Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-03-14
Twenty-shard Coaagress.--Ysf Sess

Remarks Of Mr.. GORDoN, Of Pirgilia an The House
representatives, on submitting Tie Resolutions of
The General assembly.
Mr.. Gordon said, he rose for t,e n,rno.o II -
senGng to the House, resolutions missed In, ,h O.
neral Assembly ofthe Commonwealth of 'Vir,,;n;o
on the subject of the removal of the public treosur
from us deposIte in the Bank of the United States
where 1t had been placed by law J'he C,arsi
Assembly OF Virginia have been deenIv ;mnros.aI
WIN the importance OF the prncipies ipyoived IN
tiis question:; and, after tue most deliberate cansi
ucrauoh nave come 10 resolutions condem,riuq ,he
course OF the President of the United St,tas il,
structlng their Senators and requesting Tie Pnnra
sentatves from the State of Virginia TO Use tber OF
iorts 10 restore the deposes to the Bank of The IT.
. STATES. The General Assembly have considered
TINS as question of Liberty, in which the proci,lo
OF limited Constitution have been yiolnted Inv ,,o
Practce OF the ChicfMagisrate, in assuming a1,ho
fty properly to be exercised by other depnr,ments
Oh the Government. The General Assembly of
virginia, and the People of Virginia have LaTe,o
lore yielded to portion of this confederocv in ro
spect and affection for the present Chief Moy;sroo
of the United States; but the General AssenJi,
a"a me reopic standing on their long-cherished
and oit-defended ground of constitutional can
structon, and their own estimation oC ,Ie nr;,
cIpies ana practices Of Government hest GAL
cuiated TO secure the blessings of freedom hive
spoken on tins occasion in language not to
be misunderstood. The General A SSe,ob,, con
sider the removal of the deposiies fran the R,nL
OF Inc United States, in the manner it has been Of
iected, on the responsibility of the President. nc q
dangerous and alarming assumption Of authority.
tendhg 10 concentrate ia that officer all The
OF government. The legisatiye c,uct;ons o'c -
gress and the Judicial authority of Tie courts .
boih been invaded The province of the coifrts ma
iehty to examine, and correctly to ascertain facts
by the consecrated trial by inrV Inn Ve hecn ,,tnv
dsregarded and the chief executive officer of III;
Government, although directed by law if lac damn,
ed there had been Dlracfon OF the bauk cLornr
10 direct scIre tacas to ISSUE in order 10 trial nv
q court and jury, has himself adiudped tho ouos
nd
Tie bank had forfeited its charter: thus in his own
person, deciding the question of the violation If
the charter, involving high penalties the part ofthe
bank, without sending il for Adjudication 70 H., ,r;
bunals marked out by the Constitution and luvys :
ihe trst clause 1.-THE Constitution declares that all
legislative powers herein granted shall be vested i'm .
Congress ofhe United States which shall consis, oc
SeDate and House of Representatives This Jso;s
Iahve power had vested in the Secretary of the
treasury an important discretion to remove the de-
posltes from the Bank of the United STATES. 'rh.
PRESIDENT, consulting with his then Secretary OF the
Treasury found that the Secretary did NOT ,l,inI,
there was any good cause for tie removal Of tbe
deposItes from the Bank oC the U. States; and moi.
outstanding divided Cabinet on tie subject dis
missed tie Secretary of the Treasury from office
and replaced him by one whose ou;nians VOC
known TO concur with his ,oW on this subect-.,hue
abusing his power Of removal, and Interfering in
JurIously, with that discretion which the law had
conhded to the Secretary Of the Treasury By
thesc assumptions and indircctons the President
IL
ue ,r the constitution and laws of the country
mere IS not man i'm America who will not de-
ny 10 We president the power directly 10 control
me PUBIC revenue, unless be derives bis autbnr;fv
ION appropriations made by law.
We the Representatives of the People boId i,
our hands The Purse-sirings of the peope's ,noncy
and fatal to their rights, and inercsts md crc.i1'
most fatal, viii it be whenever they are s,,renJcr}
into the hands Of any executive magistrate IIo has
no direct authority either TO raise. nnnrn,,r, '"'
or M any nnnner to dispose Of or use the pnl,l,c
revenue P""Ho
The General Assembly do not deny, nor did Inc
WIZ VI the power Of the President, under the Inv
70 remove from Office unworthy officer but tlev
90 deny TO the Presdentthe right 10 remove Gli1i.
iuI officer, to effect That which he had no rieJ,tGJ
authority 10 effect IN any way. This abuse of tLe
power OF removal, ond assumption of power over
the treasure Of the country, was a dangcrors eo'
argenenI Of tue power and patronage ofIl,e Pres.
dent, already endangering the purity and indenenJ
ence oil the other departments of the GoverI,,,sn,
and calculated 10 enable the Executive Mnai.,sn,
successfully to appeal to the worst passions or lie
Par'isans, instead Of a reliance on the purtv mi
wisdom Of his administrations F' "i'u
Inc patronage Of this Government welded hy
one man, with the power of putting i'm and putting
our, at mss WIZ aud pleasure, some forty Thousand
ohcBs and agents, great and small, to whom ,be |