The daily gazette., 1882-08-02
CHESTER CRIES A HALT.
THE RIVER AND HAREoR SWIM
stt...a oLE EsEToED'
CONGRESS sTERNBY REBBKBD.
The President Writes Message Stating
why He WithhOIds His Name-Facts of
Interest. Ear

w WASh1NdTONy c.-- 1t6 GT6slUelJ
has vetoed the River and Harbor job His
message was sent in the House at 4.25 yes
terday afternoon. 1t is as folloWsi es
To The House Of Representatives.: Having
watched with much interest the progress of
House bill No. 6,242, entitled Gan act
making appropriation for the construction,
repair and preservation of certain works ON
rivers and harbors and for other purposes"
and having since 1t was received carefully
examined it, after mature consideration /
am constrained to return it herewith to the
House of Representatives, in which it origi-
mated, 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
beneficial in their character. Two of the
objects for which provision is made were
by me considered so important that felt 1t
my duty to direct to them the attention of
Congress. In my annual message in Deeem-
ber last urged the vital importance of legis-
lation for the reclamation of the marshes
and for the establishment of the harbor lines
along the Potomac front. In April last, by
special message, | recommended an appro-
priation for the improvement of the Mississ-
ippi river. 1t is not necessary that say
that when my signature would make the
| bill appropriating for these and other valu-
able national objects law 1t is with great
reluctance and only under a sense of
duty that withhold it. "a Hj
My principal objection to the bill is thai it
contains appropriations for purposes not for
the common defense or general welfare or
which do not promote commerce among the
States. These provisions on the contrary,
are entirely for the benefit of the particular
localities in which it is proposed to make
the improvements. / regard such appro-
priations of the public money as beyond the
powers given by the Constitution of Con-
gress and the President.
l feel the more bound to withhold my
| signature from the bill because of the pecu-
| liar evils which manifestly result from this
infraction of the constitution. Appropria-
tions of this nature to be devoted purely to
| local objects teEd to an increase in number
and In amount. AS the citizens of one
| State find that money-to raise which they
in common with the whole country are
taxed-is to be expended for local improve
| ments in another State, they demand similar
benefits for themselves, and it is not un-
natural that they should seek to indemnify
themselves for such use of the public funds
by securing appropriations for similar i'm
provements In their own neighborhoOd.
Thus as the bill becomes more Objectionable
1t secures more support. This result is in
variable and necessarily follows neglect to
observe the constitutional limitations inn
posed upon the law-making 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
+ country, great as that has been. In 1870 the
aggregate appropriation was S3,975 800; in
1875, 81, GAS, ,517 80; in 1880, S., OF, 500, and
In 1881, $l1, ,451 300, while by the present
act there is appropriated SIS, ,743, ,S75. While
feeling every disposition to leave to the
legislature the responsibility of determining
what amount should be appropriated for
the purposes of the bill SO long as the ap-
preparations are confined to objects indi-
Gated by the grant of power, / cannot es-
cape the conclusion that as a part of the
law-making power of the government the
duty devolVes upon me to withhold my
signature from the bill containing appro-
priations which in my opinion greatly exceed
in amount the needs of the country for the
present fiscal year.
1t being the usage to provide money for
these purposes by annual appropriation
bills, the President is in effect directed to
expend SO large an amount of money within
SO brief period that the expenditure can
not be made economically and advantage
ously.
The extravagant expenditure of 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 greater injury
in the demoralizing effect produced upon
|
through all the ramiications of government.
These objections could be removed and
every constitutional purpose readily OBJ
tanned should Congress enact 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 OBJ
jeets 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 one 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 Presi-
dent by the Constitution to recommend to
| consideration of Congress such measures as
he shall Judge necessary and expedient and
because It is my earnest desire that the pub
lie works which are in progress shall suffer
| no injury. Congress will also convene again
in four months, when this whole subject
will be open for their consideration.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
Executive Mansion, August l, 1882.
There were many unhappy faces among
Congressman last night and a meeting of
the House Committeeon on Commerce was held
tonight, at which the message of the Presi-
dent vetoing the River and Harbor bill was
the topic of discussion. Members are very
reticent as to the result of the meeting, but
enough has been gathered to warrant the
statement that the sentiment of the mem
bers present was decidedly in favor of
recommending the passage of the vetoed
bill, Notwithstanding the disapproval of the
Executive.
There is much speculation tonight con-
cerning the chances of success of the at
tempt, which will doubtless be made to-
morrow, to pass the harbor bill over the
, veto. The bill originally passed the House
on the 18th of June by vote of 119 yeas
against A nays, and the Senate July IL by
yeas, 80 nays, 23, with ten. Senators paired
on its passage. The conference committees
report, embodying the bill in its present
form, was finally agreed to in the House of
Representatives on the Goth ultimo by vote
of liz against SO, with 95 members recorded
as 'tnot voting"
The conference report was adopted by the
Senate on the previous day by a viva voce
} vote. It's argued by the friends of the bill
that the vote In the House ON its original
passage more fairly indicates its actual
strength than does the vote on the adoption
of the conferences report, which they assert
: was opposed by some members simply In
the hope that another conference committee
; would do better for their respective districts,
but whose votes are confidently claimed In
aid of the passage of the present bill rather
tlan none.