Washington telegraph., 1848-01-12
THE VETO MESSAGE ON THE RIVER
AND HARBOg BILL

nary revenues 10 meet which, loan Of twenty.
three millions was authorized and since negoli.
ated" Tho effect Of this bill, had II become a
law. the President says, "would hsye been to add
the whole Of the amount appropriated by !, to the
national debt"
The amount which ihis b.ll appropriated, about
half million Of dollars. was 10 be applied 10 the
Improvement Of numerou. rivers and harhor with.
IN the limits Ol the uailed stale,, aud was about
one.sKih Of the amount Of the bribery fund placed
In the hands Of the Executive, by the ,ane Con.
gress, to be used In Mexico, as he might deem
proper We see bis Easelleney poeketiag the
three millions, without expressing any fras Of
increasing the national debt, when the funds wsr-
10 be expended III McKee,. and under hi. special
direction, but, when half a million !, sought to be
appropriated 10 the improvement Of the navigation
and commerce Of our own country. his Excel.
leney's fears for the future ars afousrd-hv places
lis veto upon It, and Pt aches cangres, eagthy
homly on maintaining unmpaired, our national
credit aud tho evils arising from national debt
lie has no feau Of entalling national debt upon
posisriIy by the appropriation Of millions upon
millions for the purpose Of carrying on a war Of hi.
own getting nP, but is houard at the idea Of eS.
pending few thousands ia the improvement Of
our great lakes ant rivers lie has an eonstitu.
Iiona objections 10 srnding an expedition 10 the
Dead Sea lUr the purpose Of aleerIaning the pre-.
else localities Of The ancient ei,ss Of sodom aud
Gemorah. OF TO cutting canal across the islhmns
Of Tehuanispeo in MeSeo.-yst the bare mention Of
an appropriation to rtmese tie Instructions 10 the
internal commerce Of cur own count ~, is 50 tc.
voting, that forthwith the finances Of the country
are ieopafdtrd by the possibility Of adding fow
thousand, 10 the war dsbi-.lhs national credit /.
at stake, and that very sensitive conscience Of Cur
very patriotic President compel, him TO place bis
veto upon such unprecedented esiIaYagance.
ofihis message, the New York Herald paper
which hitherto has adFi Gated many Of The meat.
utes Of Mr Polk. administration thus speaks
As LITERARY production il efinees great labor,
but small intellect In fact, It is iasl what we
Nigh, have expected from a man who never rank.
ed Ai her than country lawyer Ia tennessee,
aud reached posi- on Of einineaoe by accident
one who Is u much the same Intellectual ealibrc
ss the present head u the Post Office Drplrmrni,
Cave johnson, who acts and thinks as II that
branch Of the public service were created iofihe
especial purpose Of linkefing, aud peddling in the
contracts, aud reducing the pay Of contractors
lex dollars, without for moment considering. tha,
by abolishing the service altogether, hil expenses
wond be saved. This veto message Of Mr. Polk
is evidently modelled ailsT General Jaekson's eel.
ebraied Maysyic message, aud the efforts at int.
taiion cannot be concealed II lacks, however,
the yigor anG intellect Of Old Hickory; but no
doub, meets with the strongest appreciation Of NJ.
Richie, who, like his master. has. on innumerablc
occasions, shown bis inrapaciiy for hi. position
II Is alsmentablc fact, the executive power Of
this great country i 10 the control ofthrce persons
Gave johnson, Mr Polk, aud Mr.. Rilchir-a
ttnmyirale Of weak mcn--with intrllecis ranging
below mediocra-y, who ought never TO have been
iaken from Their natural level, In which they would
be harmless for good OF evil Bat 20 II is, aud We
must only submit 10 the intcion with foHitudc
and patience, aud trust Ia the dawning Of better
day, when the government will be IN the hands
Of msn Of in.ellec, and senss-and mol in those Of
old women There " a remarkable similarly in
the opinions aud actions Of Mr. pulk and Cave
Johnson The former asks fly millions Of dollars
for the prosecution VI the war with Mexico, aud
objects TO spending Eve hundred for improving
roads, SC. This Is Cave johnson exactly lie
will objec, to paying two or three thousand dollars
year for the transportation oi the great Southern
mall aud wllyct kick up row with the British
government, by which ten times "a much is lost,
and the foreign mails thrown into u state Of con-
fusion, from which Il seems almost impossible 10
eAtfiealc them. However, We can eipee, but
little, where but little is.
Upon hn, sight of this expose Of the views Of
the Executive il very naturally occurred to US,
Iha, the chances Of IN appropriation from the
Government, for the improvement Of western
rivers, during Mr. Folks term Of Office. was set.
ted-we were 10 have none. We have for some
time, feared that no appropriation would be made
for the removal Of the rafi Of Red river, for we
remembered that when the present Executive was
a member Of Congress he voted against bill fef
that purpose, and consequently we feared a veto
Of the administration to the contrary nolwi,h.
standing, How great then were We gratiicd by
the action Of the House Of Representatives on the
message, How signal rebuke to the Presidents |
Nttp WI ''HANHiAll utNlWtthlit NlfilNfF from .
Illinois brought forward the following resolution |
which from the decisive vote by which il was
passed is as honorable to that body, it is graft.
Tying to the friends Of internal improvement /, |
reads thus
Resoired, That the Gen,ral Government has !,
the power 10 construct such hhrbos and improve
such rivers as are necessary and proper for the |
protection Of our navy and our commerce, and also
lot the defence Of our country.
The resolution afims principles directly ad.
verse TO llios- promulgated in the message, and
passed the House after rvery attempt had been
made by the administration side Of the Chamber
TO get nd Of Il, by vote Of l3s TO 5i-bcng
about thirty more than two-thirds vote. A |
number Of democratic MEMBERS were indepen-
den, enough to support the resolution, among
uatia