New-York tribune., 1896-06-04
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL,

authority OF the two houses Of Congress
-
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL
Immediately after morning prayer. the reading Of
yesterday 8 journal having been dispensed with a
motion TO proceed the consdera tion OF tho prss,
oehrs veto OF the River ard Harbor bill was maS.
oy MI Vest Dem MOI. This motion was an,apo
''~eu Dy Mt Pettigrew REP. S. D. who desired to
proceed with tine conference report on the Indian
Appropriation bill. Mr.. Vest said that II was vary
OBVIOUS that action should be had on the River and
Harbor bill speedily as possible No other sinh
Jec could be presented 20 the Senate-outsde OF the
NatonaI honor-inore important TO the people OF tho
United States than the question whether the great
works OF Internal Improvement were 10 be sus-
pended and large number OF them DESTROYED or
whether, In case the veto was sustained Congress
would proceed 10 enact another River and Harbor
bill at this session. Mr. Vests motion was agreed
to-yeas, IS; nays. l0-and thereupon the veto wa.
presented and read. The negative votes were given
by Senator'S Bate. Brown. Chiffon. Harris Morrill,
Palmer. Pettigrew. Prltchard. Teller and Villas
The Fice-President stated the question 70 be on
the passage OF the BILL the objections OF the Presi-
dent 10 the contrary Notwithstanding
Mr.. Vest said that there were statements IN ths
Presidents message as to which with all due re.
spect to the President ard his high office some-
thing should be said IN defence OF the two houses Of
Congress. He would endeavor to say tust as much
about the bill and message as absolutely neces-
sary. and 70 more. While unquesonably the Pres..
dent OF the United States had the constitutional
power TO exercise his veto prerogative II was not
the idea OF the Constitution that the veto power
should be exercised OF the ordinary instr7,-
mentaes OF administering the Government The
veto power had been exercised only seven times in
the first twenty-eiett years OF the Government
twice by Washington and five times by Madison:
never by John Adams or Thomas Jefferson
INACCURACIES IN THE VETO MESSAGE
Mr. Vest proceeded to discuss the message in de-
tall and pointed various inaccuracies in IT,
Among these was the statement that the bill ap-
proprated directly about 100000 and covered con-
tinung contracts to the amount Of sS2,0oo,Co The
former exceeded the actual figures by r.ssoo0o
and the latter sum by s2,Si3co The President, Mr.
Vest said. had rhetorcaly charged Congress with
extravaganza; but II he had turned 10 the River
and Harbor bills enacted in the last s. years he
would have discovered that considering the size OF
the country AMI the demands OF internal commerce.
the bill comparatively economical. Then It had
to be remembered that the appropriate was not
for one year but for two years, so tina, instead OF
an appropriation OF about si4 10000 the President
said. the amount to be spent in the fiscal year
would not be more than 100000
Mr. Vest said he puzzled 10 know to what
the President alluded in speaking OF private inter-
ests but he supposed that it the case OF the
destruction Of the bar at the harbor OF Brunswick.
Ca. which had been undertaken by private
citizen. a lawyer. and where an additional depth OF
eight feet of water had been obtained at a cost Of
position OF the Army engineers 1t was remark
able a success that the conference committee had
voted 10 extend the contract He prepared to
defend 1t, and 10 say It right. and that there
should be no monopoly OF engineering by Army
engineers He prophesied. coming events cast
their shadows before" that In few years the at
tenton of Congress would be drawn 10 the necessity
OF improving all the waterways of the country in
order give cheaper transportation 10 the people
He pointed out the revolution which has been made
in the grain exporting trade. BY the deepening Of
the mouths OF the Mssissipp-New-Orleans having
thereby the chief grain exporting port the
country.
As 70 the Presidents lntimation that the payment
OF the S62 900 covered by the bill binding
as the bonded debt OF the Government Mr. Vest
mildly suggested to the President" that there
interest on H. 1t did not propose 10 another
expression OF the President, mortgage poster
Uy."
Mr. SHERMAN ARGUES FOR THE BILL
Mr. Sherman (Rep. Ohio) gave reasons why hs
should for the passage OF the bill notwithstand
ing the Presidents objections. In the first place.
he did not think that such an appropriation bill
ought 10 be vetoed under any circumstances.
1t not mandatory provision. But merely per-
mssive II the Secretary OF the Treasury said
that there money In the Treasury not
otherwise approprl ted" he was not bound expend
IT, So that the President had complete control Of
the whole matter. Therefore he could not conceive
a case where such bill should be vetoed Congress.
Mr.. Sherman declared. ought 10 stand by It's
elusive power to appropriate money. leaving 10 the
President the expenditure OF 1t only when there s
sufficient money In 'he Treasury for the purpose.
There was a wide difference between a mandatory
law binding on the President and all the De-
partments ard the people. and a mere permission
to expend so much money for particular object.
He could not imagine. therefore which ne
would support Instead Of seven vetoes In the first
twenty-e!ght years Of the Government, vetoes
came 70 one house the other now almost every
day Congress ought to curb or check. II possible
the exercise OF the veto power.
Mr. Smith Dem. NJ j. differed from Senators
Vest and Sherman the subject OF Presidential
vetoes and reminded them that similar bills had
been vetoed by Presidents Jackson, Tyler. Polk and
Pierce and that In 1876 President Grant sent pro-
test TO Congress against river and harbor bin
which did not appropriate one-hfth Of the amount
aupropriated In the pending bill
c,ata Of Wisconsin had been Literally in tho
b,ii he could bring himself TO the conviction
that under present circumstances the large appro.
Obligations already imposed on the distressed shou-
ders Of the people Where M. Villas asked, was
w. money 10 como from? He knew that 1t had been
ia | in the Senate and in the House. somewhat
rscklessly that there was money In the Treasury
Rut that money. he said, was borrowed for the pur:
noas only OF maintaining the credit of the United
Svates Az TO Mr.. Sherman's suggestion that the
.,tar was within the discretion OF executive off,
could exercise the discretion OF dlscharg
ing appropriations made In the River and Harbor
hi and of leaving undischarged those made in the
sa,d. 1--WE are going too reckessly: and II 10
for that reason that cannot bring myseif 10 sup.
mort this measure. which Will impose such great
A SEASON AHEAD.
N.xt am avery clotiffer will have those loose