to the
State; and the payments made by the United States were deducted from the
principal sums, exclusive of the interest, thereby stopping future
interest on so much of the principal as had been reimbursed by the
payment.

I deem it proper, moreover, to observe that both under the act of the
5th of August, 1790, and that of the 12th of February, 1793, authorizing
the settlement of the accounts between the United States and the
individual States arising out of the war of the Revolution, the interest
on those accounts was computed in conformity with the practice already
adverted to, and from which the bill now returned is a departure.

With these reasons and considerations I return the bill to the Senate.

ANDREW JACKSON.

_December 6, 1832_.
_To the House of Representatives_:

In addition to the general views I have heretofore expressed to Congress
on the subject of internal improvement, it is my duty to advert to it
again in stating my objections to the bill entitled "An act for the
improvement of certain harbors and the navigation of certain rivers,"
which was not received a sufficient time before the close of the last
session to enable me to examine it before the adjournment.

Having maturely considered that bill within the time allowed me by the
Constitution, and being convinced that some of its provisions conflict
with the rule adopted for my guide on this subject of legislation, I
have been compelled to withhold from it my signature, and it has
therefore failed to become a law.

To facilitate as far as I can the intelligent action of Congress upon
the subjects embraced in this bill, I transmit herewith a report from
the Engineer Department, distinguishing, as far as the information
within its possession would enable it, between those appropriations
which do and those which do not conflict with the rules by which my
conduct in this respect has hitherto been governed. By that report it
will be seen that there is a class of appropriations in the bill for the
improvement of streams that are not navigable, that are not channels of
commerce, and that do not pertain to the harbors or ports of entry
designated by law, or have any ascertained connection with the usual
establishments for the security of commerce, external or internal.

It is obvious that such appropriations involve the sanction of a
principle that concedes to the General Government an unlimited power
over the subject of internal improvements, an