Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-02
The Presidents Veto.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The following
the full text of the presidents message veto
ing the river and harbor bill:
To the House Of Representatives: have watche
with much interest the progress of house bill Nc
6l42. entitled an act making an appropriation fo
the construction, repair aud preservation of certain
works on rivers and harbors and for other purposes
and having since ii was received carefully examined
1t, after mature consideration / am constrained 4
return 1t TO the house Of representatives. in which
originated, without my signature and with my objec
tons to Its passage Many appropriations in thu
bill are clearly for the general welfare and most ben
efcial 10 their character. Two of the objects TO
which provision is had were by me considered 81
important felt 1t my duty to direct them TO tn
attention of congress. In my annual message IL
December last urged the vital importance OF Iegs
lation for the reclamation Of the marshes and for th
establishment Of hsrbor lines along the Potomacl
'front.' In April last by special message recommended
an appropriation for the Improvement of the Missis-
sppi river. 1t is necessary that I say that when
my signature would make the bill, appropriatine
for these and other valuable national objects, law
1t is with great reluctance and under sense of
duty thst 1 withhold It. My principal object
preparations not for the purpose of com.
mon defense or general welfare and which do
not promote interstate commerce. These provisions
Oh the contrary, are entirely for the benefit of the
particular localities In which 1t is appropriated to
make improvements. regard such appropriation
of public money as beyond the powers given by the
constitution to congress and the president feel
more bound to withhold my signature from the bill
because of the peculiar evils which Inanifesty re
suit from this infraction of the constitution. APP
to local objects, tend to increase in
zen of one state find that money
to raise which they, In common with the whole
country are taxed Is to be expended for local i'm
proyements Ia another state, they demand similar
benefits for themselves, and 1t is not unnatural they
should seek indemnity themselves for such Of the
public funds by securing appropriations for similar
improvements in their own neishborhood. Thus,
as the bill becomes more Objectionable it
secures more support. This result is nvar ible and
necessarily follows neglect to observe the CON
stituticnal lin itation imposed npon the making
power. The appropriations for river and harbor
improvements have, under the influences to which
have alluded, increased year by year out of proper
lion to the progress OF the country, great as that
has been: In 1870 the aggregate appropriations
were 300; In 1875, S66l8677: in 1880, $685.
SOC, and In 1881, $ll 45I 900; while by the present
every disposition to leave to the legislature the
sponsibility Of determining what amount
should be appropriated for the purposes Of the bill,
SO long as the appropriations are confined to the OBJ
jeots indicated by the grant Of powers, I cannot
escape the conclusion that part of the law max
ing power OF the government, the duty devolves up
on me to withhold my signature from the bill con-
tanning the appropriations which. in my opinion,
greatly exceed in amount the needs of the country
for the present fiscal year. being the usage to pro.
Vide the money for these purposes by annual appro
pristion bills and the president is In effect directed
10 spend so large an amount of money within 50
brief period, that expenditure can not
DO made economically and ad-
vantageously. The extravsgant expenditure
of public money is an evil not to be measured by
the value Of that money to the people who are taxed
for 1t. They sustain greater injury In the democrat
iziDg effect produced upon those who entrusted
with official duty through all the ramifcations of
the government. These objections could be removed
and every constitutional purpose readily obtained
should congress enact that onehalf only of the sg
gregate amount provided for in the bill be appro-
yrated for expenditure during the fiscal year, and
shat the sum 80 appropriated be expended only for
such object named In the bill as the secretary of
war, under the direction of the president,
shall determine; provided that in no
case shall the expenditure for any purpose
exceed the sum now designated by the bill for that
purpose, feel authorized to make this suggestion
because of the duty imposed upon the president by
the constitution to recommend to the consideration
OF congress such measures as he shall judge
ssry and expedient and because 1t is my earnest
desire that the public works, which in progress,
shall suner no injury. Congress will also convene
again in four months when this whole subject will
be open for their consideration.
[Signedl CHESTER A. ARTHUR