1890,
I inclose a report from the Secretary of State, transmitting all the
correspondence found among the files of his Department relating to the
claim of Thomas T. Collins against the Government of Spain.

BENJ. HARRISON.

VETO MESSAGES.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 26, 1890_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without my approval the bill (H.R. 7170) "to authorize
the city of Ogden, Utah, to assume an increased indebtedness,"

The purpose and effect of this bill is to relieve the city of Ogden from
the limitation imposed by the act of July 30, 1886, upon all municipal
corporations in the Territories as to the indebtedness which they may
lawfully contract. The general law fixes the limit of 4 per cent upon
the last assessment for taxation; this bill extends the limit as to the
city of Ogden to 8 per cent. The purposes for which this legislation is
asked are not peculiar or exceptional. They relate to schools, street
improvements, and to sewerage, and are common to every prosperous and
growing town and city. If the argument by which this measure is
supported is adopted, the conclusion should be a repeal or modification
of the general law; but in my opinion the limitation imposed by the act
of 1886 is wise and wholesome and should not be relaxed.

The report of the governor of Utah for 1889 states the population of
Ogden to be 15,000, the valuation for taxation $7,000,000, and the
existing indebtedness $100,000. It will be noticed that under the
existing limit the city has power to increase its indebtedness
$180,000, which would seem to be enough to make a good beginning in the
construction of sewers, while the cost of street improvements is usually
met in large part by direct assessment upon the property benefited.

It is assumed in the report of the House committee that any city in
the States similarly situated "would have the making of the needed
improvements within its own power," while the fact is that almost all of
our States have either by their constitutions or statutes limited the
power of municipal corporations to incur indebtedness, and the limit is
generally lower than that fixed by the act regulating this matter in the
Territories. A large city debt retards growth and in the end defeats
the purpose of those who think by mortgaging the future to attract
population and property. I do not doubt that the citizens of Ogden will
ultimately realize that the creation of a municipal