The national Republican., 1866-07-30
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, MORNING, JULY

Veto 81 the Mentana nill-Ths Prssidsna's
Message.
The following is the message Of Tau PRnsrpnSr
giving his reasons for not signing the Montana bill
To As Hcsss " Rspyssesfaffvss:
y herewith return, without ny approval, the bill
entitled "An cot erecting the fsrriesy Of Montana
into surveying district and for other purposes. Z"
The bill contains four sections, the Arst Of which
erscts the Territory into surveying district, and
authorizes the appointment Of . surveyor general;
the second oonstitutss the Territory land dstrct
the third authorizes the appointment Of register
quirss the surveyor general 70 select and survey
eighteen alternate odd sections Of non-uinsrai tim
bsr iands within said district for the New York
and Montana Iron Mining and Manufacturing Com
pany, incorporated under the laws Of the State Of
New York, which lands the said company shall
one dollar and twenty-five cents per aore, and shall
have patent for the same whenever, within two
years after their selection they shal have furnished
evidences satisactory 10 the Secretary Of the Int
rior, that they erected and have In operation on
the said lands iron works with capacity for man.
ufacturing hftssn hundred tons Of iron per anrum;
provided that the said lands shall revert TO the
United States In case the above-mentioned iron
works be not erected within the specified time, and
provided that until the title TO the said lands shall
have been perfect, the timber shall not be cut Of
from more than one section Of the said lands"
To confer the special privileges specified In this
fourth section appears to be the chief object Of the
bill the provisions Of which subject 10 some Of
the most important objections that induced me to
return 2 the s:n.s. With ny S..pIroya y. bin
tana Iron Mining and Manufacturing Company to
purchase . certain smount Of the public lands not
now In market" That bill Authorised the same
corporation to select and surtey in the Territory Of
Montana, in square form, twsnty-ons sections Of
land, three Of which might contain coal and iron
fov nh "a mi nj m At nf nAr
was to be paid. Tho present bill omits these 500
tions Of mineral lands, and directs the Surveyor
General to select and survey the timber lands but
II contains the Objectionable feature Of granting to
exclusive rights and privileges in the public do
main which are BY law, denied to individuals.
The first choice Of timber land in the Ter
ritors 10 bsstowsd upon . corporation foreign
to the Territory, and over which Congrsss has
no control. The Surveyor General Of the district,
with any purchase Of public land, 10 made the
agent Of the corporation 10 select the land the So
lsctons 10 be made In the absencs Of all oompeti.
tion; and oyer eleven thousand acres are bestowed
at the lowest price Of public lands. It is BY NO
means certain that the substitution Of alternate
sections for the compact body oflands contemplated
BY the other bill Is any less injurious to the public
interest," for alternate sections stripped Of timber
are not likely to enhance the value Of those re-
served by the Government Be this a. II may, this
Dill bostoWs large monopoly OF puoic innus Win
out adequate consideration; confers . right and
privilege in quantity equivalent to ssveDty-two
pre-. e.emption rights; introduces dangerous system
Of privileges to private trading corporations and
is unjust discrimination in favor Of traders and
spectators against individual settlers and pioneers
who are seeking homes and improving our Western
Territories. Such departure from the long g-estab
lished, WISE and just policy, which has heretofore
governed the disposition Of the public funds cannot
receive my sanction. Tho objections enumerated
apply to the fourth section Of the bill The first,
second. and third sections providing for the ap-
pointment Of . surveyor general register, and re-
osiver, are unobjsotionsble, II any necessity re-
quirss the creation Of these oficeS and the addi-
tional expenses Of new surveying and land dis
triot But they appear in this instance to bs only
needed a. part Of the machinery to enable the
"Nsw York and Montana Iron Mining and Manu-
featuring Company" to secure thsss privileges; for
I am informed BY the proper department, in . com
muuication hereto annexed, that thers 10 public
necessity for . survsror general, register, or 70.
ceivsr In Montans Territory, since II forms part Of
an existing surveying and land district, wherein
the public business is under present laws, trans.
sotsd with adequate facility. that the provisions
Of the hrst second and third sections would ocoa.
sion needless expense To the General Government.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, D. G. , July as, 1866.