Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-11-27

Executive and the Senate, which the
constitution has established, and which
,ught therefore to be maintained.
Ills here to be remarked, that the Ere
;ident does nst oven intimate that there
Is any express constitutional Inhibition
of a respectful conference, between tue
senate its.lf, or between a com n'ttee
ting On the part Of the Senate, and tae
Executive upon subjects of their con
-arrent jurisdiction but iaters Ats in'
nropriety from the consideration, that
the Executive, and Senate in cases o.
apooint,nsnts 70 office, and treaties, are
to be coasidcced independent. and CO
ordinate vita each other" and after
pointins, ~ut correctly the osusl course
Of the Seaate on ordinary occasions con-
cludes.
"The appointment of a committee o.
the Senate 10 confer INN diatcly WIN
the Executive himself, appears to loss
sigh, If the CO ordinate relation between
the Executive and The Senate, which
the constit ution has established aud
VIII. en- ought therefore 10 be nnaintines
II seems to me sufficient replv to
the reasoning Of the President, which
conduct, him to this result, u observe,
that the recital of the usual Course OF pro
ceedings by the Senate on ordinary oc-
casions, Affords no reason why some o
Their course should not be resnrted TO on
extraordinary occasions. This ruth IS
that the course of proceeding IN tue D..
nate upon nominations is variable, SUIT
ed TO the varying circumstances OF the
case, and ALWAYS intended TO attain The
means necessarily and proper, to enable
il tn acl anders,andiag,v on each. But
the princi e, upon which the Pre"i'
dents Inference 6oaliy places his obl''
cation TO decline the proposed c"n'e-
renee, is that the Executive and the Sc
nate are in certain rc>pects, co ordinate,
and thence substantially draws the mte-
renee, mat to confer win me committee
Of the Senate would be 1erogatofy 10 Tie
Executive Cnarsc er, l, is, as tar as
am able to Judge, this qua'ty OF co-ora'
nation, between the two departments,
which aloce Can justify The principle Ut
their freely comforting together. ltth's
quality would not Justify such proceed
ing, it Admit ed nothing Can 1t IN
stead OF being coordinate with, the Be.
nate were subordinate 10 tue Executive,
tae4 there would aot o@ly be IN obvious
improperly, but perhaps some scrupu-
L i
lnus minds NIGH, tanCy that there would
be spmc degree Of inpertinence IN ask
lag a conference. 4 conference, or IS
j. is sometimes called, free conference,
axes place only amongst equals; dit
ierent course of proceeding, and phra-
seoiogy. is applied to snbord'nstes. H.
The one case, reshrcJm conference rs
regursf-d this is the language OF one
anoa 10 another, both being equally ~
l"nendes, of each other In the other,
comrnunicQ ton is di-"cted This Is the
language NJ superior, TO subordinate.
If the Executive aud Senate he
coordinate. then the request, OF
respectful conference on the part OF
the Senate, cannot, as it appears to
me, offend againrt the dignity of the
Executive. nor do see, how it can
in the remotest degree, impair any
other of its constitutional pFeroga-
tiyes. The President seems not sut-
ficiently to have appreciated The dis
tiscfion. between a conference. and
call for Information, although the
distinction seems obvious. The first
requires comparison. and inter-
change. Of opinions. The other,
statement facts. Facts are. or in
other words. information is not only
often called Cor. but directed ny either
house ii Congress, from the heads
Of departments. But a conference,
OF in other words, an interchange OF
opinions. from the heads OF depart
ments is never requested ny either
house Of Congress. IL Opinions from
the heads Of departments should be
called for, the. are deliberafed upon
by the house calling for them but no
oppinions oftle house are interchange
ea for them. The President certain
/, apen his own principle, must have
overlooked this distinctions. when me
permitted his Secretary OF State TO
| propose in his stead, to confer with
| a committee of the Senate. Ii GER
tainly did not occur to him. that IN
| the contemplation of the constitution.
his secretary was not co'ordihaie'
con-cordinntus. together in order.
with the Senate-but sub ordinate.
sub. ordinutus, u der in order, or he
never could have authorised him to
cOnierwith committee of the Senate,
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