The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-08-15
J}!isrrllanruta NRu1a.
Presidents Message.
VETO OF THE RIVER AND HARBoR Ri

To the House Of Representatives.:
I have received the bill entitled can act
making appropriations for the repair, preserva
ton and completion of certain public work:
heretofore commenced under authority OF la'N
1t reaches me in the expiring hours of the ses'
sion, aud time does not allow full opporiunl'
ty Of examining and considering its provisions
or of stating at length the reasons which for'
bid me to give it my signature II 1e!o''Ss
to that class of measures which are commonly
known as internal improvements. BY the gene
raj government, and which, from very early
period, have been of doubtful consttutlonaIlty
and cxpediencv, and have thus failed to OBTAIN
the appreciation OF successive Ch'et NiaSis
tratcs.
On such an examination of this bill as it has
been in my power to make, recognise in II
certain provisions, national in their character,
and which, if they stood alone, it would be
compatible with my convictions of pabllc duty
to assent to, but at the same time it embraces
others which arc merely local, and not, IN my
Judgment, warranted by any safe or true con
structinn of the constitution. To make proper
and sound Discrimination between these differ
ent provisions would require Il deliberate dis
cussion of general principles rs well as care
ful scrutiny of details for the purpose OF right
fully applying those principles to each separate
item of appropriation.
Public opinion with regard to the value and
importance of internal improvements in this
country is undivided There is 4 disposition OH
all hands to have them prosecuted with ener.
gy, aud to see the benefits sought to be obtained
by them fully realized. The prominent point
of difference between those who have been re-
garded as the friends of Il system OF internal
improvements by the General Government,
and those adverse to such a system, has been
one of constitutional power, though more or
less connected with questions of expectancy.
NY own Judgment, it is wei! known, has on
both grounds been opposed to general sys,
tenn of Internal Improvements BY the Federal
Government. | have entertained the most
serious doubts from the inherent difficulties OF
it's application, as well as from past unsatsfac-
tory experience by the General Government,
as to render its use advantageous to the c"nn-
try at large OF ettectual fo- the accomplish
ment of the object contemplated
shall consider it incumbent upon me to pre-
view Of the whole subject, and to eudearor to
define, approximately at least, and according
to my own convictions, what appropriations OF
this nature by the General Government the
great interests of the United States require,
and the Constitution will admit and sanction,
in case no substitute should be devised capable
of reconciling difficulties both of constitution
ality and expediency.
In tie absence of the requisite means and
time for duly considering the whole subject at
the present. and discussing such possible sub.
stitAe, it becomes necessary to return the bill
to the House of Representatives, in which it
originated, and for the reasons thus briefly sub
mitted to the consideration of Congress to
withhold from it my approval.
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 4. 1854.