Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-03-10
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1897

N. q
iect, made By the tviH of the President, and moi
by IaU The obvious intention of this clause of
the institution, was TO have the combined iudg
Hsn' and responsible sanction of the representa-
''Ves OF the people TO every object upon which the
peoples money should be expended-an intention
Altogether defeated by the practice of ve.ting in
the President discretionary authority 10 desig-
nate the particular objects of public expenditure
4 ne only means CT preserving the true spirit o.
the constitution upon ,fis subject is a stric, adj
herence to the maxim SO earnestly inculcn,e,} hv
M Jeherson-" ito appropriate specific sums TO
every sPecihc purpose susceptible of detiniiion.'
In these remarks, said Mr.. r., my object has
oeen 10 she tina we could not, without departing
rom the sptrtf, at least of that primary dstrIbu-
ZION OF power, which The Constitution itself has
established among the several Departments of the
uoVeTnuent. delegate TO the President the large
discretionary authority which is vested in him by
The 'ct OF 1924. Bu If there were no cons,jt,,
s:0nhf i"peilmens To the transfer of this power
mere Is abundant reason against II in its inevitable
tendency dangerously to increase The influence of
me executive, al the expense Of the other branch.
CO VI 'he government. and DESTROY, in prac-
lce' mat equilibrium among them, which the Con
'''''on uhuouo ediy intended 10 create. Sir, it
was early ioresee" by the wises practical states
man, In my opinion, whom this country has ever
produced, that there ould arise in the progress of
ou' government, strong 'endency TO invest the
Executive Magistrate, by Legislation, with large
q scretohary powers, and that these Legislative
concessions would become an instrument. bv
which The character of our republican system
might be essentially changed, and made to assume
al me features OF monarchy aude, Sir, 10
VIZ. Madison, and beg leave to read to the House
an extract from his celebrated report on the alien
and sedition laws. Speaking of the CONSEQUENCE s
oil Ger ain Iatiudnous doctrines, in relation 10 the
construction oil the Constitution, then prevalent
and which, am sorry 10 add, have again become
fashionable, he says, " One consequence rru-t be
TO e"iarse the sphere Of discretion allotted TO the
Executive Magistrate. Even within the Iesisla-
ave limits properly defined BY the Constitution,
'he d'fhcui OF accommodating legal regulations
10 country so srea in extent, and 80 various in
us circumstances, has been much felt; and has
led TO occasional investments of power in the
executive, which involve, perhaps a. large a por-
uoh OF discretion - can be deemed consis rut wi b
'ne azure oi me executive trust. Ia proportion as
the Objects OF legislative care might be rnuiuliet
would 'he time allowed for each be diminished
ana The difficulty OF providing uniform and partic-
ulaT regulations tor all be increased. From these
sources would necessarily ensue greater latitude
to the agency ol that Department, which is ALWAYS
IN existence, and " hich could best mould reeuls-
lions o. general nature, so 10 suit them 10 the
ulversi'y OF particular situations. And ii is in
hts latitude, as a supplement to the Deficiency
Of me iaicS that the degree of Executive nero
gGfiue materially consists.
he other consequences would be that OF an
excessive augmentation of The Offices, honors and
emoiuments depending on the Executive will
. Ehls diSPr0poyti0nate increase of pTerogo-
tioe ana patronage, must, evidently, either ena-
Ole the chiei magistrate of the Union by quiet
means 10 secure his reelection from time 10 time
and hnally TO regulate The succession as be might
please; or, by giving a transcendant Importance
TO the oihce, would render the elections TO il so
violent and corrupt thai the public voice Itself
"sh' eaii inr an ner"dIIa in place Of elective
succession
Suppore! by this high authority, ] hope | NAV
escape the imPutation of folly and weakness, OF
"hich, dare say, many gentlemen have already
suspected me, when affirm my deliberate belief
that there Is, IN the practice Of this government
strong, steady, and increasing procliyitv 10 mo
harchy. Let not gentlemen start at the name In
the quaiihed ioim IN which il is presented TO II,
ny mouerh examples, II Is nothing bu, a strong
executive p0L0er welded by a single hand Now
Or, nave not Us strong executive power WELD
ed by single hand; which has fearfully increased
and IS still ncr'asiD. The ant cpation exp essee
In VII. Madlson's report of the Z" disproportion
ave increase OF pTerogatiye and patronage ha.
been alarmingly fulfilled.
About the period of that report Mr.. Gallaiin
who was then cooperating with Mr.. Madison
'0"Sn upon inherent theatre, IN a common
sTugsie 10 stay the encroachments OF power; es l.
mated the patronage OF the Executive at two mil.
lion OF dollars annually. The estimate will b,
found In his well known speech on the Foreigr
intercourse Bill. Even this amount was then ;
source OF alarm to the friends Of liberty Ru
what is The amount of Executive patronage now
Ana', which was the subject of MIR. G's estimate
consisted, NOT oOly in The appointment 10 Offices
bni In the disposal OF large sums of public mon e,
| by contract; and The latter is frequently mucl
more powerful engine of influence than the for
mer have been at consider able pains to cslcu
late the present extent of executive patronage, ir
both these branches, and the following result ma,
be relied upon, at least as not excessive. Some o.
the items are ofan underlined and variable amount
and Cannot, therefore, be stated with particular ac
euracy' out The aggregate, feel assured, is within
the truth How then stands the accoun?
Ihe annual pay of the officers in Inc several de.
! pa'iments OF the Treasury, State War. and Ma.
| w, and their dependencies Of the Attorney Gene
raj and POstms-ler General, Judges, Msrsbals and
District Attorneys, Officers of The Customs Post.
masters, Of Diplomatic characters. Commercial
Agents, Exclusive Of consuls.) Commissioner.
under Treaties, Territorial Officers, Indian Agents
Surveyors, Registers, Receivers, &C. in fine, the
! pay OF all civil officers whose appointments de-
penn upon the Executive, added to the pay and
em0Iumenis OF the commissioned officers Of the
| army a0d Navy, amount to about So, 500 900
yearly. The amount Of money disposed Of BY
contracts made under the direction OF the Execu-
i've, including Notifications, Docks, Navy Yards
internal Improvements, Light Houses, Iansports.
ZION Of the Mail, supplying The provisions, cloth
ing, arms, cannon, &c for The army, building
ships, and furnishing supplies necessary for TIC
| Navy, is about four millions We hundred thou.
sand dollars year The aggregate Of the two
sums ~ eight million four fiths of the whole an