Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-08-04
Cane Fear Bill.

Most of the Washington correspondents for the dis
tanf wing papers were exceedingly well convinced
that President Pierce would veto the bill passed by
Congress appropriating $4,000, Ito be expended
under the superlRtendency of the Secretary OF War
for the continuation of the improvement OF cape
Fear river, North Carolina, at near its communl.
cation with the ocean" His approval of that bill
has, therefore, excited great surprise in such quar-
ters We referred briefly to the reason which led
the President adopt this course In our last number
and now propose full statement of the facts. We
reprint the short message in which the PRESIDENT
avows his reasons for giving the bill his signature
To the Senate of the United States:
have this day given my signature to the act making
urthe! for the improvement of the Cape
The occasion render it proper for to devate
from ordinary of announcing the approval of
bills BY oral statement only and for the purpose of
venting any misapprehension which might otherwise arise
from the phraseOogy of this act to communicate IN VIII
ting that approval given to the ground that the
DISTINCTIONS which proposed appropriation intended
the result of acts Of the genera
WASHINGTON. July I'D, 1851.
The facts are conclusive. The history of the le-
gslaton that took place upon it is alone sufficient to
show how clearly the bill entitled to the PresI'
dents approval While the general subject OF nv.
ers and harbors before the proper committee OF
the Senate, Mr. Badger, of North Carolina rose ID
his place and stated the facts regard to inc cape
Fear appropriation and so convincing was MS state
ment, that the Senate consented without single 3D.
lection to take up the subject and to incorporate 1t
into separate bill, which they Immediately and
unanimously passed 1t is alleged that the President
should not take facts which ranspred during the de,
bate on the bill into consideration ; but this rule
may be carried 10 unjust and sometimes cruel ex-
IRENE The President is boundto know all the facts
He knew, for instance, that the distractions at Cape
Fear river had been placed there by the acts OF the
general government" Not on y was this made clear
to his mind by the representations of the people Of
North Carolina. manifested at overwhelming popular
meetings, but by the united delegation of Congress
from the State. Mr.. Bache, the able and expert
enced head of that invaluable work. the coast survey
concurred with the delegation, and with the people
of North Carolina, that the constructions were the
suits of acts of the government The pilots of Viii.
mington all present the same state Of facts. The
President could not resist coincidence of testimony
so strong and so clear and it upon these repre-
sensations, that the House. by nearly unanimous
vote, passed the bill ; and that the Senate-6rst
when the bill originally passed that body, and sec
ondly, when it came rack from the House amended
tacice unanimously agreed to at. measure thus
sustained might have been vetoed upon the single
ground that the bill did not upon it's face state the
full merits of the case but then the President woulC
have been open to ust censure for dsregarding nor
nation familiar to every member that voted upon it
that not thirty found willing to record Jhei
votes against it. Men of both Iarties supported i
in both houses. Washington Unlon