Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-03-21
IWenty-tiird Congress- list Scss.


"Reeoa MIR. PATTON, Of YWginia in the House Of
N"Pe'e"'at'oes' 1uonddy, Mdrch3- [CoNcLvpEp
But il is said, "he House of Repres.,,,,;v.s -. a.
peculiar guardians OF the public purse and they passed
,hat the money was safe in the Bank OF the u
S'a'es think the character of that proceeding ba.
Deen greatly misunderstood was one of the majority
mat passed that resolution The message of the Presi.
ue' nma,ng the proprety of enlarging the means by
Mmch tue Executive might be enabled TO examine into
e safety oil the Bank Of the United aes was referred
70 the Comnittec OF Ways and Means On Friday the
s " mareh, the day before the adjournment of Con.
sess, mat committee made two reports one from the
majority anu one from the minority, accompanied by
mass oil documents and evidence. These reports were
oroereu 10 be printed and the morning the day of
,he existence OF Congress when suppose no member Of
'he Rouse except the gentlemen the committee knew
mm was IN me reports and documents The resolution APP
penuea TO The report OF the majority was called up and
Tue question forced upon the House. The gag was APP
pneu 70 the mouth OF debate aud we were Compelled to
table, pending the call for the previous and was
ope1ied My reason for doing So which IL ga, not in
Jd o give, was mat no matter how the House de.
.eu ~" 'he resolution, II was calculated prodace err.
Ioneous Impressions on the public mind. To wit: That
ne Judgment oil the House the safety of the Bank
was pronounced after deliberate and full
ana consequently how decided injury uigb, he
zone by producing specuatioDs in the stocks remem
ov wei, ,na' me gentleman from South Carolina in the
'se VI ue very lew remarks that were made on the
oeceson empha'cally said that the question presented
,ssIpy' whether in our opinion the Bank was a safe
VI uepoSi'e or no and he did see how any per.
son who thought it was, could refuse 10 saw a. wher
forced 10 vote on this naked question had no dfcnlv
now 10 Vote. thought as an individual founding my op
o upon the general credit OF the institution that il wa,
SAFE and said " " "
never thought Of the question: whether the deposes
ought TO be removed and am sure that many
VINO 'o'eu against the resolution did without intend
sg 10 express the opinion that the depostes were
OF mat hey ought TO be removed; for The same rea
son which induced 10 lay the re solution ON the
table, Besides, this resoluo is not at all IN conf =, i'll
he reasons on which the deposes have been removed
"9 90 mere Is mo contempt OF the opinion of the House
But what foundation is there Tor the opinion that the
House OF Representatives is the pc ocular guardian of The
Treasury. The Constitution contains no inmation even
oil any peculiar control which the House of ReDreseo
tines has in relation 10 the Treasury or the oneu in The
PUBLIC fsc The only clause in the Constitution which
van DC supposed 10 give any countenance this idea
that which provides that all bills or raising repenue shall
originate in the House OF Represe This does not
touch the matter 10 The disposition of the public rnonav
s'.er Is ra.seu where 1t shall be kept and when and
These are all subjects OF general legislation as 10 which
each branch OF the legislature has the same concern and
the same rights, as with regard any other laws and in
the execution OF the laws concerning which The execm,;v
authority is as distinct from, aud indie penden of Ie House
OF hepreseh'aves, as IN relation TO any other laws The
people oil the United States have in the Constitution dis
t6ued all the powers which they chose TO confer on mi,
Governments between The several great Departments
Ihey nave made no one more than the Others peculiar
guardian either oil Their money any thing else They
have constituted these several Departments cheeks mon
each Other relied for the of hcirn,e
rests conhded 10 tins Government upon each
keeping withni its own orbit, and thus the whole viii
moye on harmoniousy together This idea about The De-
resentaves, Is borrowed from Che cons,
ton OF England ands wholly insPplicabe TO This con
try, where all public unciionares derive tbe;r a,,
the people or The States and modes as 10 Give
greater security TO liberty In this Government IRE Fen
resent each OF u.s. small subdivisions OF the peopie of
each state. Inc Senators are respectively, OR OUGHT
TO BE- the representatives Of their re :pecve S,a,a
and the President the representative the people of ali
tho States. - "
is conended to be sure, that the chief Executive oc
hcer has been shorn Of his authority by the bank charter
which, il is said, makes the S. cretary of the Treasury The
agen, OF TO i!,en ami mot The Ps
he T,cff fba
the IreasWyis authorized the deposite, and hat
he required to report to Congress Now this DUTY con-
feTed upon an Executive officer, such have
shown that as SUCH he by the law and the constitution
the duties of his office under the 81
the President and bound to conform his Judgment TO that
of the President, submit 10 be dpI.ced n NM, 10
intended then, that when this duty was imposed on him II
entrusted TO him by Congress with te knowedge that
such the law and The constitution. nd of course
his responsibility 10 the President is Just as great as If
had been expressed in the bank charter and conse.
quen,ly ii IS erroneous to say that this authority ,uos
confided TO the head Of that department alone" And
the idea that he is 10 report Congress having the
effect OF making him agent of Congress il i, moi onl
reiued 10y what took place in relation to the clause d.
Iecng him 10 report plsas, 10 which have re-
erred but is in conflict with the Constitutions which il
seems TO me. recognizes such political existence as an
all officers agents Of The law aud the Consution en-
that he is the agent of Congress who can act
him by law, and only by law, which is the same ,Ing
by joint resolution In any other way his responsibility
TO Congress mere shadow. But, suppose Congress:
and the President too, thought The deposes ought TO
be oil opinion, the present Secretary seems 10 he
that they placed in the Bank Of the United states
by contract; that he alone has power to remove them
and that the cdSus )Bdeyis did not exist which ius
tilted their removal. What is TO be done? Can Won
mpeach him for protecting the chartered rights of lie
corporation And il you could, the delay pecess,ri
y incident TO the proceeding, might render il entirely
nugdtory the interests OF The pablic All that could
be DONE all that you could do, would be- 10 look TO The
President 10 exercise that very power which il now do
nounced usutpation. And another answer TO this
argument is that ii his being requif ed TO report the
for having done act 10 Congress makes him a,
agent Of Congress, would think that D0yi r1fioue
sdent in relation to the act would make him an agent
the President
referred discriminating feature in the two first
resolutions OF the Legislature Of Virgiuia The frs,
charges the unlawful act-ihe assumption of power-tbe
second charges the offence and wa.
done from 'disp0siti0n to erteHd his official
Tina, charges the oct--his the maio amino Now, hi,
is Improbable matter. Ii the Legislature so intended 4,
regret that they did say la plain and il doe
TO me- that any gentleman who entefains this op
Mon, and thinks it I've sustained by proof ought 10 in
suie proceedings for the purpose ofinvestgaiing We
have the right TO make the accusation; but The
judges. II the accusation is TO be made, let ii be made in
the usual wayn a mode calculated 10 bring before US ali
the proofs which the charge is bounded, we'll as The
exculpatory testimony Let us If te charge is well
founded. II 1t be- Tie President ought be impeaced-
ilsny gentleman thinks there sufcien grounds OH
which make the inquiry he shall have my in favor
oft
As 70 the request Of the Virginia Legislature, that the
deposies may be restored have oaly say that uness
the Bank charter Is to be another Bank the
United States established have yet seen and heard
nothing which induces TO think that any substan ia
and permanent relief from the public distress which ex
lets will result from changing The place Of deposte Up