The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-10-24
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
General Taylor aud the Veto Power.

The real question now before the people u.s. whether by
eecting General Taylor, they will place in power Pres
dent pledged not to perform has Official duties enjoned
by the constitution In his Allison letter, General Tay-
lor has in the following words proclaimed his Of
the manner in which the Chief Executive should
else his constitutional functions in relation to bills passed
by Congress and presented for his approval and sigma
ture He says
Third Upon the subject of the tariff the currency the
improvement of great highways rivers, lakes and har-
bor the will of the people, expressed through their
in Congress- ought to be respected and carried
out by the Executive"
This cannot be misunderstood. Here are enumerated
three great subjects of legislation OF vital Importance to
the country-subjects in relation to which the limits OF
the constitutional authority of Congress now dis
puted and have been disputed since the organization of
the observation-disclosures in relation to which the veto
power has been often exercised and its exercise always
sustained by the peope-subjecs in relation to OF
which (the currency Washington hesitated till the
eleventh and last day allowed him by the constu-
ton before signing (the bank billy ten
dered to him by Congress--subects upon which Madi
son, Monroe, and jackson, to say nothing of their
successors have repeatedly used the veto power; and
upon all these subjects now in dispute between the two
parties of the country General Taylor here distinctly
pledges himself exercise official judgment of his
own but to sign whatever bills, in reference to them,
majority of Congress may adopt and present for his
on He says that upon all these subjects the will of the
people, as expressed by the majority Of their representa-
tues in Congress- shall be carried into effect by the Exec
utve The people in their constitution have said some
thing very different They have said expressly in that
instrument that something than the expression of
the peoples will by the votes of majority OF Congress
shall be necessary to make and carry into effect law
They have said in the constitution, that. before
shall become law they will have additional guar
antee besides majority vote of Congress, that it is
sound and expedient measure. They have in a special
clause in their constitution described that guarantee
and its limitations, in clear and express terms They
have ordained, that in order to make valid law
approving judgment Of Congress alone but that they will
have the concurrent examination and approval Of Con-
gress and of the President or, failing of that, they will
have thirds pots both Of the Senate and Houssa
two-th vote moreover, which be passel in full
view of the Presidents objections spread out upon the
Journal Here is the emphatic and imperative language
of the constitution:
Seer T. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in
the House but the Senate may propose
or concur with amendments other bills
Every bill which shall have passed the House of Repre-
and the Senate before become De
presented to the President of the United States he ap
prove he sign but if he 1t, 10Th
his objections, that House which IL shall haze originated
shall the objections large their Journal and
proceed reeonsdr it, IT. after such reconsideration
thirds of that House shall the BILL It shall be
sent together with the objections, the other House, by
which it shall likewise be reconsidered and if approved
by two thirds of that House, it shall become a law.
Now, can any man pretend that General Taylor, as
above quoted in his Allison letter. expresses himself in
any sort of conformity with this mandatory language OF
the constitution? He supposes Congress 10 send him
tariff bill, or a currency bill What does he propose to
do with it! Does he say that he shall first carefully
anime it, then deliberately determine whether his judg-
ment approves its provisions; and then give withhold
his signature according his judgment applied the
measure shall approve it, fail to approve it, This
dI this and nothing less, the constitution expressly
mands him to do, under penalty of the violation of his
official oath But in the above passage of his letter he
recognises obligation of the sorthe says he shall do
such thing. 81" Congress pass tariff bill currency
BILL" says he, "here is end of the matter The duty
of the President is to sign it, and carry it into effect 1t is
the o Of the people, duly expressed by the majority of
their representatives in Congress- and it ought TO be aw
and obeyed as law!" The is simple, conclusive
and inevitable. The people. in their fundamental law,
have not so ordained They have ordained otherwise.
They have ordained that their will, expressed by
majority of Congress- shall be a,c unless it also
the deliberate examination and approval of their
President acting in this the Executive, but
ordinate Independent branch of the Legislative porer
We say coordinate branch Of the legislative power
for aver-and this is point which, in the pres
canvass, has received too little attention from the
pressthat the qualified ntrusted the President
or, to speak accurately enjoned upon him by the
constitution, in he cannot deliberately approve
bilths qualified veto power is not regarded by the
stution executive power function, but sub
stantve part of the power and machinery of legislation
The clause of the constitution which enons this duty upon
the President does not that article of the nstru
ment which enumerates and describes the powers and
the first article of the constitution which enumeraes and
describes the powers, and duties, and limitations of the
Legislative authority 1t is will be SEEM part of that
seventh section of the first artcle which ton begins
by providing that all "bs for raising revenue" shall
originate in the House of Representatives. The veto
clause thus introduced in the closest and most direct
connection with that very subject of tariff legislation
from which General Taylor emphacaly and ex-
pressly separates tin relation to which he pledges
himself substantially to abrogate it, by solemn
conditional pledge of upon all that field
of legislation. This seventh section is immediate
w preceded by the sections of the same article which