The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-26
Presidents Veto.

1.-THE Presidents message giving his rea-
sons for returning to Congress the bill MAX
ing appropriations for the judicial depart
ment of the government, without his sigma
trre. will be found in another column. The
bill appropriated 81, 900, 900 for the expenses
of the judicial branch of the Government,
and included the compensation of the fol-
lowing officials: District attorneys and their
assistants, clerks of courts, commissioners,
marshals and their deputies, bailiffs, criers,
interpreters, watchmen, janitors, cleaners
and sweepers. 1t also provided for the fees
of jurors and witnesses, the support of the
United States prisoners, the rent of United
States court-rooms, transportation of pris-
oners, travel in collecting evidence in
United States cases, fees to stenographers,
fees to township officers in summoning jul
rors and all other ne cessary expenditures
of miscellaneous character in connection
with the administration of justice in the
federal courts.
The President justifies his action by I'M
answerable arguments and all impartial
minds must recognize their force. SIT is not
sought by the bill before me,' he says, ''to
repeal the election laws. Its object is to
defeat their enforcement, and inasm UGH as
his oath of office requires Of him to see that
all The laws are faithfully executed, he could
not do otherwise than interpose his protest
tothe proposed restriction upon his consti-
tutional obligations. Abiding to the cleo
ton law, which the bill proposes to make
imperative, he further says: ''The fact that
these laws are deemed Objectionable by a
majority of both Houses of Congress is urged
as sufficient warrant for this legislation
There are two lawful ways to overturn leg
islative enactments one is, their repeal, the
other is the decision of competent tribunal
against their validity. The effect of this bill
is to deprive the executive department of
the government of the means to execute
laws which are not repealed, which have
not been declared invalid and which it is there
fore the duty of the executive and Of every
other department of the government to
obey and to enforce
1t is not certain what the majority in Con-
gress will now do. The House seems disposed
toregard the concessions it assumes it has
made to the President, as far as it ought to
go, and some of the more extreme of the
Democratic members favor the policy OF
again passing the bill vetoed, without any
notifications, and then adj ourn. The ma
jority of the Democrats in the S enate ,includ-
ing Messrs. Bayard, Thurman, Herman, But
ler, and a few 9th ers recognize the impor-
lance of the situation, and the necessity of
making provision for the support of all de-
partments of the government, and to that
end favor a change in rthe bill to correspond
with the objecti ons urged by the President.
Several Democratic Senators, including Col.
Withers, of this State, oppose all further con-
cessions, and, as they say, favor placing the
responsibility of failure to provide for the
support of the judicial department upon the
Executive. The outcome of it will be, the
majority will back down, and the President
have his own way, because it is reasonable
and right.