WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 184,2
71
A VETO MESSAGE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1 Executive Department, City of Austin, January 12, 1842. To the Honorable the House of Representatives: I herein return to the House of Representatives (in which it originated,) a bill entitled "an act to authorize the Commission of the General Land Office to issue patents in certain cases." There are two objections to this bill, which influence me, as the Execu- tive of the Republic, to with-hold my official sanction. The first is that the second section of the bill provides, that "the tribunal herein created shall grant to appellants of the District Court," etc.-and upon looking through the whole bill, I find no tribunal therein created for any such purpose. The second reason is, that the bill provides no check against frauds, which may be com- mitted upon the law; nor is there anything in it which would prevent the same fodividual from procuring a certificate in every county in the Republic. Sam Houston [Rubric] 1 "Houston's Private Executive Record Book," p. 22, courtesy of Mr. Franklin Williams. To CONGRESS 1 Executive Department, City of Austin, January 26, 1842. To the Honorable the Senate, and the House of Representatives: I would respectfully invite the attention of Congress to the existing necessity of allowing, by law, the appointment of some individual whose services I may be able to procure, for the purpose of affixing the President's signature to the Exchequer bills now in the course of preparation. From the press of busi- ness in the Executive Office, which will continue till the adjourn- ment of Congress, it will be impossible for the President's Private Secretary to perform the laborious duty imposed by the law as it now stands. The compensation should be such as to enable me to obtain the services of a competent and responsible person. Sam Houston [Rubric] mHouston's Private Executive Record Book," p. 24, courtesy of Mr. Frank- lin Williams, Houston, Texas.
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