The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-28
The District OF Ceiumbia Equal Right
BnI-Message OF the President.

The president on the 23d sent the following
message 10 the Senate:
sTo tbs Senate OF the United States:
al have received the following preamble aud
resolution, adopted by the Senate on the 9Th Of
January:
IAN act for the further security Of equal rights In
the District Of Columbia having. at this present
session, passed both houses of Congress, was
afterward, on the 18th day Of December, 1861,
duly presented TO the president OF the United
States for bis approval and signature, and where
as more han en- days have passed in this session
withoutlsaid bill being returned, approved or dis
approved, therefore,
ResoIred, That the president of the Uutted
States be requested 10 inform the Senate whether
the bill has been delivered to, and approved Dy
the secretary offstate, as provided for in the
second section Of the act of the 9th day Of July,
l7S9.n
"As the act which the resolution mentions has
no relevancy 10 the subject under inquiry, il is
presumed that it was the intention Of the Senate
to refer TO the law Of the 18th of September lTS9
the second section of which prescribes that when
ever bill, or resolution, or vote OF the Senate
and House OF Representatives, having been ap.
proved and signed by the president of the United
States. and not having been returned by him with
his objections shall become q Law or take effect,
it shall forthwith thereafter be received by the
said secretary from the president; and whenever
bill. order, resolution or vote shall be returned
by the president with his oDJecuo1S, ana snatl, on
being Teconsidered, be agreed TO be passed and
be approved by tWo-thirds OF both houses of Con-
gress, and thereby become law, or take effect,
IL shall In such case be received by the said secre-
tary from the president of the Senate or speaker
of the House Of Representatives, IN whichsoVer
house Il shall last have been so approved.
"IDasmuch as the bill for the further security
of civil rights in the District OF Columbia has not
become a law by either OF the modes designated
in the section above quoted, 1t has not been de-
lvered TO the secretary OF state for record and
prcmugaton. The Constitution expressly de
clsres that II any bill shall not be returned by the
president within ten days Sundays excepted, after
il shall have been presented to him, the same shall
be law In like manner as II he had signed it, Ut
less the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent
its return, in which case it shall not be law. As
stated in the preamble to the resolution, the bill
TO which it refers was presented for my approval
on the llth day OF December, 1867. On the 10th
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 WI b
aconcurrent resolution. adopted on the Sd Of De.
eember, adjourned until the 9th of January, 1868.
Congress, by their adjournment, thus prevented
the return OF the bill within the time prescribed
by the Constitution and II was. therefore, left in
the precise condition in which that instrument
positively declares bill shall not become q law.
" II the adjournmentin December did not cause
the failure of this bill, because not such an ad-
jourDment as is contemplated by the Constitution,
IN the clause which have cited, it must follow
that such was the nature Of the adjournment dur
ing the past year, from the 30th of March last
until the first Wednesday Of July, and from the
10th of July until the 2lst of November. Other
bills will therefore be affected by the decision
which may be rendered 10 this case, among them
one having the same title as that named in this
resolution, and containing similar provisions,
which, passed by both houses in the month of
July last, failed TO become law by reason Of the
adjournment of Congress before the ten days for
its consideration had been allowed the executive.
"ANDREw JOHNSON"