Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-06-11
DEFICIENCY BILL VETOED.
Cleveland Objects to it Because OF
French Spoliations and Chas. P.
Chouteau's Claim-The House
Sustalns Him.

citing the vetoes of Presidents Polk
and Pierce of bills for their payment
back in 1916 and 1858.
OF the Chouteau claim the President
says:
"Another item in this bill which
seems to me especially Objectionable
is an appropriation in favor of Chas.
p. Chouteau, survivor, ETC., of $l74,-
I45.75, in full satisfaction of the claims
arising out of the construction of the
ifonclad steam battery Elijah.
"The contract for the construction
of this battery was made by the Gov
ernment with Charles W. McCord
during the war and he was to be paid
therefor the sum of 1886, 900. He was
paid this sum and S21o,ss1 for extras,
and in May, 1866, gave his receipt in
full. The assignee of McCord in bank
ruptcy assigned to Chouteau and his
associates in 1868 all claims of McCord
against the United States for which he
had receipted for in full two years be-
fore. Chouteau brought suit in the
Court of Claims for his extras and was
defeated. / cannot gather from the
facts have been able to collect con-
cerning this appropriation that it is
justified on any ground. In 1891 my
immediate predecessor vetoed bill
allowing the matter to be examined
again by the Court of Claims.
'Tf 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"
Mr.. Cleveland, in his message ac-
companying the veto, vigorously takes
exception to the criticism of the veto
power. On this point he says:
"To the extent that the Constitution
has devolved upon the President a
participation in legislation, suppose
his action on bills presented to him
for approval involves a duty to be
performed like others pertaining to
his office, with care and circum-
spection, and in full view of his re-
sponsibility to the people and his OBJ
legation to subserve the public welfare,
it is difficult to understand why, under
the Constitution, 1t should be neces
sary to submit proposed legislation to
executive scrutiny and approval, ex-
cept to invoke the exercise of execu-
tive Judgment and invite independent
executive action.
"The unpleasant incidents which
accompany this power would temptits
avoidance, if such course did not in
volve an abandonment of constitu-
tional duty and assent to the legisla-
ton for which the executive is not
willing to share the responsibility.
The veto was applauded by that
portion of the house which had op-
posed the claims and which included
many Republicans. Chairman Cannon
of the appropriation Committee arose
after the reading and said:
"In my judgment, if the Senate
amendment covering 700 items and
aggregating two millions, had been
fairly understood the House would not
have voted for it. live had known
that, fastened as leech, under false
pretenses, the Chouteau claim was in
cluded, do not believe any member
would have voted for it,"
Mr.. Richardson Dem. of Tennessee
suggested that as the President had
not objected to the Southern war
claims they should remain in the new
bill, but Mr.. Cannon declared they
would be subject to point of order.
Thereupon Mr.. Mahon (Rep.) of
Penn, spoke with great warmth. 81
want to put against the gentleman at
the other end of the avenue men like
Calhoun, Clay and Webster" he said,
"and prefer to take their judgment on
legal questions rather than that of the
man who now occupies the President
ial chair. He has repudiated his own
party, he has repudiated the courts of
the United States and now he pro-
poses to repudiate Congress. This
is not a matter for the President to
settle. If we propose to let him die
tate what bills are to be passed we
might as well go home"
Mr.. Grosvenor (Republican), of
Ohio, said the President had "fulmin-
ated a rehash of all the stale Demo-
cratic arguments for repudiating
these claims'' and had deliberately
misstated the facts, as there were no
insurance claims in the amendment.
Mr.. Dockery Democrat), of Mis-
souri,, supported the veto on the
ground that bills appropriating money
for the support of the Government
should not degenerate into claim bills.
Mr.. Brumm (Republicap), of Penn
sylvania, as chairman of the Commit
tee on Claims, believed the policy of
adding claims to appropriation bills
to be bad one and then provoked a
tempest when he continued, speaking
of the veto: "Setting aside the Bill
lingsgate-"
81 call the gentleman to order,"
shouted Mr.. Sayers.
"He has no right to indulge in such
talk regarding the President"
Mr.. Brumm shouted back excitedly:
'I am responsible for all 1 cay and
am ready to answer for it at the prop
er time"
Speaking of the arguments of the
veto Mr.. Brumm declared that they
we're "intended as a cheat, fraud
! and a falsehood."
Mr.. Cannon, chairman of the Com :
mittee on Appropriations, declared
that there were 100 insurance claims
in the bill Notwithstanding Mr.. Gros-
venor's denial.
The question of passing the bill
over the veto was then put to the
House and the vote on the roll call
was, Yeas 40; nays 14s.
Mr.. Cannon then sent to the clerks
desk a substitute bill with the items
objected to by the President eliminat-
ed; also the Southern war claims.
| Mr.. Richardson protested against
/ a IA l. \