In former times it was believed to be the true character of an appropriation bill simply to carry into effect existing laws and the established policy of the country.  A practice has, however, grown up of late years to ingraft on such bills at the last hours of the session large appropriations for new and important objects not provided for by preexisting laws and when no time is left to the Executive for their examination and investigation.  No alternative is thus left to the President but either to approve measures without examination or by vetoing an appropriation bill seriously to embarrass the operations of the Government.  This practice could never have prevailed without a surplus in the Treasury sufficiently large to cover an indefinite amount of appropriations.  Necessity now compels us to arrest it, at least so far as to afford time to ascertain the amount appropriated and to provide the means of its payment.

For all these reasons I recommend to Congress to postpone the day of adjournment for a brief period.  I promise that not an hour shall be lost in ascertaining the amount of appropriations made by them for which it will be necessary to provide.  I know it will be inconvenient for the members to attend a called session, and this above all things I desire to avoid.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

PROCLAMATIONS.

[From Statutes at Large (Little, Brown & Co.), Vol.  XI, p. 794.]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas by an act of Congress approved March 3, 1855, entitled “An act to improve the laws of the District of Columbia and to codify the same,” the President of the United States was directed to appoint a time and place for taking the sense of the citizens of the District of Columbia for or against the adoption of the code prepared in pursuance of said act, and, further, to provide and proclaim the mode and rules of conducting such election: 

Now, therefore, be it known that I do hereby appoint Monday, the 15th day of February, 1858, as the day for taking the sense of the citizens of the District of Columbia as aforesaid.

The polls will be opened at 9 o’clock a.m. and closed at 5 o’clock p.m.  Every free white male citizen of the United States above the age of 21 years who shall have resided in the District of Columbia for one year next preceding the said 15th day of February, 1858, shall be allowed to vote at said election.

The voting shall be by ballot.  Those in favor of the adoption of the revised code will vote a ballot with the words “for the revised code” written or printed upon the same, and those opposed to the adoption of the said code will vote a ballot with the words “against the revised code” written or printed upon the same.

The places where the said election shall be held and the judges who shall conduct and preside over the same will be as follows: