The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-12-16


lshment of the overland mail route from
the Mississippi river to San Francisco,
California. The route was selected with
my full concurrence as the one, ia my
Judgment best calculated tn attain the
important objects contemplated by Con-
gress.
The late disastrous monetary revllson
may have one good effect should il cause
both the government aud the people to re-
turn to the practice Of wise and ludici-
ous economy both in public and private
expenditures.
An overlooking treasury has led to the
habits of prodigality and extravaganza in
our legislation 1t has induced Congress
to make large appropriations TO objects for
which they never would have provided had
it been necessary to rails the amount of
revenue required to meet them by increas-
ed taxation Or by loans. We are now
compelled to pause in our career, and to
scrutinize our expenditures with the ut
most vigilance and in performing this
duty, | pledge my cooperation to the ex-
tent Of my constitutional competency.
time that true public economy does not
consist in Withholding the means necessary
to accomplish important national objects
entrusted TO us by the constitution, and
especially such as may be necessary Tor
the common defence. In the present CHI
sis Of the country ii il our duty to conhne
our appropriations to objects Of this char
IN,
diyiduals may demand different course.
In all cases care ought to be taken 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
Representatives and the Senate, shall be
fore it become law" be approved and
signed by the President, and if not APP
proved "he shall return it with his oblec.
tionq 10 that house in which it originated
In order 10 perform this high and response
Bile duty, sufficient time must be allowed
the President to read and examine every
bill presented to him ior approval I'm
lr3 lhil be afforded, the constitution be.
comes a dead letter in this particular, and
even worse, IT becomes means of decep.
ton. Our constituents, seeing the Pres.
dents approval and signature attached to
each act of Congress are induced to be-
lieye that he has actually performed this
duty when in truth nothing ie, in many
cases, more nniounded
From the practice of Congress, such an
examination of each bill as the consttu.
ton requires, has been impossible. The
most important business Of each session is
generally crowded into its last hours and
the alternative presented to the President
is either to violate the constitutional duty
which he owes 10 the people and approve
bills which, for want Of time, it j. impos-
5ible he should have examined, or, by his
reii,-a to do this, SUBJECT the country and
individnals TO great loss and Inconvenience
Br@idr4, a practice hsq grown up of late
year {" esielttr in appropriation bils At the
h~f hours Of liz" s"'ai"n "n Lew and inl",
tdht subjects. The practice cOnstihiha the
PnailrLi riihtrtO suffer measures TO become
Laws which lac does mot approve, or to- incu,
ihr ral rf STOPPING the whccls Of govern.
m"ht by Nrl"ihE an appropriation bill For
meriV such bills were cohiiu> d to specific alp
''op' 'atl"n' i"i carry ing iht" eilecl eais'lDs
'""', anu me wen established pohcy OF the
S"ln'rN ana H'l'e "fn' was 'h,n required
Wv the fIrridrnt for their examination
For NV own part have deliberately de
yer minrd 'h"t shall approve no bill which
l''Ne h"' examined ana IL VIII be case of
extreme ana urgent necessity which shall
ever lnuoce inr TO depart from TIN, rule
The eiore respectfully, hut earnestly, recon
Inrha 'hai 'heiW" houses would allow the