U.S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 14, 1876_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
In affixing my signature to the river and harbor bill, No. 3822,
I deem it my duty to announce to the House of Representatives my
objections to some features of the bill, and the reason 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 to the
public interests resulting therefrom and the loss of expenditures from
previous Congresses upon incompleted works. Without enumerating, many
appropriations are made for works of purely private or local interest,
in no sense national. I can not give my sanction to these, and will take
care 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 the loss of revenue likely to arise from a
deficiency of appropriations to insure a thorough collection of the
same. The reduction of revenue districts, diminution of special agents,
and total abolition of supervisors may result in great falling off of
the revenue. It may be a question to consider whether any expenditure
can be authorized under the river and harbor appropriation further than
to protect works already done and paid for.
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