EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 12, 1878.

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

In transmitting herewith to Congress a communication from the Secretary of State on the subject of the conference provided for in the act of February 28, 1878, entitled “An act to authorize the coinage of the standard silver dollar and to restore its legal-tender character,” I respectfully recommend that an adequate appropriation be made for certain expenses of the conference and of the commissioners attending the same on behalf of the United States, as suggested in the communication of the Secretary of State.

R.B.  HAYES.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 15, 1878.

To the House of Representatives: 

I have the honor to transmit herewith the report of the board for testing iron, steel, and other metals, as requested in the resolution of the House of Representatives dated April 27, 1878.

R.B.  HAYES.

WASHINGTON, June,7, 1878.

To the Senate: 

In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 27th of May ultimo, I herewith transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying documents.[19]

R.B.  HAYES.

[Footnote 19:  Correspondence, etc., relative to the selection of M. Maurice Delfosse as one of the commissioners under the treaty with Great Britain of May 8, 1871, on the fisheries question.]

VETO MESSAGES.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, February 28, 1878.

To the House of Representatives: 

After a very careful consideration of the House bill No. 1093, entitled “An act to authorize the coinage of the standard silver dollar and to restore its legal-tender character,” I feel compelled to return it to the House of Representatives, in which it originated, with my objections to its passage.

Holding the opinion, which I expressed in my annual message, that “neither the interests of the Government nor of the people of the United States would be promoted by disparaging silver as one of the two precious metals which furnish the coinage of the world, and that legislation which looks to maintaining the volume of intrinsic money to as full a measure of both metals as their relative commercial values will permit would be neither unjust nor inexpedient,” it has been my earnest desire to concur with Congress in the adoption of such measures to increase the silver coinage of the country as would not impair the obligation of contracts, either public or private, nor injuriously affect the public credit.  It is only upon the conviction that this bill does not meet these essential requirements that I feel it my duty to withhold from it my approval.

My present official duty as to this bill permits only an attention to the specific objections to its passage which seem to me so important as to justify me in asking from the wisdom and duty of Congress that further consideration of the bill for which the Constitution has in such cases provided.