The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-18
|, the money granted BY Congress shall

that the money granted by Congress shall
be faithfully and economically applied.
Under the Federal Constitution ''every bill
which shall have passed the House of Repre-.
sehtatives and the Senate shall, before it be-
comes a law" be approved and signed by the
President; and If not approved 'he shall re.
turn IL with his objections to that House in
which it originated" In order to perform
this high aad responsible duty, sufficient time
must be allowed the President to read and
examine every bill presented to him for APP
proval. Unless this be afforded, the Consti.
tuition becomes a dead letter in this particu.
lar; and even worse, it becomes means Of
deception. Our constituents seeing the Presi.
dents approval and signature attached to
each act Of Congress, are induced to believe
that he has actually performed this duty,
when, in truth, nothing is, in many cases,
more unfounded. From the practice Of Con-
gress such an examination of each bill as the
Constitution requires has been rendered i'm.
possible. The most important business Of
each session is generally crowded into it's last
hours, and the alternative presented to the
President is either to violate the constitution.
al duty which he owes TO the people, ard ap.
prove bills which, for want of time, it is i'm
possible he should have examined, or, by his
refusal TO do this. subject the country and in
ulNluhule W RTtHJ loss anu
Besides, practice has grown up Of late years
to legslate in appropriation bills, at the last
hours of the session, on new and important
subjects. This practice constrains the Presi
dent either to suffer measures to become laws
which he does not approve, or to incur the
risk of stt pping the wheels of the Govern
ment by vetoing an appropriation bill. For
merly such bills were confined to specific APP
preparations for carrying into effect existing
laws and the well.esta blished policy Of the
country, and little time was then required
by the President for their examination.
Fov my own part, have deliberately de-
termined that shall approve no bill which
l have not examined, and it will be a case of
extreme and most urgent necessity which
shall ever induce me to depart from this rule.
l therefore respectfully. but earnestly recon-
mend that the two houses would allow the
President at least two days previous to the
adjournment Of each session within which no
new bill shall be presented to him for nppro.
val. Under the existing joint rule one day is
allowed, but this rule has been hitherto so
constantly suspended in practice that impor-
tant bills continue to be presented to him up
till the very last moments Of the session. In
large majority of cases no great public in.
convenience can arise from the want of time
to examine their provisions, because the Con-
stitutlon has declared that it bill be pre-
sented to the President within the last ten
days of the session he is not required to re-
turn 1t, either with an approval or with We.
to- sin which case it shall not be law" 1t
may then lie over and be taken up and be
passed at the next session. Great inconve.
nence would only be experienced in regard
to appropriation bills; but fortunately, under
the late excellent law allowing a salary in.
stead of a per diem to members of Congress,
the expense and inconvenience of a called
session will be greatly reduced.
! cannot conclude without commenting to
your favorable consideration the interests Of
The people of this District Without repre-.
sentative on the floor of Congress, they have
for this very reason peculiar claims upon our
just regard. To this know, from my long
acquaintance with them, they are eminently
entitled. JAMES BUCHANAN.
Washington, Dec. 8, 1857