Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-12-12
THE GOVERNORS VETO.
HE SENDS IN A SCATHlNG
MESSAGE TO THE Leg
ISLATURE-NO APP
PORTIONMENT,
NO PAY.
Members Flagrant Disregard OF
Duty. The Grounds for
Withholding his
Signature.

From Harrisburg papers, Dec g.
The scene in the House Tuesday
morning was a lively one. Almost
every member was present aud the
chamber appeared more as it did in the
early days of the regular sessions than
il has since the beginning of the extra
session. 1t was all talk about pay
That veto message would be recelv-
ed there seemed not the slightest doubt.
1t was impossible to tell what the out
come would be should such paper be
received At 11:30 tie Speakers
gavel fell and order was secured. The
private secretary of the Governor was
introduced and presented communl-
cation from the Governor of the Com
monweath. 1t was laid upon the table
and routine business taken up. 1t
was the hour of noon before the mess
age was read 1t appeared to amuse
the majority in the House and if vote
had been taken then there is but little
doubt but that the bill would have been
passed. A motion to postpone was
made and debated at considerable
length. and at one O'Clock, it was de-
cided to adjourn until 4, when the bill
was considered section by section and
was passed over the head of the Gov
ernor by large majority IN both
branches. The veto message IN lull Is
appended:
| EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, COMMON
WEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR, HARRISBURG, Dec.
4, 1870 the Houseof Represent
atiues of the Commonwealth Of
Pennsylvania - GENTLEMEN: In
accordance with the authority given to
the Governor to disapprove of any
items of an appropriation bill l disap-
prove of all the items in the herewith
returned bill, except those items ID
Section 3, providing for the pay OF GER
tain employees of the Senate, and items
in Section 4 for the pay of certain en-
ployees of the House, and Section 7
for the expense of serving writ 'oi
| election to fill a vacancy in the House
of Representatives. To all the other
items of the bill decline to give my
| approval.
The members of the General Assem-
bly were convened in special session
for the sole purpose of apportionlng
the State as commanded by the Con
stitution. The command was upon
them to pass such laws at the regular
session, but they adjourned few days
after their right to pay ceased, with
their sworn constitutional duty unper-
formed. They were imme diately re-
called into session to obey the organic
law, to keep their oaths, and to accord
to the people the most important polltl-
cal rights. They again deliberately re.
fuse to perform their constitutional
duty and are about to adjourn. After
wasting six months in contemning the
Constitution, they now send me this
bill. appropriating over half a million
dollars to pay themselves Tor refusing
to do what they were elected and
sworn to do. Every consideration OF
law and the simplest principles OF com
mon justice protest against such an at
tempt to take the money of the people
without consideration. There is no
law authorizing public officers to pay
themselves for defying the law. Such
an inconsistency could not exist in the
jurisprudence of any enlightened gov
ernment. No citizen in his private
business capacity would sanction such
a principle as that underlying this bill.
The fact that one has been elected by
the people to an Office does not of itself
entitle him to pay He must first per-
form the duties of his Office. AS well
might Judge claim his salary who re-
fuses to hold court or try the causes be-
fore him. The members of this Legis-
lature have refused to do their duty in
compliance with the command of the
Constitution, the VOW of their official
oath, and the purpose of their election.
When this session was convened, IN
stead of proceeding at once to perform
their duty, the members of the Leglsla-
ture, for their personal convenience, i'm
mediately took recess for eleven days.
By this bill every Legislator is given
of the peoples money ten dollars day
for each day of that recess. To sanction
this would be to admit that they might
have taken recess for the year and a
half remaining of their terms, and have
paid themselves many thousands OF
dollars each, while remaining at their
homes and attending to their private
concerns. For over one-half the time
since the Legislature was convened the
Senate has not been in session at all,
having by formal resolution dellber-
ately resolved not to sit, or make an
effort to obey the law. On many OF
the days when it did hold sessions but
few minutes were occupied, and no
single official act was done looking to a
performance of duty. The record OF
the House of Representatives upon this
subject while no so culpable is yet
highly reprehensible, it not having held
sessions for many days. Yet for the
whole one hundred and eighty-two
DAYS, from June I to December 5,
! whether days of session, no session, or
sham sessions, Lords days and holI-
days, for all alike, ten dollars day for
the entire time, is given by this bill to
every Senator and Member.
Monstrous as such claim would be
under any circumstances, it Is yet the
more repugnant to law, equity and
common sense, when asserted by Off
cials who menace the very existence OF
Republican Government by refusing TO
obey the plainest AMI most imperative
of constitutional commands and give to
| tho nennle the most sapred and valuable