Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

202 ABRIDGMENT OF TILE SENATE.] Veto of the Land Bill. [DECEMBER, 1833. tion of the reasons which had induced him to make a few observations on this extraordinary refuse his assent to the bill of the last session, course, and to say that it was due to Congress, authorizing an appropriation for a limited time, to the people, and to the Executive himself, to of the proceeds of the public lands. The Mes- have informed the last Congress in reference sage having been read, to this subject, concerning which he must have Mr. CLAY rose, and stated that this Measure made up his mind. Ile would now move had been first introduced into Congress at the to lay this bill on the table, and would aftersession before the last, under circumstances wards give notice of a day when he should ask which must be within the recollection of every leave to bring in a bill in order to submit it member of the Senate. Its object was to dis- again to the action of the Senate. pose of the proceeds of the public lands for a The motion to lay the bill upon the table limited time. The subject had been greatly was decided in the affirmative-Ayes 19. discussed, not only in Congress, but throughout Mr. BENTON moved to take up the Message the country. The principles and provisions of for consideration. the bill were well and generally understood. Mr. MOORE thought that the Senator from The subject had attracted the attention of the Missouri would have another opportunity of Chief Magistrate himself, and this bill was made offering what he wished to say; and he was the subject of commentary in his Message at the himself desirous to move the printing of an commencement of the last session of Congress. extra number of the Message. It must, therefore, be considered as a subject Mr. BENTON expressed a hope that he might perfectly well understood bythe President; forit be permitted to take as wide a range as the was not to be supposed that he would have com- gentleman from Kentucky had taken. tie mented upon it, and recommended it to the at- wished to ask the Secretary to turn to the tention of Congress, if it had not been un- journal, and inform him on what day of the last derstood. During the last session, this bill, session the bill was sent to the President. [The which had previously been before the House, Secretary, having referred to the journal, rewas introduced in this body, and was passed, plied, that it was sent to him on the 2d of and sent to the other House, whence it was March.] lHe wished the Senate to bear in mind returned with a slight amendment, taking that, as the 3d of March fell on a Sunday, the away the discretion which had been invested 2d was, in fact, the last day of the session. He in the State Legislatures as to the disposal then asked if there was not an ancient rule of of the proceeds. This bill, which had been be- Congress that prohibited the sending a bill to fore Congress the session before the last, which the President on the last day of the session? had passed at the last session, having been be- [Mr. KING answered that there was.] He then fore the country for a whole year when it passed inquired if the sending of the bill on the 2d of the two Houses, was placed before the Ex- March, last session, was not a violation of this ecutive, with a number of other measures, just rule? There was a precipitation and haste at before the close of the last Congress. As the the close of the session, which prevented not subject had been before the President for con- only the President, but the members themsideration so long previous to the passage of selves, from knowing precisely what they were the bill, and he had reflected upon it, it was doing. The rule to which he had adverted was not to have been expected that he would take set aside last session, and all the evils which advantage of the shortness of the session to re- accompany precipitation were the consequence. tain the bill until this time. Yet such had There were 142 acts put on the statute book been the fact, and a proceeding had taken place last session. The 53d of these acts was signed which was unprecedented and alarming, and on the 2d of March. So that there were about which, unless the people of this country were 90 acts signed on the last day of the session, lost to all sense of what was due to the legisla- and thus a mass of business was thrown on the tive branch of the Government, to themselves, President, which it was almost impossible to and to those principles of liberty which had perform. And now the people were called on been transmitted to them from the revolution, to revolt, and denunciations had gone forth they would not tolerate. It was at least due that, if the people would put up with this, they to the Legislature that the President should would put up with any thing, because the Preshave sent a few lines, courteously informing ident, in addition to all this mass of business, them that, when his own mind was made up, did not, on that day, write the paper which he would communicate the result. But without had now been read, and send the bill back. deigning to make known his intention, or to And this declaration was made in the presence impart the reasons which influenced him, he of members who knew that it sometimes took despotically kept silence, and retained the bill. them months to prepare a speech for the press, Mr. C. begged leave to congratulate the Senate with the help of the note-takers and the speakon the return of the bill. The question which ers themselves, and all that were concerned. now presented itself was, whether the bill was Yet the people were called on to revolt against dead, in consequence of the non-action of the the President for not preparing this paper in adPresident, or whether it had become an existing dition to all the legislative and executive busilaw. He was not now about to discuss that ness which pressed on him in the last few hours question; but he had felt himself called on to of the session. He had risen not only to de

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 202
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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