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

81 ii 1RIs y
tportunity Of those Interested, no appropri-
alton has ever been made for that purpose
1except little more than 81 BOG, 000, which
was placed in the general deficiency bill in
the very last hours OF the session Of con-
gess on March 8, 1891. The list of benz
efciaries provided for in the bill on ac-
/ count of these claims includes 152 who rep
resent the owners of ships and their car
goes and 1856 who lost as insurers of such
vessels and cargoes. ssF5E
The president thinks the appropriations
to indemnify against insurance losses rest
upon even weaker grounds than the other
claims, and concludes = In the light of all
the facts and circumstances surrounding
these spoliation claims, as they are
claimed, none of them, in my opinion,
ishould be paid by the government. An
other item in this bill seems to me espe-
/ cially Objectionable, is an appropriation for
Charles P. Choteau, survivor, ETC., Of STA
445.75, in full satisfaction of all claims aris-
ing out Of the construction OF the 1roncladI
steam battery Elijah. The contract for
the construction Of this battery was made
by the government with Charles w. Nc
Cord during the war, and he was to be paid
therefor, the sum of $386,000. He was paid
this sum and $210,991 for extras, and in
May, 1866, gave his receipt in full. The
assignee of McCord in bankruptcy assign
| ed to Chouteau and his associates in 1868
! all claims of McCord against the United
States for the precise extras for which he
gave receipts in full! two years before.
Choteau brought suit in the court of claims
for such extras and was defeated. I cannot
learn from the facts l have been able to
gather concerning this appropriation that it
! is justified on any ground. In 1891 my
immediate predecessor vetoed bill allow
ing the matter to be examined again by the
| court OF claims. If the additional payment
proposed in this bill was made the cost of
the battery in question would be almost
double that Of the contract price. l have
determined to submit this incomplete pre-
| sentation Of my objections to this bill at
once, In order that congress may act there
on without embarras sment or the inter-
ruption of plans for an early adjournment"
VETO SUSTAINED.
| Speaker Reed laid before the house the
presidents veto of the general deficiency
bill and it was read. From the applause
which swept the hall at the close of the
reading it was apparent that the message
met with nearly general approval.
Mr.. Cannon (Rep., Ill) stated that he
! would move to pass the bill over the presi-
dents veto, and if that failed then he would
ask the speaker to recognize him to move
| bill, emitting from it the items objected
! to by the pres: dent, which could be sent to
the executive for action tonight.
Mr.; nIahcn IRAN pa \ chairman 0f the
committee on war claims, who led the fight
for the adoption of the claims in the bill,
defended his action.
! Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., Ohio said he did
not know which most to admire, the enor
nous capacity of the president to write such
a message within the brief period which had
! elapsed since the bill was presented to him
| or the marvellous resources OF the commit
| tee on appropriations, which enabled the
gentleman from Illinois to bring innmed.-
ately to the attention of the house bill
prepared to fit the veto. 1t showed we had
a great country and were equal to any
emergency. Gaughter) Mr.. Grosvenor
criticized the veto for the errors of fact
which he alleged It contained.
In conclusion he said: t'This particular
occupant of the executive chair has done
more to bring disrepute and unpopulari-
tyr in the United States the power con-
ferred on the president to veto bills than
all of the predecessors combined. Be-
cause he has defied public opinion; he has
detied the opinion of the law making
branch of the government; he has defied
the power to which has been assigned
under the constitution the sole power to
originate money bills; and he has done it
| so often that the people of this country
are delighted think they can count
! on the fingers of their two hands and
with a surplus left over, the months that
he can thus tyrannize over the peoples
wishes in this regard.
"He has made more vet0es, ten to one,
than all of his predecessors combined;
and, suppose, he jusUifies it under his
| statement in the message sent here a
few days ago, in which he says that pat
| riotism is at low ebb. But it will be
news to the country that this president is
| now upholding the flag of patriotism -
| (Applause) ..
Messrs. Dockery Dem.), of Missouri,
and Sayers Dem), of Texas, approved
the veto and Mr.. Bruno (Rep), of Penn
| sylvania, chairman of the committee on
claims, approved it so far as to say that,
s:aside from the billingsgate the presi-
| dent INDUCED in, the statement he makes
ABOUT LIE ClaiLllS are ldotS, Wueu MT
| Sayres sharply called him to order for his
| language. -5
Mr.. Cannon, closing the debate, said he
had generally differed from the presi-
dent, but always respectfully. In this
case he was compelled to approve, es-
pecially as, in his opinion, the vetoed bill
| is a whitened sepulchre filled with dead
mems bones. (Applause).
| BY a vote of ITO to 80 the house sus-
| tanned the president, refusing to pass the
! bill over his veto.
BRADLEY WILL TELL