The southern press., 1850-09-30
Gov. Bells Veto Message to the Senate,

| ~" ffufWtu3 20 utut OOdy Lic ttH ehEllLed - lf
Acf requiring the Gorernor TO submit any pro
position that may be made by The Government q,
The uailed States 10 the Slae Of 1eras, for The
purchase of a portion Of her North Western
/ Territory, 10 The People.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 4, 1850
To the Hon rable Senate:
GENTLEMEN A bill entitled san act rcquir-
| ing the Governor to submit any proposition that
may be made by the Government Of the United
States 20 the State of Texas, for the purchase
OF portion OF her northwestern territory, 10
the people, and whic! originated in the Senate,
has been submitted to me, and after considering
1t with entire Difference to your honorable body,
it is with unfeigned regret that ! feel myself
constrained by an imperious sense of duty, and
by high regard for the honor consistency, and
integrity of the State over which | have been
| called to preside, to return it without my ap-
proval.
The bill, by its ptrascolOgy, evidently intends
to command the Executive to do an act which to
some extent, il seems to me, ought To require
the exercise of Executive discretion. A propo-
siten might be made by the Government of the
United States, (and who can now doubt the pos
sibility Of such an occurrence, since honorable
United States Senators declare from their places
that there are considerations beyond the Consti-
tuiion) which would be so offensive in its TERMS
or insulting in its character, MS to render it az
act of degradation on the part OF the State, to
entertain or listen to it for a moment; aud yet,
by the terms Of this bill, the Executive would
be required 70 60 through the solemn and de-
grading mockety of submitting it to, the voice
of the whole people, although he might be con-
WINGED it would not meet the appreciation of a
single man imbued with the ordinary feelings of
true patriotism. Whether itv be competent for
one branch OF the Government to order another,
and co-ordinntc branch to do an act which ne
cessariy implies the exercise of most delicate
discretion, is question which | will not now
discuss, or present for discussion: but may be
allowed to say, that some room might be left for
the exercise of Judgment on the part of that
officer, to whom the whole people have confded,
in a great degree, the interest and integrity of
their State. The present Executive of Texas,
impressed with proper humility, is as little dis
posed as any human being to arrogate to HIM
self the exercise OF powers which have not been
conferred upon him by the Constitution and laws
Of the land, and he thinks he may appeal to his
convocation of the Legislature in its present ey-
traordnary session, as an evidence Of this fact
but still, while disposed to confinc himself within
the legitimate sphere prescribed to him, he re-
CARDS it as his duty not to give his assent to a
departure from it on the part OF 4 coordinate
branch, and he believes he would be doing so by
giving his assent to the bill now under consid-
Grafton.
| Had any proposition been made or were any
4 to be made by the Federal Government to this
State, which was not degrading or insulting in
its terms and in which the people of the State
1 possessed an interest, the Executive would most
nnquestonably have taken the proper steps 10
SI,h,, tod IN tnn,, vol
lection, without the command Of the Legislature,
but he could not consent, even with that com
mand, to submita degrading proposition, or one
; at which the patriotism and moral sense Of the
community would revolt
! But, if this objection to the Bill did not exist,
there is another, which, to my mind, is insuper-
: able The 9TH section of the Sd article Of the
i Constitution limits the Legislature to biennial
sessions, and this provision can be departed from
only M conformity with the terms prescribed by
the 81 section of the 9th article of the same in
: strument, which gives to the Executive, and to
f him only the power to convene the Legislature
j. on extraordinary occasions The necessity whicl
would require IN extraordinary convention OF tn.
II Legislature, must therefore be judged and de
/ termined by him alone. This bill takes thai
n power of Judging from him, and without permit
e ting him to exercise any discretion on the sub
G ject, it requires him imperativey to convene the
t Legislature in the event of the happening of Il
6 contingency; and if the Legislature can do this
, it can wholly subvert and put at nought the
constitutional provision which limits their assem-
, bling to biennial sessions If it has the power
to order the Governor to convene them in any
, case, out of the regular time prescribed by law
, it would have equal power to order him to con
, venc them at stated intervals of three, six, OF
twelve months as their inclinations or supposed
t views of the interest of the Government mgh,
J. dictate and thus instead of there being but on,
= session of the Legislature in each two years, as
the constitution prescribes, the number of scs.
\ sions would only be limited by Legisl tive dis
cretion. This feature in the Bill is therefore
to my mind, wholly 'inadmissbc, rs regard il
as being in direct conflict with the Constitution.
| The duty of the Executive, then, in relation
to calling the Legislature in extraordinary ses-
sion having been prescribed by the Constitution,
any Legislative interference will have the effect
of removing the barrier judiciously placed there
for the purpose Of restraining in salutary man
ner the action of the different departments of
the Government, each within its proper limits
thereby disturbing the harmony and good under
/ standing which should always exist in conduc.
ting the affairs of the State. | am, therefore
, constrained to return the bill to the Senate in
0 which it originated, without my signature.
(Signed) p. III. BELL.
t BAsTRoP, August 9, 1850.
G SANTA FE MEETING AT Observation-Disclosures
to previous call, large and respectable por
ton of the citizens of Bastrop county assembled
at the court house, to take action upon the Texas