The record-union., 1896-06-07
Objects to the Payment of French
Spoilation Claims.
The President Contends That There
Does Not Exist Any Legal Liability
Against This Government on AC-
count of Its Relations to These
Claims, Which Have Been Pressed
for Recognition for Nearly One
Hundred Years.

WASHINGTON, June 6.-The Presi-
dent sent the House veto message on
the general deficiency bill this after
noon. He replies briefly to the criti-
cisms of his exercise of the veto power,
and says he has hurried the preparation
cf the message in order that Congress
may take action in the matter without
delay. The ground tor the veto is the
provision relating to the payment of
French spoilation claims.
In his message the President says:
lit is difficult to understand why, un-
der the Constitution, it should be neces-
sary TO submit proposed legislation to
executive scrutiny and approval except
to invoke the exercise of executive
Judgment and invite independent ex-
ecutive action. The unpleasant Incl
dents which accompany the use of the
veto power would tempt its avoidance.
if such a course did not involve an
abandonment of constitutional duties
and an assent to legislation for which
the Executive is not willing TO share
the responsibility.
Il regret that l am constraine1 to dis
approve an important appropriation
bill so near the end of the present ses-
sion of Congress. l have, however, by
immediate action after the receipt of
the bill, endeavored to delay as little
as possible a reconsideration of this
proposed legislation, though 1 am thus
obliged to content myself with a less
complete explanation OF my objections
than would otherwise be submitted.
This bill is in many of it's features
far removed from a legitimate def
cheney bill, and it contains a number of
appropriations which seem to me ito be
exceedingly questionable. Without
going into detail of many of these,
shall refer to two of them, which in my
judgment, justifies my action in the
premises. The bill appropriates ST.,
oZI ,314 09 for a partial payment upon
claims which originated in depredations
upon our commerce by French cruisers
and vessels during the closing years of
the last century. They have become
quite familiar to those having Con-
gressional experience, as they have
been pressed for recognition and pay
ment with occasional intervals of re-
pose for nearly 100 years.
"These claims are based upon the al
legations that France, being at war
with England, seized and condemned
many American vessels and cargoes in
violation of the rules of international
law and treaty provisions, and con-
trary to the duty owed to our coun-
try as a neutral power and to our cit
iZens; that by reason of these acts
claims arose in favor of such of our cit
liens as were indemnified against the
French nation, which claims our Gov
ernment tried to enforce, and that in
concluding a treaty with France in the
year 1900 these claims were abandoned
or relinquished in consideration of the
re REIMBURSEMENT of certain claims which
France charged against us.
Upon these statements it is insisted
by those interested that aswe as anation
have reaped a benefit in our escape from
these French demands against us
through the abandonment of the claims
of our citizens against France the Gov
ernment became equally bound itself
and it's citizens to pay the claims thus
relinquished.
Il do not understand it to be asserted
that there exists any legal liability
against the Government on account of
its relations to these claims. At the
term of the Supreme Court just finished
the Chief Justice, in an opinion con-
cerning that and the action of Con-
gress in appropriating for their pay
ment. said: We think that payments
thus prescribed to be made were pur-
posely brought within the category of
payments by way of gratuity-pay-
ments of grace and not of right
The President says these claims have
been in the atmosphere of controversy
ever since they were conceived, and that
when it is alleged that the abandonment
of the claims against France was in
consideration of great benefits to the
Government, it is as confidently alleged
that they were in point of fact aban-
doned because their enforcement was
hopeless, and that even if any benefit
really accrued to us by insistance upon
their settlement in the course of dipli-
matte relations such result gave no pre-
text for taxing the Government with
the liability to the claimants.
TT is, 1 believe, somewhat the fashion
in interested cases to speak of the failure
by the Government to pay these claims,
as such neglect as amounts to repudia-
tion by the Government and a denial of
justice to citizens who have suffered OF
course the original claimants have for
years been beyond the reach of relief,
but as their descendants in each gem
Grafton became more numerous the
volume of advocacy, importantly and
accusation correspondingly increases.
"If injustice has been done in the re-
fusal of these claims it began early in
the present century, and may be charged
against men then in public life more
conversant than we can be with the
facts involved, and whose honesty and
sense of right ought to be secure from
suspicion.
'T have determined to submit this in
complete presentation of my objection
to this bill at once, in order that Con-
gress may act thereon without embar-
rassment or the interruption of plans
for an early adjournment"
H-u