Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-11
SATURDAY. Il. 1888.

Our Washington correspondent stated
in yesterdays Dispatch that unless the
President returned on that day with his
approval the river and harbor bill a
question would arise similar to that
which was raised by Mr. HoAR not long
nro. What was Mr.. HoAR's point? il
was whether bill which the President
returned 10 the Senate or House of Re
representatives. within theton days the Con-
stitution allows him 20 keep It. but
which owing to adjournment over few
DAYS did not reach the body it originated
IN until after the ten days had expired,
though Il reached an officer of the body,
became law or not? Strange as
ii may seem, though the Constitution
has benin force more than a hundred
years. TINS question has never been
raised. and therefore never settled
The Constitution. after providing how
the two houses Of Congress shall pro-
coed when tue President Shall have
vetoed bib, adds:
eff suv lin shall not bc returned Ivy
the President within ten days (oundsys
executed after it shall have been pre-
teutsd 10 him. the same shall be law
in Ike manner as If me lad signed 1t,
un'es, the Congress 10y their adjourn
mont prevent itsreturn, in which case 1t
shall not be q low.
Now, lct MS suppose that bill Is sent
T. tho P1esi1ou. on the LIST OF August,
and Chat on the gth az August the body
in which the bill originated ut IS 10 this
BODY that the President Is required 70
return IT'D ai;ourns over TO the 18th, and
that On the l0lh tie President returns
the bin 10 the Capitol with message
vstoiug IT, 'WIl the veto take effect, or
WI the iii become a law
The question is cncompasscd with dii-
fcutics. IL has always been under
stood. We believe, that the Constitution
refers to nm adjournment sine dc. Bat
the Constitution does not in terms say
p. Nor docs it provide what shall be
done If the body adjourn in which tho
bill originated, but what shall be done if
the Compress adjourn. 1t IS clear that
j. was intended 10y the fathers Of the re-
hubble that the President should have
ten DAYS in which to make up his mind
- 10 the merits Of hill. He was al
lowed this time in order that he might
study the bill. consult with friends
orlcgaladyisers, get the views Of his Cabl-
net, and thus he prepared to give good
reasons for veto if DE vetoed it, or for
signing it ii he signed il. Unless both
Iodies adjourn oyor the constitutional
provision above quoted could not take
effect. Eut would it take effect If both
bodies should adjourn over on the ninth
day of the Presidents possession OF the
hIl ia orlrr 10 make the bill law
Surely not. 1t would render the consti-
tuhonal provision nugatory il the tive
houses could by APPOINTMENTS for that
purpose deprive the President OF the
veto power.
But we have intimated that the nd
iournment OF the body in which the bil
originated, even from the Ainth day OF
the Presidents possession OF it until the
twelfth, would not have the effect OF
making such q bill become law. The
Constitution plainly says "uniess tn
Congress by their Adjournment prevent
its RETURN" and va don't think thai
Congress will ever decide that that Ian
guage may be applied to only one OF the
houses of that body.
Ii would seem, therefore, logical to
conclude that the President may keep
bill more than ten days if the house IN
which it originated by adjournment
"preyents It's return within ten days
and this whether he does or does not re-
turn the bill 10 the Senate's clerk Of
other officer within the ten days Other
wise either house Of Congress has the
power to override veto byadiournment,
though the Constitution expressly pro
vides the manncr-and therefore the
only manner of overriding a veto.