The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-08-15
VETO MESSAGE.
On the River and Harbor Bill,


The following is the message received from
the Presidents:
To the House of Representatives:
have received the bill entitled "An act ma
king appropriations for the repair, preservation
and completion of certain public works hereto
fore commenced under the authority of law. "
It reaches me in the expiring hours of the ses-
sion. and time does not allow full opportunity
of examining and considering its provisions, or
of stating at length the reasons which forbid
me to give it my signature. 1t belongs to that
class of measures which arc commonly known
as Internal improvements by the General
Government, and which, from very early
period, have been deemed of doubtful consti-
tu,ionality and expediency, and have thus failed
to obtain the appreciation of successive Chief
Magistrates. On such an examination of this
bill as it has been in my power to make, re-
cognze in il certain provisions, national in their
character, and which, if they stood alone, it
would be compatible with my convictions of
public duty to assent to, at tho Same tima it
embraces Others which are merely local, and
not in my judgment warranted by any safe or
true construction of tho Constitution. To
make q proper and sound discrimination bet
weon these different provisions, would require
a deliberate discussion of the general princi-
Piles, as we'll as careful scrutiny of details for
the purpose of rightfully applying those prin-
ciples to each separate item of appropriation.
Public opinion with regard to the value and
Importance of internal improvements in the
country is undivided. There is disposition
on all hands to have them prosecuted with en-
ergy, and to see the benefits sought to bo at
tanned by them fully realized. The prominent
point OF difference between those who have
been regarded as the friends of a system of in
ternal improvements by the General Govern
ment, and those adverse to such a system, has
been one Of Constitutional power, though more
or less connected with considerations of expe-
diency. My own judgment il is well known,
has on both grounds been opposed to a "gener-
al system of internal Improvements by the
Federal Government. as well Us from past un-
satisfactory experience by the General Govern
ment, as to render its use advantageous either
to the country at large. or efiectual TO tho OBJ
ject contemplated / shall consider it inoum-
bent on me to present Congress at it's next ses
sion a matured view of the whole subject, and
to endeavor to define, approximately at least,
and according to my own convctions,what ap-
preparations Of this nature by the General
Government the great interests of the United
States require, the Constitution will admit and
sanction, in case no substitute should be de-
vised capable ofreconciling the differences both
of Constitutionality and expediency. In the
absence Of the requisite means ard time for
duly cosidering the whole subject at present,
and discussing such possible substitute, it be-
comes necessary to return the bill to the House
of Representatives., in which it originated, and,
for the reasons thus briefly submitted to the
consideration of Congress, withhold from it my
- FRANKLIN PIERCE.
Washington, ID. c., Aug. 4, 1854.