The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-01
The sundry Civil Appropriation
Rlll.

WASHINGTON, ID. O., July 3l.-The
following is the message which was sent
to the House by the President, to-day,
giving his objections to the sundry civil
appropriation bill:
To the House of Representatives.
The act making appropriations for the
sundry expenses of the government. for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877, Is so
defective in what it omits to provide for
that | cannot announce its approval
without at the same time point
ing out what seems TO nae TO be
its defects. 1t makes inadequate
provision for the service ut best and in
instances fails to make any provision
whatever. Notably among the first class
is the reduction in the ordinary annual
appropriation for the revenue cutter SER
vice, TO the prejudice Of the customs reve-
nue.. The same may be said of the sig
nal service, aud also the failure to pro-
vide for the increased expenses devolved
upon the mlnts and assay offices by the
next legislation, and thus tending for
the protection, preservation and compile
tion of that for which there is no
adequate appropriation. While the sum
of 100000 only is appropriated for re-
pairing the different navy yards and
stations and the preservation of some
ordinary and customary appropriations
which arc not less than one million dol
lars, a similar reduction is made in the
expenses for armories and arsenals; the
provisions for ordinary Judicial expenses
is much less than the estimated amount
for that important service for the
actual expenditures of the last fiscal year,
and certain demands Of the current year;
the provision for expenses OF surveys OF
public lands is less than one-halt Of the
usual appropriation for that service. and
what are understood TO be its actual de-
mands; the reduction in expenditures for
light. house beacons and fog stations is
also made in similar proportion.
or the class for which no approprla-
ton is made, among the most noticeable.
perhaps, is that portion of the general
expenses Of the District of Columbia, in
behalf of the United States, rs apprOpri-
ated in former years, and judgments OF
the court of claims. The failure to make
a reasonable contribution To the expenses
of the National Capital is an apparent
dircllction on the part of the United
States and rank injustice to tho people
here, who bear tho burdens, while to re-
fuse or neglect TO provide for the
payment Of the solemn judgments
of its own counts, is apparently TO re-
pudiate. OF different character, but
Is prejudical to the Treasury, is the
omission TO make provisions 10 enable
the Secretary of the Treasury 70 have
the rebel archives and records OF captur-
cd and abandoned property to be EXAM
ined, and information furnished there
by for the use of the government. Finally,
without further specification of details, 1t
may be said, the Act which, IN its title,
purports to make provision for di-
vers and greatly extended. civil
service, unhappily appropriates
An amount of not more than 65
per cent of its ordinary demand. Tho
legislative department establishes and
defines the services, and 1t devolves on
the executive departments to submit an
nualIy the needful estimates of the ex-
penses of such service. Congress prop
erly exacts implicit obedience to the re-
ouirements of law in the ad-
ministration of public service, and
rigid accountability in the
expenditure thereof. 1t is submitted
that corresponding responsibility and
obligation rests on It to make adequate
appropriations, to render possible such
administration and tolerate such exsc-
ton. Anything sho,t Of an ample pro.
vision for n specified service is necessa-
rily fraught with disaster to pub.
lie interests, and is impossible, and
injustice to those charged with
its execution. To appropriate and 70
execute are corresponding obligations
and the duties and adequacy of the
former is a necessary measure of effi-
cheney of execution. In this eight
months. of the present session of Con.
gress, nearly one month Of the fiscal
year, TO which this appropriation applies,
having passed, do not feel Warranted in
yetoing an absolutely necessary appro-
priation bill, but in signing il, deem it
q duty 10 show where the responsibility
belongs, for whatever embarrassments
msy arise in the execution OF the trust
contided TO me U. S. GRANT.