Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1854-08-23
Presidents voto.
GREEN Il, Justice.

10 lie House ef Representatives.:
Il have received the bill entitled An act
! making appropriations for tho repair, preser-
vatiun aud compilations OF certain public works
heretofore commenced under the authority III
| law II reached me in The eNpir ny hours OF
the session, and time does no, allow full op
| poItunity tor examining and considering it's
! provisions or Of stating at length the reasons
| which forbid me to give it my signature. 1t
| belongs todhat class of measures which are
commonly known as Internal Improvements
by the general government, and which fro a
very early periord. have been oeemed OF doubt
| ful consiitutionaliy and expediency. aud have
thus failed To obtain the appreciation of sue
cessive Chief Magistrates. On such an exam-
nation Of This bill as it has been in my power
to make, | recognize in IL certain provisions.
national in their character aud which if they
stood alone, 1t wopld be compatible with my
convIctions OF public duty 10 attend to, but at
the same time IL EN- races others which are
merely local, and not, in my Judgment warran. /.
ted by any safe or true construction of the
Constitution. To make a proper and sound
discrimination betweeo their different proyis.
ions would require a deliberate discussion of
the general principles, as we'll as careful
| scrutiny OF details, for the purpose OF right
fully applying those principles to each sepa,
rate item OF appropriations Pubic opinion,
with regard to The value and improvements in
| ton on all hands to have them prosecuted with
| energy, and TO see the benefits sought TO be
attained by them fully realized. The promi
nent point Of difference between those who
have been regarded as the friends OF a system
of internal improvements by The General
Government, AMI those adverse TO such sys
TEN, has been one OF Constitutional power,
though more or less connected with consid.
cratons of expediency. My own Judgment, it
is well known, has on both grounds been op
posed 10 general system Of internal i'm
provements" by tie Federal Government, as
we'll as firm past unsatisfactory experience, by
The General Government, is TO render its use
advantageous either to the country at large,
or cffectua for the object contemplated.
~ shall coDside. it incumbent on me to
present to the presen. Congress, at its
next session. a matured view of the whole
| subject, aud to endcayor 10 define approx.
ma,ely, At least aud according 10 my own con
victions. what appropriations ol this nature by
he General Government the great interest of
the United states reqeire, the Constitution will
ADMIT and sanction, IN case no subs iiule
should be devised capable Of reconci,ing the
differences both OF constitutioEaiity and expc-
diencJ.
"ln the absence Of the requisite means and
time for duly considering the whole subject at
present, and discussing such possible substi
tute, IL becomes necessary to return the bill 10
the House OF Representatives, in which it ori
ginated, and for the reasons thus briefly sub
Initled to the consideration Of Congress. to
withhold from it my approval.
FRANKLIN PIERCE
WAsnIsGTos, ID. G., August 4, 1854.