Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1876 — The President’! Message on the River and Harbor Bill. [ARTICLE]

The President’! Message on the River and Harbor Bill.

Wajhimotok, Aug. H. The President to-day sent tlie following message addressed to the House of Representatives: In affixing my signature to the River and Harbor Appropriation bill, No. 8,022,1 deem It my duty to announce to the House of Representatives my objection to some features of the biU, and the reason why I sign it. If it was obligatory upon the Executive to expend all the money appropriated by Congress, I should return the River and Harbor bill with my objections, notwithstanding the great inconvenience tp public interests resulting therefrom and loss of .expenditures from previous Congresses upon incompleted .works. Many appropriations are made for work of purely a private or local interest In no sense National. I cannot give my sanction to these, and will see that during my term of office no public money shall be expended upon them. There is very great necessity for economy of expenditures at this time growing out of loss of revenues likely to arise from a deficiency of appropriations to insure a thorough collection of the same. The reduction of the revenue districts, diminution of Special Agents and total abolition of Supervisors may result in a-great falling off of the revenue. It may he a question to consider whether any expenditure can be well authorized under the River and Harbor Appropriation bill further than to protect the work already done and paid for. Under no circumstances will I allow expen* ditures not clearly National. U. S. Grant. Executive Mansion, Washington, Aug. 14,1878.