The Portland daily press., 1876-08-01
A MESSAGE.
The President Points Out The Defects of
an Appropriation Bill.

an Appropriation Bill.
WASHINGTON, July 31.-The following is the
message sent to the House by the President to-
day, giving his objection to the supdry civil
appropriation bill;
To the House of Representdtiyes:-Th act
making appropriations for the sundry civil ex-
penses of the government for the fiscal year
ending June 3Oth, 1877, is so defective in what
it aims to provide for, that l cannot announce
its approval without at the same time pointing
ont what seems to me to be its defects. Ii
makes but inadequate provision for the service
at hest. and in some instances fails to make
anv proyision whatever. Notably among the
first class is the reduction in the ordinary an
nual appropriations for the revenue cutter SER
vice, to the prejudice of the customs revenue.
The same may be said of the signal service, as
also the failure to provide for the increased ex-
penses deyolved upon the minis and assay
offices by recent legislation and thus tending to
defeat the objects of that legislation.
OF this class, also, are public buildings, for
the protection, preservation and completion Of
which there is no adequate appropriation, while
the sum OF $780, 900 only is appropriated for the
repairs OF different navy yards and stations
| and the preservation of the same, the ordin airy
| and customary appropriations for which are
| not less than 81 100000.
A similar reduction is made in the expenses
for armOrieS and arsenalS.
The provision for ordinary judicial expenses
| is much less than the estimated amount for
that important service and the actual expendi-
lures of the last fiscal year, and the certain de-
| mauds of the current year. The provision fol
the expenses of the survey for public lands is
| less than one halt of the usual appropriation
| for that service, and what are understood to be
| its actual demands. The reduction in expend
| lures for lighthouses and fog stations is also
made in similar proportion.
Of the class for which no appropriation is
| made, among the most noticeable perhaps il
that portion of the general expenses of the Dis
trlct of Columbia in behalf of the United State.
| as appropriated in former years and judgments
of the Court of Claims. The failure to make
reasonable contribution to the expenses of the
| Nations capital is an apparent dereliction or
the part pf the United States and rank injustic,
to the people here who bear the burdens
while to refuse or neglect to provide for tht
payment of solemn judgments of its OWL
courts is apparently to repudiate.
| OF different character, but as prejudicial Il
the Treasury is the omission to make provision
to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to hav
the rebel archives and records of the captured
and abandoned property examined and infor
nation furnished therefrom for the use of tn
government
Finally, without further specification of de
tail, it may be said that the act which in it
title purports to make provision for divers
and greatly extended civil service, unhappil
appropriates an amount not more than 65 pc
cent. of its ordinary demands. The Legislative
department establishes and defines the service
and devolves upon the Executive departments
the obligation of submitting annually the need
full estimates of expenses of such service. Con
gress properly exacts implicit obedience to thu
requirements of the law in the administration
of the public service and a rigid accountability
in the expenditure thereof. 1t is submitted
that corresponding responsibility and obliga
tions rests upon it to make adequate appropri
atoms to render possible such administrator
and tolerate such action. Anything short of al
ample provision for a specified service is nee
essarly freught with disaster to the public in
terests and is a possible injustice to thos
charged with its execution. To appropriat
and to execute are corresponding obligation
and duties, and the adequacy of the former
the necessary measure of the efficiency of tn
execution.
In this eighth month Of the present session
of Congress, nearly one month of the fsca
year te which this appropriation applies having
passed, 1 do not feel warranted in vetoing al
absolutely necessary appropriation bill, but il
signing it 1 deem it a duty to show where tn
responsibility belongs for whatever embarrass
ments may arise in the execution of the trus
confided to me.
(Signed,) U. s. GRANT.