The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-07-05
Conpideripg Vetoed Pensions.

WASHINGTON, June Ex-senator
Davis to-day submitted to the senate
the report of the committee on pensions
on eight vetoed pension bills, the mer-
its of which the report discusses in de-
tail and the passage of which it urges,
the objections of the president not
withstanding. The more interesting
and important features of the report
are embodied in discussion
of the votoe power and the
danger with which in the
opinion of the committee, as too fire.
quent exercises is brought, it says:
s'Since the 8th day of May, 1886, 1856
v1duals have been dlsapproved by the
president. These disapprovals were
based in great majority of cases upon
the expressed opinion of the president
that congress has errered in its iudg-
ment upon the mere questions of fact.
OF course it is impossible for the presl-
dent to examine the immense mass of
documentary evidence upon which
each case depends and which is
invariably examined by the committee,
and 1T follows that when he disagrees
with congress upon the question of fact
In these cases, his judgment must be
based, not upon the reports of the COM
mittee, in which the facts are always
stated with sufficient fulness, but upon
the report of some subordinate in the
bureau OF pensions. This bureau,
whose action congress has reversed, is
thus enabled to review the action of
congress by the express direction
of the president. This method of
consideration is an abridgement by
the executive of the exercise of the
right of congress to waive that strict
proof which is required in ordinary cas-
es in the department. Usurpations move
rapidly in republics from small objects
to those of greatest concern. That the
power exists in the executive to disap-
prove any legislative measure cannot
be denied, but the duty undeniable
also exists that it shall not be used in
such a manner or upon any occasion
or preteXt as to make its exercise
operate as an encroachment upon the
power of other departments of the Coy
ernment." The right to so use the
power of executive diSapproVal as to
change the ordinary method of legisla-
tive action by majority vote, upon
proper subjects of legislation, merely
because the executive differs with con-
gress upon the sufficiency of proof or
the expediency of relief, does not, in
the opinion of your committee. exist.
Such a misconception of the extent
of the executive power making it limit
less, is fraught with dangers to the in
dependence and to its constitutional
power and it continually, implies that
a facetious or usurplng president who
proposes to subordinate to his will that
department to which the constitution
has confided the principal powers of
government can unrightfully do this
and prevent the will of the people from
taking statutory form except by two
thirds vote of each house of Congress"
The annual review and adjustment
of the salaries of presidential poStmaS-
tiers has been completed by Chief Scott
of the salary and allowance division of
the pOstoffice department. The follow
ing is a summary of the result: Total
number of presidential offices which
will be in operation July /, 1888, 2,502;
increase during the year, 1855. Aggre-
gate allowance for salaries of preSiden-
tial postmasters for the next fiscal year,
"a ,202 400, an increase for the year
of 1922 100. The total gross
receipts of presidential postoffices for
the year ending March 31st, 1888, was
S3S ,49S, 721, which is an increase of
IS 1921 $50 over last year.
The secretary of state has officially
called the attention of the British min
lister resident at Washington to the
case of the American ship Bridgewater,
unlawfully seized by the customs Off
Gals of the dominion of Canada a year
ago, ana detained for eighty-one days
| at Shelburne.