Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-12-19

less as member OF tins House a. 10
oFthe Executive the appointment nv A
moval 10 or from any Office, OF any ia:
vidual. But much more imnor,a,.
was involved in this iisc,,Ss;oni.
Shall the House of Representatives l..
Instrumental in Introducing INFO lie
American constitution a doctrine vb;e,,
has deluged the English nationwiti hInod
which has occasioned a long, yiole".
and bloody war; a war which fnall,
wresied from the Stuart family this nre.
rogatwe MIR. X said he acquitted pep-.
tlemen OF any such intention: he bel;en-.
ed their intentions were pure-bnt hs a..
at once the danger of this susnen,l:',
prerogailve, for which the commons &c
England commended he knew not how Io,, vi
and at length wrested from their s o.e
reigns,. being attributed to our Executive
authority differing so widely in its con.
struction from that ofmonarchial govern
ments, Mr. r. could not consent In il
II, SAID lie, the House were TO request tho
PRESIDENT to suspend this act. percLanro
some future President will suspend nns
statutes without our request, and for tb;s
reason-if he be competent TO s,,sncnd ~" ns'
act, mere resolution of this Uomse d,a" WI
neither enlarge nor diminish his mower
Under tins view of the case. If the d.;
sions OF the commissioner were ia fax a..
last dollar from the Treasury. Mr.. r said
he would rather see it drained. than co.,
1t admitted thattlie President Of The TN;
tea States had the power to suspend lave
lii any case avs
Mr: Grosrenor rose TO ask the gentle-
man from North Carolina, whether he oh
tanned the facts which he had stated from,
the commissioner himself If thew wera
as stated, thecase must be one. not onl,,
OF an incorrect but of corrupt decision y
IL the gentleman had stated the real cir
cums'ances OF the case, Mr. G.. said. he
shouid deem 1t sufiicientground on which
CONSTITUTE against this officer q nroceod'
ing OF crimiDalnature.
MIR. Hopkinson of Pa. said that pot,;,
was more important TO this House Than =.
character and dignity nothing was NOR
important TO the nation-and noth;nr
would tend more to sustain this cbaracteSr
than that 1T should refrain from ac,s
which 1T could not consummate Sim
pose The resolution TO pass, the reouest
TO be made ofthe President, and the Pre-
sIdent 10 order the suspension sunnos.,
,iat tiie officer refused to suspend tbe
law. The officer, said Mr.. III. in do;ne
so, stands authorised by the act NJ thee
Legislature henot ONLY successf,llv bnt
with Impunity rcsists the reauests of tb;.
Rouse and the direction of the President
The President has by fhe constitution No
such power as that of suspending law.
and although the gentleman from Penn
syivanIa had laid down the position tbat
ne had the power to suspend this law he
had not proved it. Mr. III. held If most
clear, that the President has not the DOW
err, on the request of ihis House. 10 su,,-
pend The execution ofany law.
Mr. H'doe't said he was satisfied tbattLo
grounds OF the resolution were correct
" was not proposed TO suspend TIE Ec,p
O"e tee q efec"t'om Of tie provisions of the law
speciaiiy conhded by the act 10 the execu-
i've. ne thought the House had the
hoped they would exercise il
MIR. Calhoun Of s. C.. said the ,ieG.of. 81,
lodged appeared not to be i'm the law bnt
IN The execution of the law. Jfso il WAC
In the power of the executive 10 dis,oixs
the ofhcer without the inieroos;tion of
ms House. Mr.. c. said he felt very
niue disposition TO give his support TO
any proposition, which should assume fine
ioea OF the power of this House TO SUSPEND
raw 1T the decisions of the comm;ssi-
oner were such as had been represented
no amendment of the law could have any
effect whatever, because the law did
moi even touch the case which had becn
stated. The evil appeared to he in the
officer himself. 1t is in the Presidents
power to remove that evil: in assnn,;no
power IN this case, said Mr.. c. we shonld
Act Out OF the line of our duty. If the
president did not dismiss the officer there
was 2nother remedy by the exercise ola
power belonging to this House-that of
Mr.. FORSYTH said, that much oftbe dobo.o
ilad arisen from the introduction into t,e debate
VI question not before the house Var;ou.
objections had beenmade-one of tbc,n ota mo-
vel vel character, thati would be und;gui6ed in
tn,s ftouse, TO request the President to snsnend
the execution of the law. Mr. T. said no nrc
snmed IT was always consistent with the Ji,pp;ty
VI lne rouse 10 perform the duties which the
institution and their constituents had assioned
10 them. The first great dut, of this Uouso
was Is 20 rake care of the public money. & nuard
II from wastetul disbursement MIR r said
gentlemen seemed to imagine that this rasoIu
ton was founded on the presnmrt;on d. .h,.
power exercised by the President under this
particular act, had been properly exercised
MT y SAID he would have left this sub;ert
Wholly TO The discretion of the President
y ne had been satisfied that that discre
I III ~o','i NJ properly exercised But he
enough before the House to shew tb,t ne
lne PRESIDENT had directed the suspension ola
pa't Oh tneact, lie oughttO have gone further A.
suspended the whole Mr.. r. said he womb state
~ a,,o III some cases Of decision, recently
. Dr l'ie commissioner, with which he wa,
nor PeTIectly acquainted, hut sufficientlv so IN
s,atlSIy niIn of their demerit He had been ar
.ee :, TeaSury TINS morning and examined some
Ot thc awards which had been made IT, nno
SJSe sd'u nc, ind the commissioner has award.