The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1879-05-14

iItne0 htttfs Two centuffcr Oh crHtcflt 70 taN
we will not grant the money Of the people
unless there 10 q redress OF grivances upon
the reasscmbIing Of this Congress.
In. pursuance OF the call for tho extra
session. which was made neceasar ' by che
failure Of the Forty.ffth Congress 10 make
needful appropriations for the support Of
the government, thequestlon wa. presented
whether the attempt snade In tho last Con
gress 70 engrah BY Che censtructicn Of new
principles upon the Constitution should be
pers sted in or not This Congress has ample
Opportunity and time to pass appropriation
bills, and slso ~ enact any political meas
ures which may he determined on, as separ-
ate bills, by the usual and orderly methods
Of proceeding
But majority Of both houses have
deemed II wise TO adhere to the principles
asserted and maintained in the last Con-
gress by a majority Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives. That principle is that the House
OF Representatives has the sole right 10
originate bills for raising revenue, and
therefore has the right 10 withhold appro-
priatons on which the existence of the
government may depend, unless the Senate
and President shall give their assent 10 any
legislation which tho House may see At to
attach 10 appropriation bills. To este blish
this principle 10 TO make radical, danger
gerous and unconstitutional change in the
character of our institutions
The practice of lacking to army appro-
priation bills measures not pertinent TO
such bills did not prevail until moro than
forty years aftor the adoption Of the Con-
stitution. IL has become the common
practice Of all parties, when in power, TO
have adopted it. Many abuses and great
waste Of public money have In this way
crept into appropriation bills. The pubic
| opinion Of the country Is against IL. The
States which have recently adopted con-
situations have generally provided rome
dy for the evil by enacting that no law
shall contain more than one subject, which
shall be plainly expressed in Its title. The
| constitutions of more than half OF the
States contain substantially this provision.
| The public welfare will be promoted in
many ways by return to the early prac-
tice of the government and the true prin-
ciple Of legislation, which requires that
every measure shall stand or fall according
to its own merits. II II were understood
that to attach to an appropriation meas
ure irrelevant to the general object of the
bill, would imperil and probably prevent
its final passage and approval, valuable
reform in the parliamentary practice of
Congress would be accomplished, the best
established by the Constitution and by laws
passed in pursuance thereof. Their duties
are clearly defined, and their support Is
carefully provided for by the laws. The
money required for this purpose has been
collected from the people. and is now in the
treasury ready 10 be paid out as soon as
appropriation bills are passed. Whether
appropriations are made or not, the collec-
tion of taxes will 60 on and the public
money will accumulate in the treasury.
1t was not the intention Of the trainers of
the Constitution that any single branch Of
the government should have power to die
tate the conditions upon which this treasure
should be applied to the purposes for which
it was collected. Any such intention If ii
bad been entertained. would have been
plainly expressed in the Constitution. That
the majority fthe Senate now concurs in the
claims of the House, adds to the gravity of
the situation, but does not alter the question
at issue. The new doctrine, IL maintained,
will result in the consolidation of un-
checked and despotic power in the House
If Representatives. A bare majority Of
the House will become the government.
The executive will no longer be what the
trainers of the Constitution intended - an
equal and independent branch of the gov
eminent. 1t is clearly the constitutional
duty Of the President TO exercise his dis
crrtion and judgment on all bills presented
to him, without constrant or duress from
any other branch of the government.
To say that the majority of either or both
houses Of Congress may insist on the ap-
prevail of bill, under penalty Of stopping
all of the operations Of the government for
want Of the necessary supplies, is to deny
TO the executive that share of legislative
power which is plainly conferred by the
second section of the seventh article of the
Constitution. 1t strikes from the Constitu-
lion the qualified negative Of the President.
1t is said this should be done because of the
peculiar function of the House of.Represen-
tatives to represent the will Of the people,
but no single branch or department Of the
government has the exclusive authority to
speak for the American people.
The most authentic and solemn express
sion of their will is contained in the Con-
stitution OF the United States. By that
constitution they have ordained and estab-
llshcd a government whose powers are dis
tributed among coordinate branches,
which. as far as possible, consistently with
the harmonious cooperation, are absolutely
independent Of each other. The people of
the country are unwilling to see the SUI
premacy Of the Constitution replaced by
the omnipotence of any department of the
| government. Tho enactment of this bill
into law will establish precedent which
will tend 10 destroy the equaled indepen-
dence of several branches of the govern
ment, its principal places, not merely the
Senate and executive but the judiciary
also, under the coercive direction of the
House.
The House alone will be Judge of what
constitutes grievance, and also Of meals
and measures of redress. An act of Con.
gress TO protect elections Is now griev.
sncs complained of; but the House may,
on the same principle, determine that any
other act Of Congress, u treaty made by
the President with the advice and the con-
sent Of the Senate, nomination or APP
pointment TO office, or that decision or
opinion Of the Supreme Court, is grew
ance, and that the measure of redress Is to
withhold the appropriations required for
the support Of the offending branch Of the
government.
Believing that this bill Is dangerous, and
n violation of the spirit and meaning of
the Constitution, / am compelled TO return
1t tn the House, In which it originated,
without my approval.
The qualified negative with which the
Constitution invests the President Is a
trust that involves duty which can not
decline TO perform with firm and consci.
entious purpose to do what ] can to pre-
serve, unimpared, the constitutional pow
ers and equal independence not merely oil
the executive but of every branch OF the
government, which will be imperiled by