St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-08-04
The River and HarbOr Bill.
VETOED BY THE PREsIDENr-rHE MES

VETOED BY THE PREsIDENT-THE MES
SAGE.
WASHINGTON, Aug. |. The follow
ing is the Presidents message vetoing
the River and Harbor bill
To the House Of Representatives
Having watched with much interest
the House bill No. 6242, entitled ian
act making appropriations for the con-
struction, repair and preservation of
certain works on rivers and harbors.
and for other purposes and having
since it was received, carefully exam
med 1t, after mature consideration
am constrained to return it herewith to
the House of Representatives, in which
it originated, without my signature and
with my objections to its passage
Many of the appropriations in the bill
are clearly for the general welfare and
most beneticent in their character.
| Two of the objects for which provision
is made were by me considered so i'm
pOrtant that | felt it my duty to direct
to them the attention of Congress. In
my annual message in December last |
urged the vital Importance of legisla-
ton for the reclamation of the marshes
and for the establishment of the har-
Dor lines along the Potomac front. In
April last, by special message, rec
commended an appropriation for the
improvement of the Mississippi river.
1t is not necessary that say that when
my signature would make the bill ap-
propriating for these and other valua-
bic national objects law, it is with
great reluctance and only under a sense
of duty that | withhold it. My princi-
pal objection to the bill is that it con-
tains appropriations for purposes not
for the common defence or general well
fare and which do not promote COM
merce among the states. These pro-
visions, on the contrary, are entirely
for the benefit of the particular local.
ties in which it is proposed to make
the improvements. regard such ap-
preparation of the public money as be-
yOnd the powers given by the COnsti-
tuition to Congress and the President.
| feel the more bound to withhold
my signature from the bill because of
the peculiar evils which manifestly re-
suit from this infractiOn of the COnsti-
sutton. Appropriations of this nature
to be devoted purely to local objects
tend to increase in number and in
amount. As the citizens in 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
provements i'll another state, they de-
mand similar benefits for themselves,
and it is not unnatural that they should
seek to indemnify themselves for such
use of the public funds by securing ap-
preparations for similar improvements
in their own neighbOrhoOd Thus, as
the bill becomes more Objectionable, it
secures more support. This result is
invariable, and necessarily follows IA
neglect to observe the constitutional
limitations imposed upon the law max
ing power. The appropriations for
river and harbOr improvements have,
under the influences to which | have
alluded, increased year by year out of
proportion to the progress of the cOun-
try, great as that has been. In 1870
the aggregate appropriation was So
975, 900; in 1875, S6,64S, 5I7; in 1880.
81, 976,5 800, and in 1881, 81, 45I 300,
while by the present act there is APP
prOpriated SIS ,743,S75. While feeling
every disposition to leave to the legis-
lature the responsibility of determin-
ing what amount should be appropriate
ed for the purposes of the bill, so long
as the appropriations are confined to
objects indicated by the grant of pow
erS, | cannot escape the conclusion
that, as part of the aw-making pow
er of the Government, the duty de-
wolves upon me to withhold nv sigma
ture from the bill, containing appro-
! prlatlons which, in my opinion, greatly
exceed i'll amount the needs of the
country for the present fiscal year. 1t
being the usage to provide money for
these purposes by annual apprOpria-
ton bills, the President is in effect di-
rected to eXpend so large an amount of
money within so brief period that
the expenditure cannot be made eco
nomically and advantageOusly. The
eXtravagant expenditure of public
money is an evil not to be measured
by the value of that money to the peo-
pie who are taxed for it; they sustain
Il greater injury in the demoralizing
effect produced upon those who are in
trusted with official duty through all
the ramiticatiOns of Government.
These objections could be removed
and every constitutional purpose read
ny pblttlhVu Congress tIlacI
that One-half only of the aggregate
amount provided for in the bill be APP
propriated for expenditure during the
fiscal year, and that the sum so appro-
priated be expended only for such OBJ
jeets named in the bill as the Secretary
of War, under the direction of the
President, shall determine, provided
that i'll no case shall the expenditure
for any one purpose exceed the sum
now designated by the bill for that
purpose. | feel authorized tn make
this suggestion because of tse duty
imposed upon the Presidcn the
Constitution to recommend Ia e con-
sideration of Congress such measures
as he shall judge necessary and eXpe-
dent, and because it is my earnest de-
sire that the public works which are
in progress shall suffer no injury
Congress will also convene again in
four months, when this whole subject
will he open for their consideration.
(Signed) CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
Executive Mansion, Aug. |, 1882
Pay up or Resign.