Litchfield enquirer., 1834-02-13
CONGR E BB.
Ms.aav, Eeb. 3.

ration Or the ap0siIes and also the resolutions O tho legislature of Maine against their restoration Sc. He took occasion IO make saadTy remarks expressive Of the opinion iha, the eitzens of Portland did not hut that the legislature did express the Ofthe peO- pie of the slae to which Mr. Sprague replied tha, the of the IegsIaure altogether party one but that the memorial from Portland wac OG such character. Some debate then took place between Mepsrs. Webster and Wright; when Mr. Freling huy- sen took the floor iR the regular debate upon Mr. Clay's resolution. V.
 Ln the House-The whole day, until near sunset, spent iD presenting and debating upu" memorials respecting the deposites, aRd lhe distress pervadng the country. Among them was the one from the mer- chants aud traders of New-YOrk, presented by Mir. Selden who moved to refer it to select committee. Me. Polk opposed ,he motion, aud moved refer it to the committee of ways and means; which latter mos ton prevailed by vote of llS lo 96.
 Tuesday, Feb. 4.
 In Semote-The President commun ncated the fol- lowing message by his private secretary:
 I'o tke Senate and House of Representatives:
 deem it my duty to coNsmunica,e Io Congress the conduct of the Bank ot the United States iu refusing deliver the books papers, aud funds in p0ssessi"n relating to the exeCu:"H Oi the of Con sress ot June 7lh, 1882 entitled supple 10 the Ac, for the relief df certain surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolution he reported by the Secretary ofWar and herewith rans- mued, will shew the grounds assumed by the Bank to justify it's refusa to make the transfer directed by the War Department. It does not profess to claim the privilege of this agency right secured to n by con. tract, benefit conferred by the government bat as bur,heu from which is willing to be reev- ed Irplaces ls refusal upon the extraordinary ground that tue corporation has right to sit n judgment up- the legality Of the acts of the constituted authori- ties, in matter in which the stockholders are ami,- ted 10 have interest, and impedes and defeats, us far as it's power will perm the execution oC mea- of the administration, because the opinion of the cOrporaiiOn upon the construction of act of Con. gress, differs from that oi the proper officers of the United Siatee.
 The claim of this Corporation. thus to usurp the functions o the judicial power, and o prescribe 10 the Executive Department the manner in which it shall tho trust con6ded to by law, is without ex- ample tn the history Of our country. If the Of the public servants, who are responsible to the people for the in which they their duty, may thus be checked and controlled hy irresponsible money corporatoUy then indeed, the whole frame "f go- vernment is changed, and have established pow er M the Bank of the United States, above what we derive from the people.
 IL will be seen from the accompanying statement marked A, that. according 10 the latest accounts ceved at the War Department the Bank of the U. States and ns branches have in their possession hal fa million of the public money received by them under the law of l8S3, which they have not yet &C., counted or and which they refuse pay over to the proper agents for the of those persons for whose benefit it was withdraw" from the Treasury. It ia be regretted that this attempt the pa of the Bank guide and direct the Executive upon the cons.ruc- tioR and execution of act of Congress should have been put forward, and insisted on, in where the immediate sufferers from their conduct will De the sur. viving veterans of the revolutionary war; for this evil falls exclusively upon the gallant defenders of their country, aud delays and embarrasses the payment of the debt which the gratitude ofthe nation has award ed to them, and which in many instances is necessary for their subsistence and comfort n their declining years.
 The character Of the claim ss. up by the bank, and the interest of the parties 10 be immediately affected by i, make it my duty submit the whole euhjAct to
 e consideration Of fCOngfess and leave it to their wisdom 10 adopt such measSres ihe honor of the government, and the jas claims of the individuals in. jured by the proceedings, may be deemed to require
 Having called for the opinion of the Attorney Gen. eralupo0 this occasion, with view thorough in. vesiigaion of the question whch has thus been pre- sented for my consideration, enclose a copy of the report Of that officer, and add my entire concurrence in the views he has taken.
 Feb. 4, 1884. ANDREW JACKSON.
 The message having been read--
 Mr. Clay and said, that we had heard, early in the last moRih that whilst the conduct of the Execu- tive, in relation o the seizure Of the public money, under discussion, and before any decision of Con gress the subject, the Executive not choosing to wait for any expression ot the legislative will, vas proceeding in the execution of his design of Sep.sm- her last and that an attempt had been, would be made, to take away from the United States Bank the agency which had been con6ded by law to that ius-
 
 pensions. He would not say that he was surprised at this. He was surprised at nothing which had been, or might be attempted by those who had obtained the practical possession of tle Executive power of the Government. He had he said, looked info the ques- u"n concerning the payment Of the pensions, and ii his opinion that this agency had been confded to the Bank of the Uniied States by law that the Exec Uiive had right to take away this agency rom the institution, and that the doing could only be regard ed continuance fthat career of assumption and usurpation which had been commenced during the last year against ihe Bank.
 He was glad that the Bank had now resisted. We had heard nothing of this subject until yeeterday when my friend from Mississippi (Mr. Poindexterj madea motion 10 call for copy ol this The resOluiiOn proposing this call, have been again called up to-day, and this may account for the agency, MT. c. repeated, had been cop6ded 10 the Bank by law, and this fact was acknowledged by the Executive. when the Secretary of War reiraced the steps which had been taken to remove it Albany Thus H appeared that the agency had been eOnded to the Bank, and tba the Executive had recognized the fact that it con6ded. And now, what had been done message had been sent 10 ihe Senate by the Executive, in pursuance o his plans for ihe ann hilaOn of the Bank, denOunciDg the insiifUiion be- cause it had not violated obligation which was im- posed upon it by of CoDgfess.
 Mr. c. said he had considered it tO he his d0ty to make these remarks He hoped that the message would be referred to a committee which woui enter into an examination for the purpose Of discovering whether there had been any violation of duty the part ef that institutions one would be ready ihas himself apply proper s0d prompt correction oi the evil But if ihe committee should find ihat tire Executive, and the Bank, hsd violated is Ohliga. tions and it's duiy he hoped there would sl be found
 determination in the Senate tO apply a corrective
 He moved that the message be referred aO the Com.