Year: 1876

The following is the message which
was sent to the house by the president,
giving his objections to the sun
dry civil appropriation bill


TO the House Of Representatives


The act making appropriations for the
sundry civil expenses of the government
for the fiscal year ending June Both, 1877,
is so defective in what il omits to provide
for, that | cannot announce its approval
without at the same time pointing out
what seems to me to be its defects. 1t
makes but inadequate provision for the
service at best, and in some instances
fails to make any provision whatever.
Notably, among the first class is the re-
duction in the ordinary annual appro-
priations for the revenue cutter service,
to the prejudice of the customs revenue,
and the same may be said of the signal
service; as also the failure TO provide


for the increased expenses devolved upon


the mints and assay officers by the next


legislation, and thus tending for the pro-
lection. preservation and completion of


which there is no adequate appropriation,


while the sum of one hundred thousand


dollars only is appropriated for the re-
pairs of the different navy-yards and sta
tions and the preservation OF the same,


the ordinary and customary appropra-
tions for which are not less than one


million dollars; a similar reduction is
also made in the expenses for armories


and arsenals. The provisions for the


ordinary judicial expenses are much less


than the estimated amount for that
important service-the actual expendi-
lures of the last fiscal year and certain
demands of the current year. The pro-
vision for the expenses of surveys of


public lands is less than one-half Of the


usual appropriation for that service, and


what are understood to be its actual


demand; the reductions in expenditures
for lighthouses, beacons, foghorns


stations is also made in similar


proportion. OF the class for which


no appropriation is made, among


the most notable, perhaps, is that
norton of the general expenses of
the District of Columbia, in behalf of
the United States, as appropriated in
former years, and the judgments of the


court of claims. The failure to make a


reasonable contribution to the expenses


of the nations capitol, is an apparent
dereliction on the part OF the United
States and rand injustice to the people


here who bear the burden, while to re-
fuse or neglect to provide for the pay


ment of judgments of its own courts, it
is apparently to repudiate of a different


characted. But as preiudicial TO the
treasury its omission TO make provision
to enaole the secretary of the treasury To
have the rebel archives and the records
of captured and abandoned property
examined and the information furnished
tbcrelrom for the use of the government.
Finally, without further specification of
detail 1t may be said that the act, which in


its title purports TO make provision for
diverse and greatly extended civil
service, unhappily apPropriates an
amount not more than sixty.hve per
cent. of its ordinary demands. The


legislative department establishes and
defines the service, and devolves upon
the executive department the obligation
of submitting annually the needful


estimates of the expenses of such service.
Congress properly cxacts implicit obedi-
epcc TO the requirements OF the law in
the administration Of public service, and


rigid accountability in the expenditure
thereof. II is submitted that a cores


ponding responsibility and obli-


CATION rests upon it TO make adequate
appropriations to render possible such
exaction anything short of an ample
provision for specified service is neces-


sarily fraught with disaster to the public
interests, and is an injustice to those


charged with its execution. To appro-


pirate and to execute are correspond ng
obligations and duties, and the adequacy


of the former Is necessary measure OF
efficiency of its execution. In this eighth


month Of the present session OF congress,


nearly one month of the tircal year to


which this appropriation applies having


passed, do no feel warranted in vetoing
an absolutely necessary appropriation


bill, but in signing it, ] deem it duty


TO show where the responsibility belongs
for whatever embarrassments may arise
in the execution of the trust confided to
me. U. S. GRANT.