The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-05-30

FL HELD FOX L Ii u D II ~ A-pi is' 10 -
VIEWS OF THE coysTITUTIoNALITY AND
VALUE OF EXISTING LAWS, &c, &C.
3 The following Is the full text OF Mr.
Hnyes's message returning to the House OF
Representatives yesterday afternoon with
out his approval the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill:
TO the House of Representatives:
After mature consideration OF the Dill Gu
titled can act making appropriations LOT
the Legislative, executive, and !udiciai eX,
Denses OF the Government for tue hscal
wear endin. June 80. 1880. ana lot other
PURPOSES" / herewith return u 10 tne
House OF Representatives., IN wnlcn IL
originated, with the following objections TO
its approval:
;nr,ate the money required to support du-
ring the next fiscal year the several civil
dpnartments OF the Government. The
amount appropriated exceeds in the aggre-
gate s1s, 100000.
This money is needed to keep in opera
ton the Il.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF ALL THE GREAT DE-
pARTMESTs OF THE GOVERNMENT.
legislative, executive, and judicial. II the
bill contained no other provisions, no oD-
lection to its approval would be made. 1t
embraces, however, number OF clauses re-
lating TO subjects OF great general interest,
which are wholly unconnected with the ap'
propriatons which 1t provides Tor. line
objections 10 the practice Of lacking genera
legislation to appropriation bills, especmiiy
when the object is to deprive coordlnat
branch OF the Government OF us r1gnt 10
the free exercise OF its own discretion ano
Judgment touching such general Legislation
were set forth in the special message III
relation to House bill No. l, which
was returned to the House OF KEEP
resentatires on the 10Th OF last month
| regret that the objections "hlcE
were then expressed to this method o.
legislation have not seemed to Congress o.
sufficient weight to dissuadc from thlS re-
newed incorporation OF general enactments
In an appropriation bill, and that my con
stitutiona duty in respect OF the genera
legislation thus placed before me cannot be
discharged without seeming TO delay, no"
ever briefly, the necessary appropriations
by Congress for the support OF the Govern
ment. Without repeating those objections
I respectfully refer to that message lor
statement OF my views on the prlhc'p't
maintained in debate bythe advocates O
this bill-yiZ., that "to withhold appIoP'r
ations is constitutional means 1or the re-
Dress OF what the majority OF the nou>'
OF Representatives may regard as siieF'
ance."
THE BILL CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING CLAUSES
viz:
n1nd provided further, That the follow
inc sections OF The Revised Statutes or the
United States-namely, sections 20lG, 201S
and 1920, and all OF the succeeding sections
OF said statutes down to and including sec
ton 2O27, and also section 5522, be and tho
anne are hereby repealel"; "ant
that all the other sections OF the Revised
Statutes, and all laws and parts OF laws an,
thorizing the appointment Of chief supcryl,
sors OF elections, special deputy marshals OF
elections, or general deputy marSbaIs, hay
ing any duties to perform in respect to any
election, and prescribing their duties AND
powers and allowing them compensation,
be and the same are hereby repealed"
7. also contains clauses amending sections
ao17, 2019, 202S, and 2o3I OF the devised
Statutes.
Che sections of the Revised Statutes
which the bill, il approved, would repeal
or amend. are part of an act approved May
On fsTO. and amended February IS, 1871,
entitled AN act 10 enforce The rights OF
citizens OF the United States to vote in tho
several States OF this Union. and for other
nurnoses.' All OF the provisions OF tile
aboye.named acts, which it is proposed IN
this bill to repeal or modify. relate to the
congressional elections. The remaining
norton OF the law, which will continue in
force after the enactment Of this measure, is
that which provides for the appointment,
by Judge OF the Circuit Court of the
United States, OF two supervisors OF cleo
ton in each election district, at any con-
gressional election, on due application OF
citizens who desire, in the language of the
law, to have such election guarded and
scrutinized." The duties OF the supcrvi-
sors will be to attend at the polls at all con-
gressional elections, and TO remain after the
polls are open until every vote cast has been
courted, but they will "have no authority
to make arrests, or to perform other duties
than 10 be in the immediate presence Of
the officers holding the election, and to wit
ness all their proceedings, including the
counting of the votes and the making of 4
return thereof" The part Of the cleo
ton law which will be repealed by the
approval OF this bill includes those
sections which give authority to the super
yisors Of election 50 to personally scrutinlze,
count, and canvass each ballot" and all the
sections which confer authority upon the
United States marsba!s and deputy mar
Shals in connection with the congressional
elections. The enactment of this bill Will
also repeal section 1922 Of the Criminal
Statutes OF the United States, which was
enacted for the protection OF United States
officers engaged in the discharge OF their
duties at the congressional elections. This
section protects supervisors and marshalS
in the performance Of their duties by max
ing the obstruction or the asSaulting OF
these officers, or any interference with them
by bribery or solicitation, or otherwise,
crimes against the United States.
THE TRUE MEANING AND EFFECT OF THE PRO-
POSED LEGISLATION
are plain. The supervisors, with the au-
thority to observe and witness the proceed
in@s at the congressional elections, will be
left; but there will be no power to protect
them, or to prevent interference with their
duties, or to punish any violation OF the
law from which their powers are derived.
Ii this bill is approved, only the shadow OF
the authority Of the United States at the
national elections vii! remain-the sub
stance will be gone. The supervision Of
the elections VIII be reduced to mere in
spection, without authority on the part
OF the supervisors TO do any act whatever
TO make the election o fair one. All that
will be left to the supervisors is The permIs-
sion to have such oversight OF the elections
as political parties are in the habit Of eXer-
Il