Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-03-21
stst c Congressional Session.
SPEECH OF MIR. CLAYr0N-oF della



N, n,,uciDies unon iOhich the reBoUdb hdrt
been made IN that Department.
MIR pnEsp.sr- II is with unieigned rclnc-
100 that ,is4 lor the purpose OF again en-
Ia ,inp IN a di cussisn of The resolution oil The
honorable gentleman from Tenntssee.-La'
ho,iog esI do at his time unter considerable
;ndisposiiion il would be much more agTssa'
HE 10 nv feelings, if Gems istant with my sense
of dut,, to suf-r those who originated 'Iis de-
La,e to !" form their political text book for the
r.sr" as the gentleman from Indiana has
nhrased H. without any attempt on my part Ia
mar It's beauties or correct II errors but the
rsnarks which bad The honor TO address 10
,se senate on this subject have been so gros.l,
ro,vert.d. nm the real state of the fuhds oil the
Post Office Department, as they appear from
an. documents befor rs, has been So incot-
rsctly representei by the members ftom New
u,mo.n,re and Tennrs-ee, (Mrssrs Wood-
hurry aud Gruudy that an again compelled
IN rresps.s upon The indulgence of this honora,
bic body.
Before y, oceed to discharge this ne sessary
du,y. suffer me, Sir, briefly TO notice an OBJ
ssryation which fell from the member from
Missouri, (Mr Benton.) IN the course OF a de-
bate on he salt tax, originated nv him. and
which YOU then pronounced 10 be dIsorderly.
lie was pleased TO say, that the Senate ought
not to deny him a hearing on his important
motion TO abolish the duty on alnm salt, while
they so willingly consented 10 this i"vPstisa-
ion. when engaged them as petty cou ta-
bles. in feITeling out crimes oil which they
might afterwards become ,dges.' There
@as nothing, Sir, io the source from which this
snrlng, in the manner in which II was made,
or in the occasion which gave il birth tina
would have entitled II TO 1ny notice from mo,
but for the repetition ot the argument involved
in IL, that The Senate ought not TO impure into
ilnpeschabe matter. That argument, SIR, has
been urged by the Senator IRON New tiaml-
shire, and supported by the gentleman from
Tennessee, 10 deprive the Commiltee OF the
power Of ascecainIng the principles upon
which your Postmaster General has removed
so many hundr Is oi officers from bis Depart
ment II It has not been sufficiently mel and
answered already, II was because such an At'
lmen WAS not deemed worthy of any labol-
ed rspls. | is not every hypocrilical pretence
which ingenuity can resor, 10 for the purpose
Of screening gull or condemning innocence
nor the complaint Of every sycophant who
ads before powel, aud who would PROSTATE
the dignity OF the Saaate while he affects 10
mourn over ITS fall, that neris an answer from
M B1tt1 TIE gentleman from Tennessee,
WAC rfpresents the highly respectable Leg tslt-
ture wdtca elected him. and who Doubtless
mi,ks there is weigh, IN this objection when
he presses IL, answer that the object OF the
whole enquiry, DIS expires +ed on the lace OF the
resolution, under tue authority oil which lie and
arr art'g as msm1 RS OF d committee, is 20
0iu te us 10 leg iSiute; that It WAS not instituted
10 lay the tou- ddtion for any impeac nmeni
tai the right u I.h the Senate enjoys as
TOO dlnate branch OF the whole legislative
pUser OF the Unon, involves the righI to m
"A ail ha IL.
parlments Of the Cove, ntnent which legislation
Ctnlea, h, and which Congress ought either to
lmllt OF prevent. Inc po yer to inquire wh.
iher a law be ne cessary, nut he incident aud
soosl liary TO the power 10 max. 4.
Hi. reasoning To screen the Postmaster Gen
slal from this investigation proves too much.
j. would prevent rs from examining the CON
duct OF all those subordinate officers OF the
government VINO are as lablr 10 impe achmeni
rs the President or Chiefs Of the Department
The gentleman from Maine has Justly rema
ked hat the Senate is for some purposes
l1dlcia, for Others an executive and for Others
alrgislaiiye body. 1t exercises all the power
laIldent 10 each of these capacities Indepen-
IDENTIFY of the others. Was il ever heard thal
The Senate torbore to counsel aud advise the
President 10 their executive character, hecaus'
hey might thereby PREJUDICE matters which
ny possibility mil lit aft r"aids be submitted 10
them as legislators? Sh 'ul1 we refuse to
0ear word to convince Us oi The necessity OF
passing an act TO preven', by increasing the
penalties 10 , exiortion IN our public officers,
because We might be called upon TO Try them
NJ Judges Did we REUSE to decide in our
judicial capacity q.e,tion Of Contempt, BE-
cause such bill as mas since been inIrodu-
ced, 10 regulate the law of contempt, IN ght
be brought before US The argument, fit de-
serve the name ot one, would snbvert the pow
er and obsruci tbs whole ACTON nf the Senair.
IN all such cases the objection OF pr JIdgiLg IL
met and crushed by tue antagonist consider
b'on, that our duty TO the people. aud our
od'hs TO support the magma chafid of their IL
oettles require NJ US 10 close every avenne
against the possible abuse OF power, aud 10
expose aud restrain every encroat hmpnt upon
"ef rights. Sir. there are, perhaps hundr d
,Ssei appearing Oh our records, III which IL
qh'ies have been made hr into abuses OF the
government, Tor The purposes of legs.a ion
""o IL Is not too mnoh to say, that this Is the
u's' time, in the history OF this DO ~, when
Anch an objection has besn advanced 10 screen
puollc oihcer from fair aud full Investiga-
"oh oil the principles which have regulated his
ohclai conduct. II sno less striking than
"0Se' 100, that the friends OF the Postmaster
Isaeaa sho aid bttray such great sensitiveness
.sa me sGdmiadtion Of The committee should
'suu " MS Impeachment. When that Com,ni,iee
!, 'ppo'n'ed in the early part of this session,
40 "as san".ingiy urged by his friends here
, n0t mey 1'hed the investigation AID courted
"T inquiry Their cry was, :" none but the
sa,s" Jaoes vince. - Examine every thing
a"u you VIM find all right The original e
r,a.' directing the enquiry into the entire
~,n oil Tue Department was adop ed
sv NV" an air OF trump, though the anxiety tc
n., 'u 'ne scrutiny ola Select Committee die
wn, ,p well compor', as thought then, Sir
companied IT,
G. n"en 'ne trial begins, we see that a new
cn.a 'aune"iy shed on the question then d..
ss, su par, oithe power which ~as dele
r.. 10 NE Committee must be now revoked
sly osSms To SHINE 100 brightly, and tn,