American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-15
The Immediate Deficiency Appropria.
tiOn Bill Vetoed.
WASHINGTON, May 4

WASHINGTON, May 4.
The President sent to the House to-
day the following message, vetoing the
Deficiency Appropriation bill:
To the House of Representatives:
After mature consideration Of the bill en-
titled An act making appropriations to sup
ply certain deficiencies in The appropriations
for the vice of the Government for the fis-
cal year ending June 30, 1850, and for other
purposes. return it to the House of Repre-
prop iates about sioOCo5' of which over
Of i fsr states he of and
general and special Deputy Marshals earned
during the current fiscal year, and their Incl
dental expenses The appropriations made in
the bill are needed to carry on the operations
OF the Government and to fulfill It's obiya-
to iIs Office S for services and expenses essen
tial to the execution of their du les under the
tho Sc appropriations is SO urgent and they
have been already SO long ,laycd that if the
legal LEGISLATION unconnected with these
appropriations, it would receive my prompt
ions Witch ms,eriay e%"nxe an piov by
implication. repeal importan parts of laws
for the regulation of the United States elec-
tons. These laws have for several years been
the subject of vehement political controversy,
and have been denounced unnecessary, OPP
pressive and unc' Institutional. On the other
hand, it has been maintained with equal zeal
and earnestness, that the election laws are in
dispensable to fair and lawful elections, and
are clearly warranted by the Constitution.
Under these circumstances to attempt, in an
appropriation bill, modification or repeal of
these laws is to annex a condition 10 the
passage of needed and proper appropriations,
which tends to deprive the Executive
else of discretion and Judgment which the
Contribution cont en- lates. The objection to
the bill, tbs fore, to which | respectfully six
Your attention. is that it gives marke d
and deliberate sanction, attended by
cumstances of pressing necessity, to the
ques ionsbie. and, as am clearly of the opn-
ion dangerous prac ice OF lacking upon ap-
preparation bills gene al md perma i"nt leg
lation. This practice opels wide the door to
IL invit IS ait .cks upon the independence and
constitutional powers of the Executive by
pro, iding easy and etfec i've way of con-
straining the Executive discretion. Although
of late this Practice his been resorted
to by al political parties when cl tined
with power, did not prevail until
Constitution and it is confidently believed
that it is condemned by the enlightened judg-
adopted new CONSTITUTIONS during the last
quarter of century have generally provided
remedies for the peril. Many of them have
enacted that no law shall contain more than
one subject, which shall be plainly expressed
in its title. Constitutions of more than half
the States contain substantially this provis-
ion, some other of like intent and meaning.
The public welfare will be promoted in many
ways by return to the early practice of the
government and to the true interest of legis-
ation, which is that every measure should
stand upon its own merits.
| am firmly convinced that appropriation
bills ought not to contain any legislation not
relevant to the application or expenditure of
money thereby appropriated, and that by
strict adherence to this principle an important
and much-needcd reform will be accom-
pished. Placing my objection to the bill on
this feature of its frame, forbear any COM
manent legislation which it contains, as mat
ter for specific and independent considera-
ton.
tSigneO RUrHERFORp b. HAYES.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, May T., 1880.