Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1876 — The President’s Message on the Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill. [ARTICLE]

The President’s Message on the Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill.

Washington, July 81. The following is the message which was sent to the House by the President to-day giving his objections to the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill: To the House of Representatirp*: The act making appropriations for tho sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30,1877, is so defective in what it omits to provide for. that X cannot announce its approval without at the same time pointing ont what seems to be to me its defects. It 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 reduction to the ordinary annual appropriation for the RevenneCutter Service to the prejudice of the Customs Revenue. The same may he said of the Signal Service, as also the failure to provide for.the increased expenses devolved ui>on the mints and assay efiices by rel ent legislation, and for the ’rote tion. preservation, and completion of public bulldhjgs fqr which there 1* no adequate appropriation. The sum of SIOO 000 only is appropriated for repairs of different navy-yards ami stations, and the preservation of the same, the ordinary and customary appropriations for which are not less than $1,009,0 0. IA similar reduction is made in expenses for armories and arsenals. Thamrovieion for ordinary judicial expenses is much less than the estimated amount for that important service by the actual expenditures of the last fiscal- year and certain demands of the current year. The provision for the surveys of public lands is less i han one-half of the usual appropriation for that service and what are understood to be its actual demands. The reduction to the expenditures for houses. beacons and fog-stations is also made in similar proportion. _ . r ...

Of the class for which no appropriation is made, among the most noticeable, perhaps, is that portion of the general of the'District of Columbia in behalf of the United States as appropriated in former years, and judgments of the Court, of Claims. The failures to make a reasonable contribution to the expenses of the Nation's Capital is an apparent dereliction on the part of the United States, and rank Injustice to the people here, who hear the burdens; W h lle to ref use or neglect to provide for the payment of the solemn jnugments of its own Ccprts is apparently to repudiate. • Of a different character, but as prejudicial to the Treasury, Is the omission to make provision to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to have the rebel archives and records of captured and abandoned property examined, and information furnished herefrom for the me of the Government. Finally, without further specification In detail, it may be said that the act which in its title purports to make provision for a diverse and greatly extended civil service, unhappily appropriates an amount not morn than sixty-five per cent, of its ordinary demands. « . The Legislative Department establishes and defines the service, and d volves upon the Executive Dcpait "ents the obligation of submitting annua ly the needfu l estimates of the expenses of such service. Congress properly exacts implicit ob-dienes to the requirements of the law in the administration of the public service, and a rigid accountability in the expenditure thereof. It is submitted that a corresponding responsibility and obligation rests upon it to make adequate appropriations to render possible each administration. Anything short of an ample provision fora specified service is necessarily fraught with disaster to public Interests, and is a possible injustice to those charged with its execution. To appropriate and to execute are corresponding obligations and duties, and the adequacy of the former is a necessary measure for the efficiency of execution. In this eighth month of the present session of Cong ess, nearly one month of the fiscal year to which this appropriation applies having passed, I do uot feel warranted in vetoing au absolutely necessary appropriation hill, but in signing it 1 deem it a duty to show where the responsibility belongs for whatever embarrassments may arise iu the execution of the trusts confided to me. U. S. Grant.