Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-08-30
Fyos, The Connecticut X.

0c7ence OF .dfdl1ang HloHe5 'V"' 1000
s,vy.--Inthe latter end OF February, iooo'
Just before the adjournment OF congress-
Mr.. Jefferson, Chen president) sent mes 80.
sage 10 the 1enate, informing them OF MS
having in the month of August Preceuns'
commissioned WILLIAM SHORT as MINIS
ter penipotentiary to the court OF Of
tersburg and nominating him tor tna1 o.
fee. Congress had then benin session io'
several months, and from day to day en-
ployed in discussing Our foreign relations
without any knowledge or even lntlnatloh
of Mr.. Shorts mission. The Senate una
nimousy rejected the nomination.
What authority hsd president Jefferson
to appoint, commission, and send OFT MI
mister 10 Russia, where the United States
had never before that time had minister
By the constitution, the president is autho-
,ised ito nominate, and by and with the
consent of the Senate, to appoint ambassa-
doris, other public ministers and consu!s,
Judges OF the supreme court, and all other
officers of the United Staets, whose appoint
mens are not herein otherwise provided
for, and vhich shall BE- established By la7v."
The president shall have power to til up
all vacancies that may happen during the
recess of the Senate, by granting commits
sions which shall expire at the end OF their
next session." 1t is very certain that the
appointments of Mr.. Short was not made by
virtue Of the power contained in the latter
clause above quoted, for as no ambassador
had ever been appointed from the United
States to Russia, no vacancy could have
happened and the power given by this part
of the constitution, extends only to the case
of vacancy happening when the Senate
is not in session. 1t is true that Mr.. Jef.
ferson, during his presidency, contrived to
render the constitution void on the subisct
of appointment to office, by removing null
titudes of officers and thus making vacancies
and then filing them up. The word "hab-
benins," does not naturally suit the case Of
a removal by presidential authority. But,
If he had been disposed to give the consti-
tuition fair construction, he would not
have made all the vacancies happen by re-
moving the officers during the recess; he
wonld have taken the opportunity, when the
Senate was in session. In the present case,
however, he made not only the officer, but
the o1ficc. Congress had made 40 provi-
SIGN at all for mission to Petersburg, and
the arpoinsmrnt Of Mr.. Short clf laq4lAg
no other president would have dared to
venture upon. This is not only the obvious
and true construction of the constitution,
but ii is believed it has also been the trac-
tical construction OF it. Neither Washing
ton nor Adams, eyer claimed or exercised
the power of creating new diplomatic mis-
sions, and legations, to whatever courts
they pleased,
The mission Of Mr.. Short, is the first of
the sort on record /; and we hope and trust
it will be the last. In virtue Of his spurious
appointment and commission, he went, NOT
to St. Petersburg, but to France, the great
centre of our foreign CORES pondence, and
diplomatic affairs. BY the laws OF the u.
States an ambassador, regularly appointed
to foreign court, is entitled to a salary
not exceeding nine thousand dollars year,
and an OUTFIT not exceeding the amount of
a years salary. This salary, and this out
fit, cannot be lawfully paid out of the trea-
sury of the United States to any but an am
bassador legally and coastitutionahy APP
pointed. The following documents will
serve to shew that a considerable sum of
the peoples money had been before that
time PAID to Mr.. Short in consequence of
his being thus irreSularly and unconstitu-
tionally sent on this mission. How much
more he may have Obtained since is not yet
known.
REPORT.
=" The secretary of the treasury, in obedi-
ence to the resolution of the house of re-
representatives. of the Esd instant, respect
fully