The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-12-06
THE MISSISSIPPI.

Inc following Is q full text OF what Pres
ident Arthur says in his message to con.
gress upon tie improvement of the Mssis.
sippi river, the subject uppermost in the
minds Of the people of this city, county, |
district and state at is possible for exam.
pie that delay until the assembling of
the next congress to make provisions for
the Mississippi river Improvements might
be attended with serious consequences. If
such should appear to be the case, just
bill relating to that subject would com.
mand my approval. This leads me to offer
a suggestion which trust will commend
itself to the wisdom Of congress: Is it not
advisable that grants OF considerable sums
Of money for diverse and independent
schemes of internal Improvement should be
made the subjects of separate and distinct
Legislative enactmentsl 1t will scarcely be
gainsald, even by those who favor the most
liberal expenditures for such purposes
as are sought to be accom-
plished by what is commonly csnuo
the river aud harbor bill, that the practice
OF grouping in such a bill appropriations
for great diversity of objects widely sep
arated, either in their nature, in the locality
where they are concerned, or in both, is one
which is much to be deprecated; unless it
/ irredeemlble, it inevitably tends to Sc.
cure the success of the bill as whole,
though mpnr of them if sepa rately consider
ed could scarcely fail of rejection By the
adoption Of the course | have recommended
every member of congress, whenever an OPP
portunity should arise for giving his
influence and vote for meritorious appro-
priations, would be enabled 80 to do with.
out being called upon to sanction others
undeserving his approval, 50 also would
the executive be afforded thereby full op.
portunity to exercise his constitutional pre-
rogatve Of opposing whatever appropria-
tons seemed to him Objectionable without
imperiling the success of others which
commend themselves TO his judgment.
1t may be urged in opposition to these sug
gestlons that the number of works internal
improvement which are justly entitled to
governmental aid is 80 great as to render
impractcable separate appropriation bills
therefor, or even for such comparatively
limited number as make the disposition
of large sums of money This objection
may be well founded and whether it be
or not, the advantages which would be
likely to ensue from the adoption of the
course have recommended may perhaps
be more etfectually attained by another,
which respectfully submit to congress as
an alternative proposition: 1t is provided
by the constitutions of fourteen of our states
that the executive may disapprove any item
or items of a bill appropriating money
whereupon the part of the bill approved
shall fail to become a law, unless repassed
according to the provisions prescribed for
the passage of bills over the veto of the ex-
ecutve. The states wherein some such
provision as the foregoing is part Of the
fundamental law are Alabama, California,
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Min
nesota, Missouri Nebraska, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and West
Virginia, commend to your careful con
sideration the question whether an amend
ment of the federal constitution in the par.
ticular indicated would not afford the best
remedy for what is often grave embar-
rassment both to members of congress and
to the executive, and is sometimes serious
public mischief,