VETO

(Lat. I forbid.) In Poi:.ics, tht p v.er tnj by a branch of the legislature, which cannot of itself originate or modify a law, to reject the propositions;: other branch or branches In the Polish diet, every noble who was an independent member could prevent any reso lution from pa ing by his simple di ent (expre ed in tht words " Nie pozwalam," / do not permit). The privilege of thus arresting the deliberations of the diet was te the "liberum veto," and proved the fertile source of tht disorders and anarchy of that country. In most constitutional monarchies the king has an absolute veto (as in France and England); in some it is only suspensive. Tints. in Norway, if three succe ive storthings (a emblies) repent the same resolution, it becomes law against the will of the king. The president of. the United States may return a bill, with his reasons for di enting from it, to the house in which it originated; but if both houses pa it afterwards by a majority of two thirds in each, it is not in his power again to reject it. Veto. An act pa ed by the General A embly of the Church of Scotland, known by the name of the Veto Act. Lay patron age, or the presentation by a lay-patron of a minister to a living in the church, has never been cordially recognised on the part of the people of Scotland. On the final establishment of Presbytery as the national church, in 1690, patronage was vested in the elders and heritors (landowners) of a parish. In 1711 (10 Anne, c. 12, s..(), that law was annulled, and patronage was transferred as a civil right to individuals as an acce ory of land, or as a separate estate; and those patronages which had of old belonged to the pope, or to monasteries, or to archbishops, bishops, and chapters, were vested in the crown. The Rel of Queen Anne was never universally acceptable in Scot-" lnnd. Two di enting denominations (the United A ociate! Synod, and the Relief) owed their origin to the i discreet exercise of lay-patronage; ami though patrons « i ally disposed, particularly within the last twenty years, to show due deference to the feelings of the people, yet hostility to this mode of nominating clergymen having gained greater force, the general a embly, in 1834, pi ed the Veto Act, whereby, if a majority of the male heads nl mmilte-s, in full communion with the church, appear before] the presbytery and di ent, or lodge di ents at the ineetlnjj for "moderating in a call," the presentee was to I ed. No specific objections were required to be made by the act. the di entients being only required to declare, it asked, that they were actuated bv no factious or mnlicttnil motive, but solely by a conscientious retmrd fur tin' spirit" al interests of themselves and the congregation, and If such declaration was made, their (lis ent was sustained; If not, it was rejected. Those entitled to di ent are ascertai from a roll annually made up. The Veto Act was first [s. 1316]