The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-04


additional depth OF eight feet OF water
had been obtained at cost of $4,000.
This had been done In the face of the
opposition of the army Of engineers.
1t was 80 remarkable @ success that
the Conference Committee had voted
to extend the contract. He was pre-
pared to defend 1t and to say It was
right, and that there should be TO
monopoly of engineering by army en-
gineers.
Hhe prophesled that in q few years
the attention or Congress would be
drawn to the necessity of Immediately
improving all the waterways of the
country in order to give cheaper trans
portation to the people He pointed out
the revolution that has been made In
the grain exporting trade by the deep
ening of the mouths Of the Mlssis .ippi.
New Orleans having become thereby the
chief grain exporting port of the coun-
try.
AS to the Presidents intimation that
the payment of the s62. .0oO, 900 covered by
the bill was as binding as the bonded
debt of the Government, Mr.. Vest mild
ly suggested to the President that
there was no interest OH 1t. II did not
propose, to use another expression of
the President, to mortgage posterty."
MIR. sherman gave reasons why he
should vote for the passage of the bill,
notwithstanding the Presidents OBJ
jections. In the first place he did not
think that such an appropriation ought
ever to be vetoed under any circum-
stances. IT was not mandatory pro-
vision, but merely a permissive one If
the Secretary Of the Treasury said that
there was mo money In the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated" he was not
bound to expend It. So that the Presi-
dent had complete control Of the whole
matter. Therefore he could not con-
ceive a case where such q bill should
be vetoed Congress ought to stand by
Its exclusive power to appropriate
money, leaving to the President the ex-
penditure of II only when there Is suf-
ficient money in the Treasury for the
purpose.
Mr.. Smith CDem.), OF New Jersey, diff
fered with Senators Vest and Sherman
on the subject OF Presidential vetoes and
reminded them that similar bills had
been vetoea by Presidents Jackson, Ty-
Ter, PolkS and Pierce, and that in 1876
President Grant sent a protest to Con-
gress against n r!ver and harbor bill
which did no. appropriate one frtA of the
amount appropriated In the pending bill
Mr.. Villas sounded a note of caution
Where, he asked. was the money coming
from? He knew that 1t had been said,
In the Senate and in the House (some-
what recklessly). that there was money
in the treasury, but the money, he said
was borrowed for the purpose only OF
maintaining the credit of the United
States. AS to Mr.. Sherman's suggestion
that the matter was In the hands OF
the Executive officers. Mr.. Villas asked
whether the Secretary OF the Treasury
could exercise the discretion of tlischarg-
ing appropriations made In the river and
haroor bill and of leaving und.sdharged
M n do ta laor
ton bill.
In conclusion he said: I'VE are going
on too reckles:ly, and Il Is for that res
son that 1 cannot bring myself TO sun
port this measure. which will impose
such great additional burdens on the
people AT time when period of dis
tress has left them less capable than at
other times to sustain them"
Mr.. Berry argued in favor of the pas
sage OF the bill
Mr.. Pett!grew said that even III he were
not In favor Of the river and harbor bIll
he would st.ll vote against sustaining
tne Presldent's veto. because he thought
II pased on wrong principle, and that
II was violation OF the Constitution.
fhe veto power was a relic of the mast
and rad no place In free government.
Mr.. Pettigrew followed this up with an
attack upon President Cleveland's ad.
ministration of his Office
Mr. Bate Oem). of Tennessee smoke
IN support of the veto and in opposition
70 the passage of THE river and herhor
Dill. He asserted that the Issuance. of
bonds was behind the bill. or else tariff
law that would overtop even the Mo
Kinley act.
Mr.. Hill upheld the veto power against
the criticisms upon and reminded lthe
Democratic side oil the chamber that
PRESIDENT Jackson had inaugurated the
Vetoing OF river and harbor bills. having
in 1882 returned to Congress one WITH
his objection
The last veto of river and harbor bill
said Mr.. HILL was by President Arthur
IN 1882. Thais bill appropriated over
slS,OO0, 600 and Mr.. Arthur's principal on
1ections to 1t were that It contained ap-
propria tions for purpose not for the com
mon defense or general welfare, or that
It did not promote commerce among the
STAKES. That veto was overruled in the
House by vote of l22 to 50 and in the
Senate by vote of Al 10 l6
Mr.. Hill introduced a Joint resolution
proposing an amendment to the Con-
stituu!on giving the President the power
to veto Items in an appropriation bills
1t was read and laid on the table.
Mr.. Butler Thought that Mr. H,irs pro-
posed amendment was quite con.lsiteut
with that Senators action and vote yes
terday against the bond bill Mr.. Butler
had also proposed a constitutional
amendment in regard to the veto power
giving q majority In each house the
power to pass a bill over the Pres,d ent's
veto.
AT the close Of Mr.. Buffers remarks