Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-02-27

bank, ana tnat Inc executive had fCcOG-
nized the fact that it was so confded And
now, what had been done? A message ha, !
been sent 10 the senate by the executive.
n pursuance of his plans for the annihila-
iol, Of the bank, denouncing The institution
because it had not violated an obligation
which was imposed upon it by an act OF
Congress!
Mr.. G. SAID he had considered it to bel
his duty to make these remarks. lie hopeo
that the message would be referred TO
committee which would enter into an ex-
for the purpose of discovering
whether there had been any violation of
duty on The part of the bank. If it should
appear that there had been any such viola
ton OF duty ON the part of that institution,
no one would be more ready than himself
to apply proper and prompt correction of
the evil. But, if the committee should find
that the Executive, and not the bank, had
violated its duty, he hoped that there would
still be fund {, determination in the Sens
ate 10 apply a corrective.
lie moved that The message be referred
to the committee on the judiciary.
MI. tEUNDY had not very closely ex-
ahmed the question, bu, he rather thought
that The bank was not the legal agent for
paying the pensions under the law OF 1882
upon which the opinion expressed in the
message, OF the president, just read, had
been predicated. Mr.. G. went on to ex.
'IPress his disapprobatlon of the senate's
giving any expression Of its opinion, one
way OF the other, on The subject, at this
time. The president had laid the whole
matter before both houses of congress; anc
until an action by their committee was hao
in relation to it, it seemed to him prema
tire to express any opinion upon it. lie
F eoncurred with the Senator from Kentuc
] ty, (Mr. CLAY,) that the message ought lt
We committed 10 the judiciary committee
and, In addition 10 the motion of that gen.
heman, he moved that the papers lie prin
3D.
! Mr.. CLAY stated that it was not his in
Eeniion, al shls time, to enter into any ar
guments on this question. He had cXpli
eddy avowed this before; therefore it wa.
!, not necessary for him 10 insist upon it. Ii
reference TO the opinion of the attorney
general, accompanying the Message
I (Which had been aiud ed to by Mr.. GRuN
lDyD Mr.. e. said he had lohg ceased to res
ipect the acts or opinions of the differen
, departments Of the Government; being
we'll aware tina. the executive was, as h,
: had called himself, unit, and would in
r simultaneously dismiss any officer who dlt
not at once obey his behests. Sir, SAID he
, when we know, from experience. that dis
; mission from Office is The consequence o
= a difference of opinion between any heat
Iof department and the executive, | ac
knowledge that have lost all conlidcnc,
Iii opinions from those sources. | for on,
can no longer respect the opinions of al
attorney general, or any other executiv,
ofiicer, when such doctrines were avowe(
) as had been maintained on this hoor-doc
'rihes belonging not to this government
nor even to this age-doctrines of passiy,
/. obedience and non~resistance, &c. Mr.. C.
passed high euiogium on the persona
character OF the present attorney general
Had he renamed at Albany, he would have
pdld as much respect 10 any opinion of hi.
on question of law, delivered from hi.
private ofhce as any man. But, brought
wi'lin the peslilentIaI atmosphere Of Wash.
inSton, he must be excused if he could no,
accord full credit to his public opinions
Mr.. c. hoped that the reference woulo
take place; and was satisfied that the re-
port resulting from it would show that the
usurpatlon, OF which the president com
planned, had hcen here, and not in Phila-
delPhIa, and that The bank, after full inoui-
ry, PC acquitted from this, as well as all
other serious charges that had been
brought against it,
Mr.. WRIGHT said, he thought he was in
possession OF Il fact which would enable
'lie senate to decide on this subject. He
would state that the gentleman from Ken
lucky was mistaken in what he had SAID in
relation to the powers given 10 the war de-
partment on this subject. He (Mr. wy
would merely say, that The power claimed
by mat department as TO the pension law
was different; by that it has no reference
whatever either to the law of 1918, which
is commonly denominated the '.pension
lpw,' OF the law OF 1882. The officer n,
present at the head OF the war department
is The same officer who corrected the deci.
SION OF his predecessor in that resoect
having thought it was wrong that any nav.
menus should he made in virtue of the pro
VISIONS OF the last act by the bank of the
United States, but that the payments should
be made elsewhere than by the bank. He
(Mr' W. was sure that the gentleman from
iAentucky would not 60 so far as to saw that
The officer would thus reverse his own n
Pinlon SO paipably. lie thought the SEN
alOr had moi lhororuhI,5 ~