Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-05-06
NUMBER 1O7.
RICHMOND wHIGy
veto MesSaxe.
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT PIERCE YErorNa THE

-
Veto Message
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT PIERCE vEToING THE
INSANE LAND BILL.
oe following message sent BY President Pierce to
.ae senate yesterday veoing the bill known ss "Miss
DIs bill for the benefit Of the Indigent Insane":
To The Senate Of the United States:
The bill entitled "An act making +. sr.,, of n,,,,
lands TO the several States for the Of INDECENT in
sane persons, which presented 10 me on n sT,h
ultmo, has been maturey considered and Ia rctoyn.d A.,
the Senate the House in which il with s.ts
ment OF the objections hich have required mo TO With
hold from II my approval ~ '"
In the performance o. this duty by the Con-
sutuuon have been compelled resist the deem symo.
thies my own heart in iavor Of the humane purpose
sought to be accomplished and to overcome DE re,c
tance with which dissent from the conclusion, of ,b.
two Houses of Congress and present nv own opoions In
opposition to the action Of ordinate branch of The
respect - se sna
IT, In presenting my objections to this bi should say
more than strictly belongs to the measure or b REQUIRED
ior the discharge of my official obligation let II he at
troued TO sincere desire justify my act before tbose
whose good opinion so highly value and to tha. ear
nestness which springs from my deliberate conviction.
that strict adherence to the and purposes of the
Federal compact, offers the best, not the only security
Tor the Of our blessed Inheritance Of represent
tative liberty.
The bill provides in substance
First That ten millions acres of land bo pr,n,sd n,
the sewers. States to be apporoned among them in the
compound ratio OF the geographical area and
Second That whatever there are public l.nds Z, .
state subject to sale at the regular price private
the proportion of said ten millions OF such
State shall be selected from such lands within IT, and tb.,
to the States which there no such public lands land
scrip shall be ssue1 to the their dributive
shares respectively; said scrip entered by said
STATES but to be sold by them and subject to entry by
their nssguees provided that Of IL shall be sod n,
less than one dollar per under penalty forfeiture of
the same to the O. States.
Third. That the expenses OF the man,oe,ent and sr
and O he
therefrom shall be paid by the States which they may
belong out OF the treasury Of said State.
Fourth That the gross proceeds Of the sales of such
lands or lands granted shall be invested by the
several in safe stocks to constitute
the principal Of which shall remain forever
and the interest be appropriated TO the Of
the INDECENT insane within the several states
Fifth. That annual returns ef lands or scrip sold shall
be made by the states TO the Secretary Of the Interior and
the whole grant be subject to certain conditions and -
taons prescribed in the BILL to be asseuted to BY egis
tive acts Of said states.
This BILL therefore kproposes that the Federal Govern
men shall make provision to the amount Of the value Of
ten millions Of of land for eemosynary object
within the several states TO be administered by the po-
cal authority of the and presents at the hresh-
hoiu, the question: whether any such act the part
OF the Federal Government, warranted and sanction
ed by the Constitution, tue provisions and principles of
which, are to be protected aud sustained FIRST pa
ramount duty.
IL be questioned that II Congress have nover
to make provision for the INDECENT nsance without tho
limits of this district has the power to provide for
the INDECENT who are not insane and thus transfer to
the Federal Government the charge OF all the poor in all
the States Il has tue power provide hospitals
and other local establishments for the care and cure of
every species Of human nfrmy and thus to assume all
that duty OF either public philanthropy public necess-
y to the dependent, the orphan the SICK the needy
which now discharged by the States themselves or by
corporate institutions private endowments existing un-
der :he legislation OF the States The whole field Of pub
lie benefcence thrown open the culture of the
Federal Government Generous impulses no longer eu-
counter the limitations and control of imperious fun
damenta law. For however worthy may be the present
object in self it is only Of class 1t is not eIclu-
svey worthy of benevolent regard. Whatever consid-
eraons dictate sympathy for this particular object ap-
ply in ike manner if not in the degree to diocy
70 physical disease to extreme destuton II Congress
may and ought provide for any of these objects il
may and ought TO provide for them all. And If il be
done in this what answer shall be given when Con-
shall be called upon it doubtless will be- to pur-
sure similar course Of legislation in the otherss Il will
obviously be vain to reply that the object worthy but
that the application has taken 4 wrong direction.
The power will have been deliberately assumed, the
general obligation will by this have been acknowl-
edged and the question Of and expediency will
alone be leit for consideration The decision upon the
principle in one case determines it for the whole class
The question presented therefore, clearly Is upon the
consttuonay and propriey of the Federal Government
assuming to enter into novel and field Of legisa-
don namely that of providing for the and support
Of all those among the people Of the United States who
hy any form OF calamity, become fit objects Of public phi
lanthropy.
readily aud trus. feelingly acknowledge the duty
incumbent on all, and citizens, aud among
the highest and hoest Of duties provide for those
who in the mysterious order Of Providence, subject
10 want and TO disease Of body mind but find
any authority in the Constitution for making the Federal
Government the great almoner Of public charity through
out the United States To do would in my Judgment
be contrary the letter and the spirit Of the Consttu
ton, and subversye of the whole theory upon which tho
Union oi these States is founded. And IL il adms
sbe to contemplate the exercise Of this power for any
object whatever avoid the belief that It would
in the end be preudicia rather than beneficial the
noble offices of charity to have the charge OF them
ferred from the States the Federal Government Are
not too prone to forget that the Federal Union the
Of the States they of the Federal Union p
We the inhabitants Of Colonies distinct IN local 90
from the other before the Revolution BY
that Revolution the Colonies each became independent
State They achieved that independence and secured its
recognition 10y the agency Of consulting body which
from being assembly OF the ministers OF distinct SOW
eregnes instructed 70 agree form Of government
which did leave the domestic Of each State
to itself, appropriately deuominated Cougress.-
When having tried the experiment Of the confederation,
they resolved to change that for the present Federal
Union, aud thus to confer the Federal Government
ample authority they scrupulously measured such
Of the functions OF their cherished sovereignty they
chose to delegate the General Government With this
aim and to this end the fathers Of the Republic framed
the Constitution, in aud by which the independent and
sovereign States united themselves for certain specified
objects and purposes and for those only leaving all pow
es therein forth conferred another Of
the three great Departmental the legislative the executive
aud the judicial iudubtably with the States And when
the peope Of the several States bad 10 their State
yenons aud thus Alone given effect and force 10 the
Constitution content that any doubt should in the
utap arise the scope and character Of this act they
eugrafted thereon the explicit declaration that:
'The powers delegated to the United States by the
Constitution prohibited by il to the States,
served to the States respectively or to the people"
Can be conroveted that the great mass OF the bus-
ness Of Government that involved in the social relations
the internal arrangements Of the body polite; tbe mental
and moral culture Of mem the development Of local
sources Of wealth; the punishment Of crimes Ia general
the preservation Of order the relief o! the needy,
otherwise unfortunate members Of society did in prac.
tce remain with the States that Of these objects Of
local concern are by the Constitution, expressly i'm.
piedly prohibited to the States and hs. OF them
are by any express language Of the Constitution trans
TERED to the United Stses Can be claimed that any
Of these functions OF local administration and legislation
are vested the Federal Government by any implication!
have never found anything in the Constitution which
s susceptible Of such construction No one Of the
enumerated powers touches the subject has even
remote analogy to H. The powers conferred upon the
United States have reference Federal relations or TO
the means Of accomplishing executing things OF Fsde.
raj relation. So also Of tho character are the
powers taken away from the States BY enumeration In