Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-31

but, even if tley could, were iiley 10 range
the whole continent, and visit even The
armies, whether successful or not, of the
different parties, still, their object being
known, they would every where be liable
To The same deception and imposition.-
Correct Information they wouid not oh
tam. The proper course 10 have adept
ed, MIR. &. said, MAS 10 dispatch an indi-
viduaI unknown 10 AL parties some in
jel!igen;, keen, silent aud observing man,
OF pleasing address and insinua,ns man
ners, who, coucealing the object of his
visit, woul,i $, e and lear every thing, and
report il faithfully.
But i, Was moi 10 the object Of the APP
preparation, badly as the mission had
| been devised, that Mr.. {. rose to object
| II was the constitutional point ~ snyUiyed
that made II obnoxious; and lac read lie
| clause OF the constitution which requires
The consent and concurrence ofthe Senate
10 al. appointments not speCIticaiiy pro-
vided for by law. to slIew that these com
missieners should have been nominated
TO that bodybuilding il Tor granted, that
they had not been submittedto the Senate.
The President had not only made illese
appointments without The authority Of
the constitution, or ofany law recognizing
hem, 6ut IN derogaiion from a positive
&C; of Congress. There MAS an act, Of
Congress tiAing the grade of The only Mi
nISiers we SEN; abroad, and il provided
ior two cases only, that of Minister Pleni.
potentiary and that Charge DIES Affa!res.
10 the first Ii assigned salary OF 5 5000,
10 The last Il salary of S 1890. Here were
commissioners, then, sent with a salary
fixed by the sole authority of the Presi-
dent, and not conformabie 10 that pre-
scribed by the law in either of the Two
grades. Ii he might assign s 6000, what
was there TO prevent his allowance of
S $4,000 ? Ii might be said in that case
this House would afford remedy but
gentlemen would perceive how difficult 1t
would be. 10 withhold from an agent an
appropriation, which had been promised
and pledged by the Executive. Iherewas
4 contingent fund of S so, 600 allowed 10
the President by law, which he was au-
thoriZed to cXpend without rendering 10
Congress any account OF lit was con-
iided 10 his discretion, and, if the com
pcnsation oil the commissioners had been
made from that fund, MIR. c. said, il y ouid
no, have been proper subject for enqUi
~ but, under present circumstances, in
oppositen 20 the constitution, he could
not be going too far, in giving at least his
protest 10 tins appropriations. Ii was not
his intention 10 make any motion on The
subject. and he made none.
Mr.. FORSYTH said the constitution
vests the Executive with the power o make
appointments in the recess of the Senate
Whether these were such as required the
confirmation Of the Senate, had been or
would be submitted for HAT purpose, TO
that body, he did moi knew, nor was it
necessary 10 enquire. lie presumed
what ought 10 be done would be done, aud
he was disposed 10 leave the subject 10
the Executive and 10 the Senate, 10 whom
II more properly belonged. II the idea
of The Speaker was correct, and these
were officers requiring q nomination 10,
and the appreciation OF, the Senate, yet,
as they were appointed in the recess, no
constitutional wrong had been done IN
their appointment. But the Speaker had
OBJ ctedtO this commission because IL was
useless, II II was Information they went
tor. Was II not proper and necessary,
MIR. +. asked, for the government to have
information oil the State of the South A
meriCan protinces-of their actual poll
tical condition, iheirproSpeets OF success,
DC. If so, this information could be OBJ
tanned only in two ways-by the newspa-
pers. or by agents sent out for the pur-
pose. The vague and uncertain reports
given IN the newspapers could not he re-
he'd on, and the President had thought
proper TO send intelligent agents to obtain
The knowledge desired. Ii was probable
that private man might have obtained
this information better; but there was
another point TO be considered the i'm
portance of this information TO Tie gov
ernment was such, that il would DC ne
cessarY that this individual should be an
American, and the kind Of information to
be acquired might have subjected him TO
the fate OF other Americans in the Span
ish provinces; he might have been thrown
into d dungeon. The opposite party
might adopt this course To prevent his
communicating The information he should
have acquired. This had been done
American citizens had been thrown into
dungeons. In whatever aspect this sub
ject was viewed, Mr.. L. could see no i'm
proprety in voting this appropriation
1T was true the President might have taxi
en ii out of the secret service fund,
aud no enquiry would have been made
about it; but, in order TO meet all tIie
eXpences Of the mission, It might have
been necessary 10 ask further approprl-
alton for this fund and then the enquiry
would have been made, for what II was
wanted. The present course, he thought,
was more honorable aud fair. II would
have been necessary nearly 10 double
the ordinary contingent fund, and il
would have been a conclusive objection
to the appropriation, that Congress was
ignorant Of The object 10 which il was To
he applied Would The House have been
willing 10 vote an addition 10 the secret
service fund, for what might have been
considered He employment Of spies
throughout the world! This objection