Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-12-18
CONGRESS.
House of REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, Dec. ii.

House OF hepreSe'"W'VeS' %''"5'
The House having resumed the consideration
Of the unfinished business. being the reference OF
various parts of the Presidents Message; .
The question being on an additional reso'u-
tion, q 5th) moved by Mr. Daniel. 10 Comm'ttee'
which referred SO much Of the Message as reiat'
ed to the exercise Of doubtful powers oy Con-
gress to Select Committee,
Mr. Speight suggested that the gentleman nad
better insert his proposition as an amendment 10
the eth Resolution, SO as to make that neso'u'
ton read
s.Re,olred, That so much Of said Message as
recommends an amendment Of the Constitution IN
relation to internal improvements, and The reduc,
ing the same to some fixed and certain rule. ana
the exercise by Congress Of doubyM potcers, be
referred to Select Committee.
Mr.. Daniel replied, that as the genteman's
views were usually sound and wholesome, he
would take his advice
Mr.. Wickliffe said tina, he did not know that
the President had recommended the exercise OF
doubtful powers by Congress
MIR. Daniel then modified the Resolution So
"a To read sand SO much as relates 10 the exer-
cisr." &c.
Mr. Mercer thought it would be best to strike
out The clause. lie had thought, at first, that
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr DanieD had
ben intending only the indulgence of vein
of humor; but he perceived that It was otherwise,
and he thought that the subject was very pro-
per subject of reference The question whe-
ther, before any power is exercised BY Congress.
which some gentlemen considered a. doubtful.
resort must be lad to convention Of three f0urths
Of all the people Of the United States. was GER
tainly a subject that might very properly be r..
| ferred 10 a committee Of that House. ltfurnish-
ed a subject of serious consideration. Yet its
seriousness arose more from the high source from
which such a suggestion had proceeded, than
from any thing else He apprehended that If
| Congress were never to exercise any power which
| had been doubted until two.thirds Of the People
Of the Union had been called upon to decide the
question. their path from darkness to day would
be, long and difficult, and would be- ve'y seldom
travelled Mr.. NJ. objected to coupling this
clause with that in relation to Internal Improve
ments; it seemed to imply, all aflinif, betwern
the two subjects which he vas disposed to dis.
solve.
Mr.. Polk moved to strike out the words .and
the exercise b. Congress Of doubtful po~ers:'-
The Presidents message suggested the p'oprir'y
Of dI.spatins all doubts about the constitutions
iiy of works Of Improvements az conducted BY
the General Government. When the gentleman
from Kentucky mo, ed his resolution about doubt
tul powers, Mr. p. lad supposed, asother gentle.
men seemed to have done. that u had been done
merely in sport: # he had not, he should have
opposed the resolution.
| Here some desutory discussion arose on the
question whether il would be in order to receive
MIR. Folks amendment. aud the CHAIR was un.
derstond as pr"nouncing it to be in order.J
Mr. Daniel SAID he could assure the gentleman
| from Tenue z,ev NJ p-4L3 thai in nAk king The
motion he had done, he had been entirely IN ear
nest. 'Fhc srntivman mistaken II he sup
posed Mr. d came to that House for the purpose
of making sport with so important part Of the
Message of the Executive HIS object had been
to ascertain what powers the President consider.
ed as .. doubtful powers and what not, IN or
der that Congress mi ht not exercise them against
his will. Ithad been his desire, il he could be
SD fortunate as to get upon the committee, to
hunt out the Presidents opinion, il il we're pos.
sIble to discover what that Op'nion was, points
of Constitutional law. That had been his wish,
and that his purpose in Offering the resou-
| ton. Was this sporting with the House! He
was now, however. apprehensive that the gentle
man from North Carolina MIR. Speight) had got
! his resolution INTO state that he would BE- una
Bile to do what he intended lie wanted TO have
examined the various coumunic TONS Of the Exc
cutive to that House al different times, and aiso
the expressions of his opinions nut al doors-6e
cause he Wds tceK aWare thu The expression Of
an opinion by The President that he doubted he
eonsfitutionatity Of anyparficular po,oer, 9 der
| Ell that g doubtful p hoer." and thai power
! For example, he desired particularly 10 know what
ought not therefore to br exercised by Congress.
was the opinion Of the President On the repeal Of
the 25th section Of the Judiciary act; tnis he
hoped to get from the gentleman from Tennes.
see Mr.. Polk who was said to be very init
mate at the White House. He wished farther
to know how Tar Stale might act in regard 10 its
own internal police. He wished to get at these
Executive opinions, as they were 10 be gathered
from eclarations pubic or private, and among
other thing, from the Proclamations Of the Exc.
cuive. He thought that # this could be ascer-
tanned, the Union, instead of being dissolved
might be preserved, if the House would only de-
clare how far State might 60. liz wished to save
this Union from civil war, and from foreign war,
also, which was not unlikely to be excited by the
course the President was pursuing. He would
have desired to max. Report upon this subject;