The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-24
The spoiismen OF Congress and the Treasury
Presidential Vetocs.


would be lail d by the country as Go sen =
as An act for gene al congratulation among the
honest co lie that tie tine for temporary de-
liverance rom the horde of Congressional
spoilsmen at Washington is a. hand. Il would
be halle as on act Of ra's worthy self-sac-
riicing enero ity on e part of the spoiis-
men; for the question is entirely at their dis
cretion wheth the sc son shall be closed in
July or shall be cont 4ued till mex Dec mber.
We no, however, hold out any hope to
the public, from present appearances, o a final
adjournment this side f the dog-daJs. Nothing
as yet has been done, or tie next thing to
nothing. Scare ly break has been made IN
the Grand spoils programme Of five hundred
millions of dollars; AMI the Congressional gold
miners Of the wet and tie dry diggiRgs
are not Likely to abandon tn feld after
this fashion. A variety of plots, CON-
binations and oint stock schemes remain
vet to be tried and it is nothing more
than reasonable to suppose that while there
are yet so many fine pro .ects pending for
plundering The treasury aud the community
both houses will continue for months still
to come persevering in their patriotic endea-
vors to clean ont the treasury. Even the
Gadsden treaty-that most enormous and bare
faced swirdle-that most unblushing atrocity-
is to be galvanized by the Senate into some
thing--a small sized monstcr-by which seven,
eight or ten millions Of the public money may
be distributed among the spoils-iobbers con-
cerned-Mexican and American. To be sure,
,nt I.I
twenty but the disbursement of half the latter
sum among the interested parties in this mixed
conspiracy, will suffice to break down the bar
riers between the spoilsmen AMI the spoils, anl
to clear the track for the general schedule Of
the five hundred millions. Hence the persever-
ing and desi crate game of the Gadsden lobby
crew. including Forney and the kitchen cabi-
net, to push tn r precious bargain through, in
some shape or other, for the deliverance of
Santa ANA and the lobby.
An experimental bill Of ten millions Of acres
of the public domain, to be distributed, accord
ing to their representation in the House, among
the several States for the relief OF their lunatic
asylums, having passed both houses, appears to
stick fast in the brooches pocket Of the President
of this bill, with the constitutional objections
of Gen. Pierce in black and white. A strict
construction of the constitution would seem to
require tbs course. Let this bill be vetoed
however, and the same rigid application Of the
fundamental law must be equally fatal to the
thousand otter lind grabbing projects intro
duced this session, and many OF which have
80 al Tho Loo %
or the other.
This lunatc asylum bill is about the best Of
these land, obbng schemes Conceding. should
this bill be ONE law, that these ten millions
of acres will be swallowel up by cliques of land
SPECTATORS and that the poor lunatics for
whose benefit the lands are inten led viii be
swindled out of their rightful property, the Oh
ject for which they are granted commeads itself
to our sympathes. If it be violation Of the
wholesome limitations and restrictions OF the
Constitution, let il be vetoed. But, with veto Of
this bill, have we not right to demand that the
homestead bill, or the land graduation bill (Which
is a sort offree farm concern in circutous way,)
shall also be vetoed, should either Of them be
laid before the President for his signature, after
his veto Of the lunatic asylum grataities? Nay,
more, there are various rotten, swindling land
plundering schemes before Congress, involving
grants of one million, two millions, three mil
lions, and so on, to thirty or forty millions OF
acres, to variety Of railroad stock, obbing
companies still t, be acted upon. OF these
bills, including the Pacific moon hina railroad,
it is possible that a string my yet be passed,
calling Tor fifty CT sixty millions Of acres of the
public domain, or the express benefit of the
stockholders, the SPECTATORS, and the Wall
street shavers and brokers concern ID in them.
Now, will not a veto Of the lunatic asylum bill
require, upon the same broad constitutional ey-
ceptions a veto 0 one AMI all Of these railroad
projects, should one or all b. Submitted to Gen.
Pierce for his autograph? Or are the land job
hers and Wall street shavers better entitled to
government charity than tie poor luuatics o.
the country?
The annual mes age OF tn, President leaves
us in some doubt upon this point. II is perfect
ly clear in the advocacy of that branch of the
spoils programme consisting of patent extensions
such a Colts revolvers for the British army,
Woodworth's planning machine, and various other
millionaire monopolies connected with electrici-
ty, india rubber, gutta percha and other things.
The Pre- sdent is expressly in favor Of coa-
tnucd taxa ton upon tie public for patent mo-
nopolies such as these; but there is some mys-
tiscation in the text concerning the moonshine
Pacific Railroad and other railroad land specu-
lating devices. We are rather inclined to sus-
pcct that under the influence Of Forney aud
the Kitchen Cabinet, these railway bills will be
approved, should Congress pass them, notwith-
standing the claims Of the lunatics to public
charity may be vetoed as unconstitutional \
month or two yet may be required for the set
Element Of this very important question.
1t would be a lamentable shame. IT, after five
months of plotting and contemplating among
tic land spoilers TO secure the passage of taeir