Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-05-12
The Veto Mesa ge.

ne OIL Tor approptlatlng ten millions OF
acres of the public lands for the support of
the INDECENT insane in the different States,
is vetoed by President Pierce as unconstiiu.
tional, for the following reasons.
L. The object is an eleemosynary one
within the several States, and the admins
tration Of the proceeds of the lands is to be
under the direction Of the several States.
?. That the public lands are pledged to
secure the payment Of the public debts
We have no disposition to review the long
string of repeiitions which the message con.
tains. The whole argument, such as it is.
on each head, might have been given in one
quarter of the space. But tcords are Presi-
dent Pierce's forte.
1t is very odd, that whenever any appica-
ton Of the public means, whether of land or
money, is proposed, which is to benefit the
old States as well as the new ones, the
North as well as the South, how quick the
Southern politicians and the northern men
with southern principles, raise the cry of I'M
constitutional But ifa Cumberland road is
to be built to benefit the Southern States. if
railroads are TO be elped in the " est by aid
Of public lands-if public money Is to be
paid away to buy new lands and favored OBJ
iects, there are ways enough found to get by
the fact that the Constitution does not men
tion anv such thing IN any of its provisions
Millions Of money and millions Of acres are
at command with very little scruplc Mil
lions have been granted and millions will be
granted Wherever and whenever there is a
prospect that votes can be got by It. But
the INDECENT insane are not likely to trouble
office seekers much. To buy some wildern-
ess lands of Mexico for ten millions Of dol
lars, especially If il is to help the route ola
Pacific railroad for the Southern portion Of
the country, is all right, all constitutional
enough although the major part Of the mon
ey is to be drawn from the labors Of Northern
/ ireemen, but to appropriate ten millions of
acres of wild lands III such way that the
ind gent insane among these freemen, as
well as elsewhere in the Union, should be
protected aud helped in their deep affection,
would never do. Give lands by millions to
railroad corporations aud to individuals and
| the security of the public debt is an safe
onough-hut 10 apply small portion in
such a way as TO benefit all the States
equally, and thus make them all more able
10 pny the public debt, for which all are
holden, would be a great violation Of the
/ Constitution. Mr.. Foor, the able advocate
of the humane bill whi4n he had introduced
into the Senate, in his remarks when the
veto was received, said, and said wel Free
Press
lie regretted the veto for many reasons,
but particularly because it would hazard, #
not defeat, the passage Of the great and ben
efccnt measure. lie had heard when the
b, was before the House, when It passed
That body, and came up to this House, that
it would be vetoed, but he had never behev-
cd that the President would disclose his pur.
poses to those busy, tale bearing. rumor- CIR
circulating and Inventing indylduals,-
telegrapblc and letter-writng correspon-
dents, who live, move and have their being
in the smiles OF Executive favor. For once
the ten thousand lying tongues of rumor
have spoken the truth What was doubt
and uncertainty yesterday is To. day historic
r truth. The bill was vetoed on two grounds
, ineXpedicncy and unconstltutionahty. tie
thought that, though considerations of ex
pediency OF legislation did not exclusively
belong to Congress, still they might be lei
there with propreiy and safety le refer
ret 20 two similar grants of land mentioned
IN the message, to the grants of land fol
school purposes, 10 endow colleges, to es
, tablish universities, construct Dads, canals
railroads, the ship canal at st Mary's River
AMI many other Obj sets, all Of which had re
ceved the sanction OF Government for 81
years. There we're one hundred acts IN IN,
r statute book, granting land to the States fol
specific objects 1t was singular that tn,
= first act Of this kind, which had been vetoed
: VS. the lirst one which gave land To ali III,
States, IN something like an equitable aut
? just distribution. II this bill be unconstltu
/ uonal then no act granting land to am
State, for any specific object, would be cou
siluuonal. The Constitution gave Con
gross full and absolute power TO dispose 80
and make all needfu rules and regulation
respecting the territory or other property O
the United States. These we're the word
of the Constitution. That they gave ampl,
power to Congress to dispose Of the public
lands no man could doubt. This provision
{ was so clear that no man outside of Il lunatii
asylum could have any difficulty in inter
f preting it. lie argued the subject for
considerable time, contendlng that the bil
was Just, wise, humane and constitutional.