Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/272

 226 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS it would be wise to adopt a constitutional amend ment allowing the president to veto in part only any bill appropriating moneys. A special message of January 8, 1884, commended to congress, as a matter of great public interest, the cession to the United Stales of the Illinois and Michigan canal in order to secure the construction of the Hennepin canal to connect Lake Michigan by way of Illinois river with the Mississippi. Unlawful intrusions of armed settlers into the Indian territory for the purpose of locating upon lands set apart for the Indians were prevented, or the intruders were ex pelled by the army. On July 2, 1884, the president vetoed the bill to restore to the army and place on the retired list Ma j. -Gen. Fitz-John Porter, who, on the sentence of a court-martial, approved by President Lincoln January 27, 1863, had been dis missed for disobedience of orders to march to at tack the enemy in his front during the second battle of Bull Run. The reasons assigned for the veto were, (1) that the congress had no right &quot;to impose upon the president the duty of nominating or ap pointing to office any particular individual of its own selection,&quot; and (2) that the bill was in effect an annulment of a final judgment of a court of last resort, after the lapse of many years, and on insufficient evidence. The veto was over-ruled in the house by 168 yeas to 78 nays, but was sustained in the senate by 27 to 27.