Year: 1866

WASHINGTON, July 16.-The follow ing is the veto messagesof the President communicated today to the house of rep resentatives:

 A careful examination of the bill passed by the two houses of congress, entitled, "An act to continue in force and to amend An act to establish a bureau for the relief of freedmen and refugees, and for other purposes, has convinced me that the legislation which 1t proposes would not be consistent with the welfare of the country, and that it falls clearly within the reasons assigned in my message of the 18th of February last, returning without my sig nature similar measure which originated in the senate. It is not my purpose to re- peat the objections which l then urged. they are yet fresh in your recollection, and can be readily examined as a part of the records of one branch of the national legislature. Adhering to the principles set forth in that message, I now rcafirm them and the line of policy therein indica- ted. The only ground upon which the kind of legislation can be justified is the war making power. The act of which this bill is intended as amendatory was passed during the existence of the war. By its own provisions it is to terminate within one year from the cessation of hostilities and the declaration of peace. It is there fore yet in existence. It is likely that it will continue in force as long as the freed men may require the benefits of its provis- ions. It will certainly remain in operation as law until some months subsequent to the meeting of the next session of con gress, when, if experience shall make evi- dent the necessity of additional legislation, the two houses will have ample time to mature and pass the requisite measures In the mean time, the questions arise, why should this war measure be continued be. yond the period designated in the original act, and why in time of peace should military tribunal be created to continue until each state shall be fully restored in it's constitutional relations to the government, and shall be dul y represented in the con- gress of the United States? It was mani fest. with respect to the act approved March 5, 1865, that prudence and wisdom alike required that jurisdiction over all ca ses concerning the full enjoyment of the rights of citizenship as well as the protec- ton of person and property, should be con- ferred upon some tribunal in every state or district where the ordinary course of judicial proceedings is no longer interrup- ted. The courts, both state and federal, are in full, complete and successful opera ton, and through them, every person, re- gardless of race and color, is entitled to. and can be heard. The protection grant. ed to the white citizen is already conferred by the laws upon freedmen. Strong and strengthened guards by way of penalties and punishments are thrown around his person and property, and it is believed thot ample protection will be afforded him by due process of law, without resort to the dangerous expedient of military tribu- nals. Now that the war has been brought to close, the necessity no longer existing for such tribunals, which had their origin in the war, grave objections to their con- tinuance must present themselves to the minds of all the rehecting and dispasslon- ate. Independently of the danger in rep resentative republics of conferring upon the military in time of peace extraordina- ry powers, so carefully guarded against by the patriots and statesmen of the early days of the republic, so frequently had the ruin of governments been formed upon the same free principles, and subversion of the rights and liberties of the citizen.

 The question of practical economy com mends itself to tho consideration of the law-making power. With an immense debt already bordering the incomes of the industrial and lahoring classes, due re-