Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-08-16


IS 'as n"po"er tn appropriate money f
b. any of these objects; and. therefore. !
or refuses his sanction to the bill which Co,
a grcss had passed.
he We are brought now. sir. II tho que
- ton. shall tho improvement Of our riye,
~ and harbors bs abandoned! Ills a Que,
Of ton Of great interest to cvcrv portion c
al tho country. With every ndminis,r,t;o
n IF the General Govcrpmrn, before II,
v present one. the power Of making sue
improvement. 10 some extent y, least, n,
o been recognised. nni appropriations Co
! Tho purpose have bacn made Tho p,on,
G arc now distinctly inform Il. for tho frs
I ''n". that such appropriations shnll 10
longer b. m,dr. unics. ihav can h, CARR.
; "a over a Presidential veto. II tho coin.
try prepared 10 abandon tho svs,em-,o
S"iiar Its com crcc 70 h.r rim,irfi.-cI iirin
: our lakes and rivers. 70: tho want Of ~
propria;ions 10 render their navigation ~ &,
and easy! |, would BE- mse,rss f,r mo to
enlarge upon the necessity Of such oppro
priatons. Upon our grea, nnrthcrn l,kc..
tho unfinished improvements began hv tho
Government. are now rapidly suffering dc.
cay and dilnpidltion for tho wan. Of fur
thor appropriations TO complete ihcm:
wh,,a every year numerous i,vos arc sac.
rlicrd. AMI largo am unts Of property arc
destroyed. for tho wan, Of those improve
mcn's. Tho Ohio and MisSissippi rivers
those great channels Of trndn through
which tho vast surplus products Of tho
Mississippi valley find an ou,,c, to m,rkc,
-nrc every year becoming more ohs,ruc.
ted, and their nav gaiion moro difficult,
from tho negfcc, Of the government, to
mako appropriations necessary frr their
Improvement. Tho half finished works
which the Government has undertakrn
m has now abandoned. hive themselves
become serious and dangerous obstacles to
tho navigation. MANY valuable lives nj
large amounts Of property are cvcrv vcnr
sacrificed by this hcar,!css and cruel ncc.
'crt Of the Government 10 discharge the
obligations which it owes to tho coun.
try. Ono 1.-THE Of tho money which has
boon expended in tho unnecessary Mex;.
can war. into which tho country wns for.
ccd by President Polk, would hayc made
ell lilo improvements upon our western
lakes and rivers necessary to rondor iheir
navigation entirely safe.
But. sir, it is useless to enlarge upon tho
advantage or necessity Of appropriations
for these objects. 1'hoy nro admitted Nv
tho country md by Congress. Do the
people "f tho United States dosire nppro.
priations to be n,to for thom! Of the
wishes Of tho people on this subject thcre
can be no doubt. There has boon no no.
ri"d whom an expression Of tho popular
will has boon mado agnins, them. Il has
been tho uniform PRACTICE Of Congress,
for moro than fifty years, to mako nppro.
priatIons for objects Of internal improve
mcn,s. Tie only in!orr. ,ptions 10 such
course Of legislation have been occa stoned
by the arbitrary interpolation Of tho Exec
utivo veto. Abundant evidonco Of the
conflict botwoe" tho popular will and tho
opinions OF tho Executive IL found in tho
action of Congress since tho Inauguration
OF Mr.. Polk. There has been no period
SINCE tho commencement Of hi, Admins.
,ration when there hns not boon a decided
majority in Congress in favor Of such M.
preparations. On tho 81 Of August. IL tj, |
tho President vetoed tho Rivot and Iiar- /
Dor bill, which had passed. both il,uso, If
Congress by decided IMPURITIES The
veto message was sent 4 :he llouso Of
Representatives. in which the bill originn.
ted. Tho Journal shows that after full
consideration Of tho message, ninety. SOW.
on members voted IN favor ui passing the
bill over the veto, while but ninety zone.
voted against it. II should be rccollcc,ed.
too, Mr.. Speaker. that tho llouse Of Rep.
rcscntat,ves then Contained a TIM iority OF
democratic members, amounting to ncnr.
~ two to ono. J'hirty-sevcH Of those
who voted to pass tho bill over tho veto
wore Democrats. Tho decision ngains.
tho President was made. not by a House
of Representatives who opposed him on
party grounds, but by one entirely in tho
hands Of his own friends. The inf ,ence
Of party WAS in favor Of tho President,
md not against him. Democratic mcm-
bcrs were constrained. by the known wish.
es and opinions Of their constituents, to !
vote agnins, the course Of their owl par
ty President.
AT the last session Of the samo Congress
a similar bill was passed; c,nCracing ap.
preparations for the Ohio and M,s.is.,ppi
rivers and tho lake arbors. This bill
was sent to the President on tho list day
Of the session; but instead Of returning 1t
with a veto. he retained it IN his possession
until after tho adjournment Of Congress.
and thus prevented II from, becoming n ~.
This Is what is dononlinaaed tho "pockci
Veto" Early in tho present session We
message, assigning his reasons tor with
holding the bill. Shortly after this message
was presented to this House. the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. WENrwokTH) inifodu.
ced q resolution in the following terms:
"Resoired. That the General Governme ut has
the power 10 construct such harbors and improve
such rivers necessary and proper for iise
pfotec of out iiaty and Of commerce;
and, also, for the defenc~s Of our codntsy.''
Which was adopted by the House by a
vote Of 1873 against 81.
still more decisive condemnation Of
the course Of the President was made BY
the House a short time ago. by the adop-
ten Of a series Of resolutions, which we're
reported by the Committee On Commerce.
One of these resolutions was in these
words: