
session oi la .ufrnzfs nyrf lhe demands upon IL. Ia
1896 llr sntplos amounted To ninny nnluns II DOLLARS
aud luf VIII ct ropfr "tJocts In whlch Ia apply IL,
II was du'eedby tongfess TO be deposited with lhs
States
Dollne thls extended course Of time embracing no
toda ,nneo' favorable i,r easi,ng all ipsl deu,aods
upon the Government. the claims enbrac,d In This bill
rr' WIN nlaNnr IN tnnptr's, beyond the Reports Of
tomuIliees ~ one OF HE other branch These
81 alone curnaled str NJ donhls IN u,
ep'ci l. e-e claims aud espeelely. all inorunlun
rsSrtf In cuttecl judgement concerning Ihen has
h''n lone heorc the public. Ihese doubts strength
cncd III NY mind by the examination have been en-,
abed 10 give 10 the transactions III which they orisinz-
ted.
The bill assumfs lhnl ih, United States lave become
liable IN ose ancient Transactions make eraraiin TO
TIE 'almanls Tor injuries ronmitled by faure.- Smh-
ny oMniurd lo claimants by negotiation: and the
hil somcs that he Govcrnnehi has Income many
wngs ttsI nl ibr Il hese claims. The limited Tine al
I"ed ~. hr ore ynnf adj urnnen makes IL posi-
b" Ia felleaie The aeis AID arguments by which, ia
preceding Congtes es these clans have been success
fully n7ifef. The present 10 period particularly IN
llV iahle i0r the satisfaction OF claims vi large an a
mount. aud Ia say ihe least OF them, Of nduubful a
character There Is NJ surplus IN the Treasury. A
pnSlc debt nj several miuns has been created ihin
the last few years We are engaged IN foreign war.
uncena rs tn'is dnrann, and involving heavy expen-
dUuusi IN 'osrcoe nilrh wnr, Congress has, nj its
prsrn st1>un. hoflz d a urhei Loan So that IN ef
feet the Gov,mment, should this bill become law,
Would Lave 10 bofrnw money and the public
dch oPay these calms.I is lrne, that by the provs-
Ions OF lht bill pay med directed he made in land
scrip 6sfeud II money, but the .1eri upon The treasury
All be The same. The public lands constitute one of
he sources ii public revenue and II these claims be paid
IN land Grip " III from the date % the ISSUE To great
Si'nl, en III from The Treasury the annual ncnme irou,
The sne ni public Ia ds because pa Tor The lands
sod by he Government may be expected to he made ia
sup nnti II - all redeemed. lfhose claims be jus,
they onah 10 he paid IN money and nothing less vaua
nle. 1he bill provides hat they shall be- paid in land
scrip, Whereby lhey H. effect 10 be mortgage upon
The public lands IN the new States mortgage, loo, held
~ great pan, II not wholly, by non residents OF the
States III which the laud- Ilp who nay ihrss
lands Ia The amount al several millions of acres and then
demand nr lhfm rNobiianl prices from the czens of
pihcr Hnies who may desire 10 purchase them f settle
urnl, Hey may Keep them uut I'll the market and
Illus Re ard The prosperity and gm~h # tie States in
which lhey situated. WHY this unusual mode of
satisfying claimants ppon the fea.ury has been resulted
IA, dues mol appear II Is not consistent with sound
public ppcy. II II be done IN tins II may be done
IN all others. Twin form precedent tor the sstIsiac-
lon OF all other stale and questionable claims, and would
be fesotled Ia by all cainnns who after
successive taIs shall tail 10 have their claims lecosns-
ed ~ pad IN money by Congress.
The Bill propUses 10 paw five millions Of dollars. In he
paid ~ land srnp. and provides That claim menu
rial Shall he received by tar commissioners authorized
by HE aei, unless accompanied by release discharge
II the L = from all other and further compensation Il an
c claimant may be entitled 10 receive The pr0vis
ion u the act" 1hssa claims are estimated IN amount
10 n much hrger than FIVE millions of dollars, aud
yet The claimants required 10 release 10 the Government
all other compensation, aud accept HIS fund
known IN 1T INADEQUATE.
If lhese claims we'll funded il woul! be unjust To
remaining coulI hereafter be resisted. he hill
proposes pay hrse clans IN The currency known
to the Constitution, and not to their iull anount.
Passed. this bill has been, near tue close oil The
sion. and when many Of mporarce neeessarI-
y demand The attention ol Congress, aud possibly with
ut thai fall aud deliberate consideration which the large
SUN appopralrs and the existing state Of the treasury
aud The cnunlry demand deem 1t be my duty with
hold ny approval, that II may hereafter undergo ihs
vision II Congress. have come Ia his conclusion
with resret. IN mlerpesnI my "iet,ns To lis hec'n-
ing law, am truly sensible that il should bc an "a
IRENE which would IN AXE 1t The duty OF the Exetn-
tive Withhold his approval III bill PASSED by Con-
gress upon the ground o lis expedency aione.-Such
case consider This to be.
JAMES K POLK.