The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-08-19
Presidents Veto.
To the House Of Representatives.:

" ret @kONoS " 1pDItct"uffOcS.
have received the Till entitled AN act
making appropriations for the repair, preserva-
tion and completion of certain public works
heretofore commanded under the authority of
law 1t reached me in the expiring hours of
the session, and time docs not allow a full op-
portunity for 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
10y the General Government, and which, from
very early period, have been deemed of
doubtful constitutionality and expediency ,and
have thus failed to obtain the appreciation of
successive Chief Magistrates. On such an ex-
animation ofthis bill as it has been in my pow
er to make, recognize in it certain provisions,
national in their character, and which if they
stood alone, it would be compatible with my
convictions of public duty to attend to, but ut
the same time it embraces others which are
merely local, and not, in my judgement war;
ranted by any safe or true construction of the
Constitution. TO make proper and sound
discrimination between their different provis-
ions would require deliberate discussion
ofthe general principles, as well as q careful
scrutiny of details, for the purpose of rightfnlly
applying those principles to each seperate item
Of appropriation. Public opinion, with regard
to the value and imp IOvemcnts in the country
is undivided. There is a disposition on all
hands to have prosecuted with energy, and to
see the benefits sought to be attained by them
fully realized. The prominent point of differ
ence between those who have been regarded as
the friends Of a system of internal improve
ments by the General Government, and those
adverse to such q system, has been one of Con-
stitutional power, though more or less connect
cd with considerations of expediency. My own
Judgment, it is well known, has on both grounds
been opposed to general system of internal
improvements" by the Federal Government,
as well as from past unsatisfactory experience,
by the General Government, is to render its
use advantageous either to the country at large
or effessral for the Object contemplated.
shall consider it incumbent on me to pre-
sent to the present Congress. at its next ecssion
a matured view of the whole subject, and to
cndcavof to define approximately, at least and
according to my own convictions, what appro-
priations of this nature by the General Govern
mcnt the great interests eff the United States re-
qurc, the Constitution will admit and sanction,
in ease no substitute should be devised capa-
bic of rccOneilng the differences both of con-
stitutionalty and expediency.
In the absence Ofthc requisite means and
time for duly considering the whole subject at
present. and discussing such possible substitute,
it becomes necessary to return the bill TO the
House Representatives, in which it originat-
ed, and for the reasons thus briefly submitted
to .he consideration of Congress, to withhold
from it my approval.
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
WASHINGTON, D. C., August A. 1854.