Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-23
vi e : S A GE
OF
THE PRESIDENT.
The Act for the further security Of EQUAL
Rights in the. District OF Columbia.

The Act for the further security Of Eoual
Rights in the. District OF Columbia.
The following is the COMMUNICATION of the
President sent 70 the Senate to-day:
To the Senate Of the Jnited States:
l have received the following preamble and
resolution, adopted by the Senate on the sth
instant:
Whereas, Senate bill numbered one hundred
and forty -one. and entitled An act for the fur
thcr security of equal rights in the Dist. let of
Columbia" having at this present session
passed both Houses of Congress. was after
wards. on the 18th day of December, 1867, duly
presented to the President of the United States
for his approval and signatEre; and whereas.
more than ten days, exclusive of SUNDAYS have
since elapsed in this session without said bill
having been returned, either approved or dis
AZ proved: Therefore,
''ReSoicgd, That the Presid ut of the United
States be Tequt Sted TO inform the Senate wheth-
er said bill has been delivered to, and received
by, the secretary of State, as provided by the
second section of the act of the twenty-seVenth
day of July, seventeen hundred and elghty-
nIne.'
As the act which the resolution mentions has
no relevancy TO the subject matter of the in
quiry, ii is presumed that il was the intention
of the Senate TO refer 10 the law of the 18th
September, 1889, the secoGd section of which
prescribes:
THAT whenever a bill, order. resolution or
vote of the Senate and House of Representa-
tiNes, having been approved and signed by the
President of the United States or not having
been returned by HIM with his objections shall
become a law, or take effect. il shall forthwith
thereafter be received by the said Secretary
from the President, and whenever a bill. order
resolutiOn, or vote, shall be returned by the
President with his objections, and shall on
being reconsidered, be agreed to be passed, and
be approved by two-thirds of both Houses of
Congress, and thereby become law or take eff
feet ii shall. i'll such case be received by the said
Secretary from the President Of the Senate or
the Speaker OF the House of Representatives, in
which -sO-eyer House il shall last have been so
approved"
1nasmuch as the bill ''for the further security
ofequal rights in the District of Columbia has
not become law in either of the modes desig-
mated in the section above quoted, it has not
been delivered to the Secretary of State for re-
cord and PRONUNCIATION. The Constitution ex-
pressly declares that ssif any bill shall not be
returned by the President within ten days
Sundays excepted) after it shall have been
presented TO him, the same shall be a law in
like manner as if he had signed it, unless the
Congress, by their adjournment prevent
its return, in which case it shall not be a
law" As stated in the preamble to the
resolution. the bill to which it refers was pre-
sented for my approval on the 1lth day of De-
cember, 1867. On the 2Oth of the same month,
and before the expiration of the ten DAYS after
the presentation OF the bill to the President, the
two Houses, in accordance with a concurrent
resolution, adopted on the 18th of December
adjourned until the 9th of January, 1865 Con-
gress, by their adjournment, thus prevented
the return of the bill within the time pre-.
scr,bed by the Constitution, and it was there
fore left in the precise condition in which that
instrument positively declares a bill ssshall not
be a law
If the adjournment in December did not cause
the failure OF this bill because not such an ad
journment as is contemplated by the Constitu.
ton in the clause = hich 1 have cited. il must
follow that such was the nature of the adjourn
ments during the past year, on the 3uth dsy of
March until the first Wednesday Of July. and
from the 2Gth of July until the 2ist of
November. Other bills will therefore be af
fected by the decision which may be rendered
In this case, among them one having the same
title as that named In the resolution and CON-
tainlng similar provisions, which, passed by
both Houses on the month of July last failed TO
become law, by reason of adjournment of
Congress before ten days for its consideration
had been allowed the Executive
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, ID. c., January %, 1s6s.