The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-18
NTELLIGENCE BY THE MAILS.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT,
ASSIGNING ms REASONS FOR THY
VETO OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL


Il N N
To The House Of Represen,aiip,s;-
On the last day Of the last session Of Congress- bill
work, in the territory 6f wsconsn and for other pur
which had passed both houses presented to
tions to Il. becoming law but the short period tho
esson which remained, Afforded sufficient oppor-
them with bill to- the MoS.s Of
wmch IL originated. For this reason the bill vas 70
ana deem It proper now to state my objections
Although from tho title OF the bill 1t would seem that
ss MAN OBJECT was to make provision for continuing
certain works already in the TERRITORY OF
Wisconsin, 1t appears examination of its pr ovsons
that contains only single appropriation Of six thou
approprstes than half million OF dollars for the
Improvement Of numerous harbors and rivers wing
within the limits and jurisdiction Of several Of the States
At the preceding session Of Congress- It became my
It originated bill making similar appropriations, and
involving like principles and the views then expressed
The circumstances under which this heavy expsndi-
ture OF public money proposed, were OF imposing
weight In determining upon its expediency Congress
had recognized the existence Of with Mexico and
TO prosecute 1t to speedy and successful termna-
tion had made appropriations exceeding ordinary
revenues To meet the emergency and provide for the
Of the government loan Of twenty three nail
lions OF dollars authorized Mt the session which
has since been negotiated The practical effect Of this
bill, had become law would have been add the
whole amount appropriated by It to the national
debt. 1t would 10 fact have made necessary an cd
had required the Secretary Of the Treasury
the money therein appropriated The main question in
credit Of the are bring the exist
ing to honorable close, to impair the and
the other BY borrowing money to be expended
pansion sufficient to swallow the not oAly
Of our own country but of the civsed world! II 70
be that by entering upon such st
this moment, confidence at home end abroad In the
wisdom and prudence Of the government, would be
far impaired ~ to make 1t difficult, without immed
ate resort to heavy taxation maintain the public
d and to preserve the honor OF nation thu glo
.suocsssfu conclusion Had this bill become i.w, Il
Is easy to foresee that largely increased demands
upon the treasury would have been made at each sue
cesdng session OF Congress for the IMPROVEMENT Of
other hsrbors bays nlets and rivers oequal
Importance with those by its provisions Many
millions would probably have been added to the
sary amount OF the war debt, the annual interest
which must also have been borrowed. and finally,
permanent national debt been the country
and entaied upon posterity.
The policy OF embarking the federal government In
but little more than twenty years ago. In very few
years the applications Congress appropriations In
U" nc 81 such Objects saSseded two hundred
jackson refused to approve and sign the Maysve road
BILL the Wabash river bill, and other bills Of similar
character His Interpretation put check upon the
policy Of throwing the coat OF local improvements
upon the national treasury preserved the revenues
which he enabled TO extngu sh the then existing
public debt and to present to admiring world the
ecedented spectacle in modern times Of q nation
free from debt and advancing to grestness with
equaled strides under government which was con-
tent to act within its appropriate sphere In protecting
the States and individuals In their chosen
OF Improvement and enterprise Although the bill
under consideration, proposes no appropriation for
principle mschevious tendency between appropris
lions for making roads and digging cannls and appro
priatons to deepen rivers and hnrbors All
alike within the limits and Jurisdiction OF the States;
and and harbors alone open an abyss OF expend
.us Il sSs h, ws Of the nSn
and tax It's industry for to come The experience
ofsevera Of the States as well that Of the United
States during the period that Congress exercised
OF approprating the public money for Internal I'm
provements, is full Of eloquent warming II i'm
possible in the nature Of the eubect connected with
local representation that the several objects presented
for Improvement shall be weighed according to their
respective merits appropriations conferred TO those
whose Importance would justify a tax on tho whole
community to elect their accomp lishment.
In some OF the States systeins Of internal improve
menis have been projected consisting Of roads and
canals, many Of which, taken separately, not Of
sufficient public Importance to justify a tax on the
structon and yet by combination Of local intarsss
operating on majority OF the Legislature, the whole
heavy debts TO an extent 70 rulnous b.. ills sys
tenn OF legislation been carried In portions Of Ga
ownsafsy and prosperity to forbid their egssture by
constitutional res rctions to contract public debts for
such purposes without their immediate consent.
II the abuse Of power has been fatal In the States
where the systems oftAxaon direct and the repre-
senaves responsible 1t short periods to small masses
constituents how much danger Of abuse to -
apprehendd in the general government whose revenues
raised by indirect and whose funotionarss
are Responsible to the peopo In larger mases and for
Regarding only objects Of Improvement Of the M
ture OF those embraced in this BILL how Interchangeable
We shall ind them. Let tho imagination run along our
coast from tho river St Croix to tho Rio Grands
trace every river smptyng into the Atlantic snd Gulf
ascend all their tributares let It pass Oregon, end
explore all is bays nlsts and streams end then let II
tent Of this republic the objects Of
Will embrace as advances to It's high destiny. and tie
mind viii be startled at the msnsty and danger Of ths
power which the principle Of this bill involves.
Already our confedsraoy consists Of tvsnty.nns
States Other states may at distant PERIOD be
pected to be formed on the west Of present settle
ments. We extensivs country In Oregon,
stretching many hundreds Of miles from east wsss
and degrees OF latitude from south to north By
the admission Of Texas into the Union We have recent
ly added many hundreds Of miles our see coast. In
al this v..t country, bordering on the Atlantic ana
rivers equally entitled TO appropriation icr their i'm
provement with the objects embraced in this bill
We have In States that the interests Of ndi
viduas or neighborhoods combining sgsinst the gene
raj interest have involved their governmental In debt
General and rs SssoR,
Jackson, 1t had begun to be considered the highest
merit in member OF Congress to be able to procure ep
preparations Of public money to be expended within hiD
district State Whatsoever might be the object We
should be blind TO the experience Of the past II ws did
abundant evidence that II this system of sxpsn
diturs to be INDUCED In, combination Of individual
and Of local interests will be found strong enough 70
control legislation absorb the revenues Of the country
and plunge the government Into hopeless indebted
ness II. ......
What Ia denominated harbor by this system, does
not necessarily mean bay inlet, arm Of the 90. ON
the lake Shores the margin Of which
may exist commercial city engaged In foreign
or domestic trade but II s made to embrace the waters
where there Is not only such CITY town, but NO
commerce Of any kind BY 1t bay or sheet OF shoa!
water is called harbor, and appropriations demanded
from Congress to deepen It, with view TO draw com
merce to 1t, to enable individuals to build up town
city Its margin upon speculation and for thar own
private advantage
What "a denominsted a river, which may be improved
in the system IL equally undehned In its meaning IL
may be The Mssissipp or 1t may be the smallest and
most obscure and ttrcam bearing the
OF river which ia to be found In any State the Union
Such system subject moreover to be perverted to
the accomplishment Of the worst Of political purposss
During the few years 1t in full operation which
Immediately preceded the veto Of President jackson OF
the Maysvile road bill, instances Of pub
lilo seeking TO gain populsr favor by holding out tn
the people interested In particular localities tho promise
Of large disbursements OF public money Numerous
and mAds during that period