The Worthington advance., 1882-08-10
CONGRESSIONAL.
MONDAY, JULY 81.

agreed to IN COmmlttce OF the whole were
concurred in, and the bill passed. 1t is
understood that the house committee on
| appropriations will non-concur at once with
all the senate amendments to the naval ap-
appropriation bill and ask the appointment OF
a conference Immediately.
HousE.-The bill restoring the Fort Ben
ton military reservation to the public do
main passed.
No fort or other military post was ever
erected on this reservation. Tie land was
drawn from the public domain at a time
when the government had under considera-
ton the purchase Of certain adobe buildings
which belonged to al old fur trading estab-
ward, however, the military authorities
changed their opinions, the buildings were
not purchased and no military post was
ever constructed on the reservation.
The senate bill for the retirement Of Ulys-
ses 8. Grant, late general and president fine
United States, having been reached, Mr..
Mckenzie (Ky.) moved that it be laid upon
the table. Lost yeas, IS; nays, SO. The bill
was then referred to the committee ON mill
tary.
| A lot Of pension. bills were passed at the
evening session.. A bill was reported which
the senate passsd some time since creating a
commission to investigate the alcoholic iqu-
or traffic. Gov. Dingley of Maine, of the
Congressional temperance society, did all
that one man could do to get this bill
through, but somehow the house was in nc
mood for such legislation, and refused tc
act on Dingley's suggestion.
TUESDAY,, AUGUST l.
! SEyATE.-The senate committee reported
adversely the house joint resolution author
iZing the issue of = per cent. bonds for ex-
change for bonds bearing higher rates of in
terest. The s,lndry civil bill was considered,
and the committee amendment striking out
the provlso disseminating the deposit sys-
tenn II, land surveys was rejected.
! Senate: Cameron called up and had passed
the bill appropriating 100000 for a public
building at WillianSport, Pa. A bill was
also passed removing the political disabil-
tiles OF Frank -. Armstrong Of Maryland by
reason Of his participation in the war Of the
rebellion. Senator Bayard submitted re-
port from the conference committee on the
Japanese idemnity fund; and stated that an
agreement had not been reached, as the SEN
ate conferrecs had persisted in their amend
nsent to refund the principal only.
! HorsE.-The naval bill was reported
back, anda large number Of senate amend
ments were concurred in, against the rec.
|
| ed the bill. The remaining amendments
were non-concurred in. Tie foreign affairs
committee presented report upon the
| Chili-Per'lvian investigation. A resolution
was offered for final adjournment OH the 4th
inst, and motion to refer it to the ways
and means committee was lost. It was then
| go to 77-reterretl to the appropriations
! committee. The following message was re-
] cei7ed from the president yctOiDg the river
| and harpor bill:
| To the house Of representatives: l have
watched with much interest the progress of
the house bill No. ';,oo422, c,rtitled IAN act
making appropriations for the construction,
repair and preservation ofcertain works on
rivers and harbors, and for other purposes, :"
| and having, Si,!ce It was received, carefully
examined it, after mat.'Te consideration
| am constrained to return it her sswith to the
house of representatives in which it Gi:s in
| ated without my 81 isnature and with my
| objections to its passage. Many appropria-
tons in the bill are c]va,ly for general welfare
and most beneficiary in their character. Two
of the objects for. which provision is made
were by Inc considefed SC important that
felt it my duty to direct them TO tl,e atten-
ton Of congress. In my annual message in
December last urged the vital importance
| Of legislation for the reclamation Of the
marshes and for the establishment of har-
Dor lines along the potonlac's front. In
| April last, by special message, recon-
| mended an appropriation for the improve
| ment of the Mississippi river. 1t is not
necessary that say that when my signature
would make & i-ll appropriating for these
and other valuable national objects law
it is with great reluctance and under a sense
Of duty that l withhold it now. My
principal objection to the bill is
that it contains appropriations for pur
| poses not for common defence or general
welfare. and ~hj:.h do not promote COM
merce among the state2. These provisions,
] on the contrary, are entirely f9r the benefit
Of particular localities, in which it is appro-
| priated to make Improvements. / regard
such appropriation of public money as be-
yond the powers given by the constitution
bound to withhold my signature from the
bill because Of the peculiar evils which
manifestly result from this insraction of the
constitution. Appropriations CT this nature,
to he devoted purely to local objects, tend to
| IS,REAsE IN NUMBER AND AMOUNT,
| and citizens of one state find that money, to
raise which they; IN common with the
! whole country, arc taxed, is expended fM
| local improvements in another state, they
| demand similar benefits for themselves; and
it is not unnatural that they should seek to
indemnify themselves for such OF the public
funds by securing appropriations for simi.
lar Improvements in their own neighbOr-
| hood. Thus AS the bill becomes more Oh
jectionable it secures more support. This
result is invariaIJe, and necessarily follows
! neglect TO observe the constitutional limita-
| tions imposed upon the law making power
Appropriations for river and harbor improve
ments have, under the Influences to which
have alluded, increased year by year
| OU'r OF PROPORTION
| to Tie p: oyress Of the country, great as that
has been. In 1870 the aggregate appropriation
was s., 975, ,eNO in 1882 SG649, 5l7.5O in 1880
IS, ,976, 500 and in 1881 $ll.45l 300, while by
| the present act there is appropriated 49,
73s, .50 While feeling every disposition "a
| leave to the legislature the responsibility Oi
determining what amount should be appro-
prated for the purposes Of the bill, SO long
rs appropriations are confined to the objects
Indicated by the grant of power, cannot es.
cape the confusion that as part OF the law
| making power Of the government the duty
devolvcs upon me TO withhold my signature
from bill containing appropriations, which
in my opinion greatly exceed in amount the
nce,lslof the country for the present lisca
year. It being the usage toprovdc money FOL
these purposes by annual appropriation
bills the president is in effect directed to
! spend so large al amount Of money within
|
not be made economically and advanta-
tageonSly The extravayant expenditure o
public money is an evil not to be measured
by the value of that money to the people
who are taxed for it. They sustain create
ininrv in the lenoralizins effect produced
| uIon those who are entrusted with oi1lcia
duty through all the ramiticatiors of tn
government These objections could be re
moved and every constitutional purpos
readily obtained should congress enact tina
one-haif only of the aggregate amount pro
vided for in the bill be appropriated for ex
penditure during the ii cal year, an
that the sum SO appropriated be expendc
only for such object named in the bills q
; the secretary Of war, under the direction {
the president, shall determine provided tha
in no case shall the expenditure for an
purpose exceed the sum designate
by the bill for that purpose. feel authorize
to make this suggestion because of the dut
imposed upon the president by the const'tt
ton to recommend to the consideration {
> congress such measures as he shall jude
) necessary and expedient, and because it
my earnest desire that public works whic
} are in progress shall suffer no injury. Coz
l ! gress will also convene in four months. whe
this whole subject will be open tor the
! consideration.