The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-08-02
President Arthur Returns the River and
Harbor Bill 10 The House Of Represen.
tatIyes without His Signature.
A Very Plain and Concise Statement of the
Why and Wherefore Of This Ad-
verse Executive Action.
An Outline Of the Worlds Work for the
Day, Drawn From Numerous Dis
patches From Various Points.


The president has transmitted tie
message announcing his disapproval Of
the river and harbor bill, of which tie
following is the substance:
After mature consideration, | am con-
strained to return it herewith TO the
house Of representatives, in which it
originated, without my Signature and
with my objections to its passage. My
principal objection to the bill is that
it contains appropriations for pur-
poses not for common defense or gen.
eral welfare, and which do not promote
commerce among the states. These
provisions, on the contrary, are entire
ly for the benefit of particular localities
in which it is proposed to make the i'm
provements. regard such appropri-
lions of the public money as beyond the
powers given by the constitution to
congress and president. L feel more
bound to withhold my signature from
the bill because of the peculiar evils
which manifestly result from this in
fraction of the constitution. As
the bill becomes more Objectionable it
secures more support. This result Is
invariable and necessarily follows If we
neglect to observe the constitutional
limitations imposed upon the law max
ing power. Appropriations for river and
barber improvements have, under an
| s,u,anna IN ,vhfnh 4 hura n1nIaI -
creased, year by year. out of proportion
TO the progress of the country, as
great as that has been. III 1870 the
aggregate appropriation was 81, 975,-
300; in 1875, $6,6iS, SID. 80; in 1880, So
976, 500; and in 1881, 1l,44l, 800. BY
the present act there is appropriated
S1S, TAB, S75. While feeling every disposi-
tion to leave to..legislative responsibility
of determining what amount should be
appropriated for the purpose of the bill
so long rs the appropriations are con-
fined to objects indicated by the grant
of power, | cannot escape this conclu-
sion, that as part of the law making
power of the government, the duty de-
wolves upon me to withhold my sigma
ture from the bill containing the appro-
priations which, in my opinion, greatly
exceed in amount the needs of the
country for the present fiscal year.
Extravagant expenditure of public
money.is in evil not to be measured by
value of the money to people who
are taxed for it. They sustain greater
injury in the demorallzing effect pro.
duced upon those who are entrusted
with the official duty through all
ramihcations Of the government. These
objections could be removed and every
constitutional purpose easily obtained,
should congress exact that one half
only of the aggregate amount provided
for in the bill be appropriated for
expenditure during the fiscal year, and
that the sum so appropriated be
expended only for such!object as named
in the bill, as the secretary of war,
under the direction of the president,
shall determine and provided that in
no case shall the expenditure for any
one purpose exceed the sum now desig-
mated by the bill for that purpose.
Congress will onven again in four
months, when this whole subject will be
open for their consideration.
Signed, CHESTER A. ARTHUR,
Executive Mansion, Aug. l, 1882.