Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-17

II il be urged that, by avowiDg our will
ingnesS, IN ieg Islaiive act, 10 pay a mi
MISTER net vet Sent, and whom the prtsi-
dent may think n laproper 10 send abroad,
we operate upon the President by all the
force ut our opinion 4 may he retorted
that heH NE are called upon 10 pay any
minister, sent under similar circnmsian-
ceS. Ne are operated upon by all the force
OF lhe Presidents opinion. The true the
ory OF our government, al least suppoScs
that each Of the TWO delar,n.CniS, aching
on lis proper constitutional responsibility,
Will decide according To lis best Judg-
meni, under al The circumstances OF Tie
case. II we make the previous appropri-
alton, we aci upon our constitutional res
possibility, and the President afterwards
will proceed upon his. And, solf he make
The previous appointment. We have
right, ait, r minister is sent abroaG, and
we are called upon 10 pay him, and we
ought 10 deliberate upon the proprieiy of
his mlssion-we may and ought 10 grant
or withhold his salary. Ia tins power OF
dchberaiion is conceded subsequent 10
The depuiaton of file minister, II must ex-
Isl prior To that depuiation. Whenever
we so deliberate, we deliberate under our
constitutional responsibility. Pass the
amendment he proposed, and il would be
passed under that responsibility. Then
The President, when he deliberated on
the proprlety of the mission, would act
under his constitutional responsibility
Each branch of government, moving III lis
proper sphere, would act with as much
freedom for the influence of the other as
was practically atiainable.
There was great reason, Mr.. G.. con-
Lodi har e
Am rican government, in there being a
perfect understanding between the legis-
lative and executive branches, in relation
10 the aclinoW ledgment OF a new power.
Every where else the power of declaring
war resided with the executive. Here il
was deposited with the legislature. II,
contrary 10 his opinion, there were even ID
risk that The acknowledgment Of a new
state might lead 20 war, IT was advisable
that The step should not be taken without
Il previous knowledge of the will of the
war-making branch. He was disposed
10 give 10 the President all tire confidence
which he must derive from the uneauivo-
cal expression of our will. This express
sion he knew mi lt be given in The form
OF an abstract resolution, dCclaratory of
that will; but he preferred, at this time,
proposing an act of practica legislation.
communicate To The committee, in auy
thing like that degree OF strength IN which
lie entertained them, the convictions, that
the Gauss of the patriots Sc as Just thai
tie CHARACTER of the war, as waged by
Spain, should induce us 10 wish them
success; that We had great interest in
that success; that this interest, as well
as our neutral attitude, required Us TO &C
knowledge any established government
IN Spanish America; that the united pro-
vImceS of the river Plate was such a gov
ernment; that we might safely acknowl-
edge lis independence, without danger of
war from SPAN, from the allies, or from
England and That, without unconstliu-
llonal interference with the executive
| power, with peculiar fitness, we might ex-
press, III an act appropriation, our SEN
tImenis, eaving him TO the exercise of a
| just and responsible discretion, he hoped
! the committee would adopt tie PROPOSE
| ton which he had now the honor OF pre-
sent,ng TO them, after a respectful teuder
of his acknowledgements for their aiten-
ton and kindness, during, he feared, the
tedious period he had been so unprofitu
biv trespassing upon their patience. He
offered the following amendment 10 the
bill:
For one years salary, and an outfit
to minister to the United Provinces of
the Rio de la Plata, tie salary 10 COM
mence, and the ouifitio be paid. whenev-
er the president shall deem it expedieDt TO
send minister to The said United Prov
inces, a sum not exceeding eighteen tl.ou-
| sand dollars"