The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-01-24
Message Of the President OF the United
States.

The President yesterday afternoon sent to the
Senate the following communication:
To the Senate of the United SfdieG
have received the following preamble and
resolution, adopted by the Senate on the sth
instant;
and forty-one, and entitled IAN act for the further
security of equal rights in the District OF Colum.
bia" having, at this present session, passed both
eleventh day Of Bccembsr, shtcen hundred and
duly presented Sc. to the President Of
and whereas more than ten days, exclusive of
Sundays, have since elapsed In this session with.
out said bill having been returned, either ap-
ResoIred, That the President Of the United
States be requested to inform the Senate whether
said bill has been delivered to and received by
| the Secretary OF State, sprovided by the second
section OF the act of the 9th day Of July, 1850
| As the act which the resolution mentions has
sS. fSs
10 refer to the law OF the 18th Of September 1852
the second section OF which prescribes-
vote Of the Senate and House Of Represents.
tiyes, having been approved and signed by the
bsss retur os 'n hy Aim WITH ~ Et
become a law, or take effect, It shall forthwith
thereafter be received by the said Secretary from
luton or vote shall be returned by the President
| with his objections, and shall, on being recon-
| sidered, be agreed to be passed, and be approved
| by two thirds of both Houses of Congress, and
| thereby become law or take effect, 1t shall, In
such case, be received by the said Secretary from
| the President of the Senate, or the Speaker Of
House It shall last have been 50 approved"
| Inasmuch as the bill "fOr the further security
of equal rights in the District Of Columbia has
| not become q law in either OF the modes deslg
| mated in the section above quoted, 1t has not
been delivered to the Secretary of State foi
record and PRONUNCIATION. The Constitution ex
pressly declares that az any bill shall not be re
turned by the President within ten days (Sun
days excepted) after 1t shall have been presented
| to him, the same shall be n law In like a
II he has signed 1t, unless the Congress, by thei
adjournment, prevent Its return, In which case Il
shall not be a law" As stated In the preambl,
to the resolution, the bill TO which It refers wa,
presented for my approval on the 18th day Of De
before the expiration of the ten days after the
presentation OF the bill to the President the tive
Houses, in accordance with concurrent resolu
ton, adopted on the Sd Of December, djourneC
until the 9th of January, 1865. Congress, by thei
adjournment, thus prevented the return of tn,
| bill within the time prescribed by the Constitu
ton and II was therefore left in the precise con
dition in which that instrument positively de
| clares a bill "shall not be law"
| II the adjournment In December did not caus,
the failure of this bill because not such an ad
journment as Is contemplated by the Constltu
tion In the clause which have cited, 1t must
| follow that such was the nature Of the adjourn
ments during the past year, on the 30th day o
March until the first Wednesday OF July, an
from the 10th Of July until the 2lst of November
| Other bills will therefore be affected by the dc
clsion which may be rendered in this case, anon
, them one having the same title as that named II
the resolution, and containing similar pro
| visions, which, passed by both Houses in tn
month of July last, failed to become a law b
reason OF the adjournment OF Congress befor
ten days for its consideration had been Above
the Executive.
; (Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON.
WAsHISGroS, January %, 1865.