The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-03
PRESIDENTIAL VETO.
The River and HarbOr Bill
Checked Up.
Mr.. Arthur Sat Down on the Bill Because
Appropriations for Local Purposes
We're Becoming Too Numerous.

WASHINGTON, August 1.-The follow
ing is the full text of the Presidents
message vetOing the River and HaTbOr
| bill:
| To the House Representatives:
Having watched with much interest
the progress of House bill No. 6242, en-
titled an act making appropriations for
| the construction, repair and preserva
| tiOn of certain works on rivers and har-
| bOrs and for other purposes, and having
| since 1t was received, carefully eXamin-
ed it, 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
| benefcent 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 December last l urged the
vital Importance of legislation for the
reclamation of the marshes and for the
establishment of harbOr lines along the
| Potomac front. In April last, by special
message, l recommended an apprOpTia-
tiOn for the improvement of the Missis-
| sippi River. 1t is not necessary that /
|
make bill apprOpriating for these and
other valuable National objects, law
that 1t is with great reluctance and only
under sense of duty that / withhold.
| My principal objection to the bill is that
| it contains appropriations for the pur-
poses not for the common defense of
general welfare and which do not pro-
mote commerce among the States. These
| provisions, on the contrary, are entirely
70 ha Of
| in which 1t is proposed to make improve
| ments. | regard such appropriation of
the public money as beyond the powers
given by tha Constitution to Congress
and the President.
l feel more bound to withhold my
signature from the bill, because of the
peculiar evils which manifestly result
| from this infractiOn of the Constitution.
| Appropriations of this nature to be de-
voted purely to local objects, tend to in
| crease in number and in amount. As
| citizens of one State find that money, to
raise which they in common with the
whole country are taxed, is to be ex-
pended for local improvements in
another State, they demand similar
benefits for themselves, and it is not un-
natural that they should seek to indemn-
| ify themselves for such of the public
funds by securing appropriations for
1
| neighbOrhOOd. Thus, as the bill becomes
more Objectionable, it secures more sup
port. This result is inVariable and
necessarily follows neglect to observe
| the constitutional limitations imposed
upon the lawmaking power. ApprO-
priatiOns for river and harbOr improve
ments have, under influences to which
have allu led, increased y ar by year,
out of proportion to the progress of the
ao q Tn
the aggregate appropriation was 3d.
975,900. In 1875, $6,648. .517.50; in 1880,
$9,976,50O, and inI1S82, $11 ,451 300, while
by the present oct there is appropriated
$18, 1855. While feeling every dis
position 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-
prOpriatiOns are confined to the objects
indicated by grant of power, l cannot
escape the conclusion that, as part of
the laW-making power of the Govern
ment, the duty devOlVes upon me to
withhold my signature from bill con-
tanning appropriations which, in my
opinion, greatly exceed in amount the
needs of the country for the present fs-
cal year. 1t being the usage to provide
money for these purposes by annual ap-
prOpriatiOn bills, the President is in
effect directed to expend so large an
amount of money within so brief a
period that the expenditure cannot be
made economically and dadyantageOusly.
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 those who are entrusted
with official duty through all the Irami-
fcatiOns of the Government. These OBJ
jectiOns could be removed and every
constitutional purpose readily obtained,
should Congress enact that One-half
| only of the aggregate amount provided
for in the bill be appropriated for ex-
penditure during the last fiscal year,
and that the sum so appropriated be ex
pended only for such objects named in
the bill as the Secretary of War, under
the direction of the President, shall de-
| termine, provided that, in no case shall
the expenditure for any one purpose ex-
| ceed the sum now designated by the bill
| for that purpose. l feel authorized to
make this suggestion because of the
duty imposed upon the President by the
| Constitution to recommend to the con-
| sideratiOn of Congress such measures as
he shall judge necessary and eXpedient,
and because it is my earnest desire 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 be open
/ for their consideration.
| [Signed1 CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
Executive Mansion, August 1st, 1882.
| PASSED.
WASHINGTON, August 2.-The House
by a vote of 123 yeas to so nays passed
the River and Harbor bill over the Pres
/ ident's veto.
The Senate by vote of Al yeas to Is
nays passed the River and HarbOr bill
over the veto, so the bill becomes law.