The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-13

Tully, s1The Green" Hart:gan, s'First
Choice" Tuohy Author" McKeon, Phi
losopher;;" Hamlin, .Unskilfui." and
Cooney, Prosperity
A MESSAGE TO. CONGRESS [
Cleveland Instructs the Powers That
Hels q Lively Mourner.
Washington. June 6.---The president
sent veto message to the house of rep
resentatives on the general deficiency ap-
preparation bill this afternoon. He re-
plies briefly to the criticisms Of his ex-
ercise of the veto power and says he has
hurried the preparation of theamessage
in order that congress may take action in
the matter without delay. The ground
for the veto is the provision relating to
the payment of the French spoiaation
claim. In his message the president
says:
ut is difficult to understand why un-
der the constitution, it should be nee
essary to submit proposed legislation to
executive scrutiny and approval except
to invoke the exercise of executive judg-
ment and invite independent executive
action. The unpleasant incidents which
accompany the use of the veto power
would tempt its avoidance if such a
course did not involve an abandonment
of constitutional duty and an assent to
legislation for which the executive is not
willing to share the responsibility.
"I regret that am constrained to dis
approve an important appropriation bill
so near the close Of the present session.
1 have however, by immediate action
after the receipt of the bill endeavored
to delay as little as possible reconsider
alton of this proposed legislation though
am thus obliged to content myself with
less complete explanation of my objec-
tions than would otherwise be sum bitted
"This bill is, in many Of it's features,
far removed from a. legitimate deficiency
bill and it contains a number OF appro-
priations which seem to me to be exceed
ingly questionable. Without noticing
In detail many of these items shall refer
to two of them, which, in my Judgment,
justify my action in the premises.
t'The bill appropriates S1,027, 7314.09
for partial payment upon claims, which
originated in depredations upon our
commerce by French cruisers and vessels
during the closing years of the last CEN
fury. They have become quite familiar
to those having congressional: experience
as they have been pressed for recognition
and payment, with occasional intervals
of repose for nearly one hundred years.
These claims are based upon the allega-
lions that France, being at war with
England, seized and condemned many
vessels and cargoes in violation OF rules
of international law and treaty provis-
ions and contrary to the duty she owed
to our country as a neutral power and to
our citizens; that by reason of these. acts
claims arose in favor OF such Of our cit
liens as we're Unidentified against the
French nation-which claims our gov
eminent attempted to enforce and that in
con Guiding a treaty with France in the
year 1900 those claims were abandoned
or relinquished in consideration of the
REIMBURSEMENT of certain claims which
France had against us.
upon these statements is it insisted
by those interested that we. as a nation,
have reaped benefit in our escape from
these French demands against us
through the abandonment Of the claims
of our citizens against France, the gov
eminent became equitably bound as be-
tween itself and its citizens to pay the
claims thus relinquished. -
II do not understand it to be asserted
that there exists any legal liability
against the govern menG on account Of
its relations to these claims. At the term
of the supreme cou7e just finished, the
chief justice in an opinion concerning
them and the action of congress in appro-
priating for their payment said: We
think that payment thus prescribed to
be made were purposely brought within
the category of payments by way of gra-
tuity-payments of grace and not Of
right. -.
The president says these claims have
been in the atmosphere of controversy
even since they were conceived and that
when it is alleged that the abandon
ment of these claims against France was
in consideration of great benefits to the
government it is as confidently alleged
that they were. in point of fact, aband-
oned because their enforcement was
hopeless, and that even if any benefit
really accrued to us by insistance upon
their settlement in the course of diplo-
matte negotiations such result gave no
pretext for taxing the government with
the liability to the claimants.
'It is, believ, somewhat the fashion
in interested quarters to speak Of these
failure by The government to pay these
claims as such neglect as amounts to re-
| pudiation by the government and a de-
NAL of justice to citizens who have SUI
fered. OF course the original claimants
have for years been beyond the reach of
relief, but as their descendants in each
generation become more numerous. the
volume of advocacy, importantly and ac-
cusation CORRESPONDENCE increases. If
| injustice has been done in the refusal
of these claims it began early in the
present century, and may be charged
against men then in public life more con-
| versant than we can be with the facts
involved and whose honesty and sense of
right ought to be secure from suspicion. y
| The president reviews the negative ac-
ton Of congresses since 1902, and says
that "the presumption against these
claims arising from such unfavorable re
ports and resolutions and from the fail
ure of congress to provide for their pay
ment at a time so near the events upon