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

riyate Secretary: i
To the Senate, and !
House Of Representatives.:
, deem it my duty to communicate to
Congress the recent conduct of the Bank
If the United States, in refusing to deliver
the books, papers, and funds, in its posses
sion, relating to the execution of the act OF
Congress of June 7th, 1882, entitled. an
act supplementary to the 'Act for the re-
lei of certain surviving officers and SOL
dlers OF the Revolution" The correspon-
dence reported by the Secretary of War,
and herewith transmitted, will shew the
grounds assumed by the Bank to justify its
refusal to make the transfer directed by the
var department. 1t does not profess to
Calm the privilege OF This agency as
right secured to ii by contract, nor as ii
benefit conferred by the Government, but
as a burthen from which it is willing to be
relieved. II places its refusal upon he OK
tcaordinary ground that the corporation has
-sht TO sit 10 judgment upon the LEGALITY
OF the acts oil The constituted authorities, III
a matter Ia which the stockholders are al
tnlded 10 have 30 interest, and ii inpedes
,ad defeats, as fan as It's power viii permit,
The Exc, u'ion Of Il measure OF the Admin
tlsi.a,l0n, because the opinion of the cor
pofatiou upon the construction Of anact Of
cong cess. differs nom (hat OF the proper Of
hcots II the uui'ed states.
he clam OF thls corporation, thus to
psurp the uhc.ious Of the judicial power,
and /" prescribe to the executive departs
nent the manner iii which II shall execute
the trust conilded to il by law, is without
example IN The history Vi our country. If
the .cis Of the public servants, who are
responsible 10 the people ioi the manner in
WDich they execute their duty, may thus
| be checked and controlled by an irrespou-
SADIE money corporation, then, indeed, the
whole frame OF oar Government is changed
and we have established power, N The
Dank OF the United States, above what we
derive from the people.
1t VIII DC seen from the accompanying
statement, marked A, that, according TO the
latest accounts received at the war depart
ment, the bank Of the United States aud
its branches have lii their possession near
hall miiion OF the Pablo money, re-
GceiJed " them under The Jaw OF 1857.
4 winch they have not ye, accounted for, and
winch they refuse to pay over 10 the proper
agents, tol the use III those persons for
hpm ii was withdrawn from ,he !, reas,lry
II \ 10 ue regretted that this attempt on he
Ipafto OF the bank to guiae and direct the
LIeculiVe upon tne construction and exc
cNion Oh an act of Congress should have
| bSin put iorward and insisted on in Il case
where the immaculate sufferers from their
conduct will be the surviving veterans of
Tie Revolutionary war; Tor this evil fails
1Ac'us,'eiy upon the gallant defenders OF
'hSlr county, and delay and enbarTasses
the pay meht OF the debt which the grall-
tude OF the nltion has ava. ded to chem,
and which, In many instances, is necessa-
! ry Tor tielr subsistence and comfort In
ihelr declining years.
Inc character Of the claim set up by
the Dank, and the interest OF the parties 10
DC immediately affected by it, make il NV
odty 20 submit the whole subject to the
consideration OF Congress: and leave il
to 'heir wisdom 10 adopt such measures as
the honor OF The Government ana The lust
Claims OF the mdi. luuas injured b, ,be
Having cal ed Tor the opinion Ut The At.
'orhey uenera upon TINS occasion, with d
view to thorough investigation of the
question which has thus been presented ior
my consideration, enclose IL COPY OF the
report OF mat officer, and add nv entire
concurrence in The views he has taken.
ANDREW JACKSON
February 4th, 1884.
The message having been read
Mf. clay rose and said, that we had
heard, early IN The last month, mat whilst
the conduct OF the executive, in relation 10
the seizure OF the public money, was under
discussion, and before any decision of Con-
gress on the subject, the executive n n
choosing to wait Lor any expression of the
legislative viii, was proceeding in the exc
cation OF his design oi September last and
tnat an attempt had been, Or would he
made, to take away from the United STATES
bank the agency which had been confidedl
by law to that institution, In relation 10 tbe
payment OF the revolutionary pensions
lie would not say tina. he was surprised Al
This. lie was surprised at nothing which |
mad heen, or might be, attempted by those
VINO had obtained the practical possess,onl
Of the executive power OF the government
lie had, he said, looked into The question
the payment of the pensions
and 1t was his opinion thai this agency bad
been confided to the bank OF the Uo;te,l
States by Jaw; that the executive had no
right to take away this agency from the in.
stltution, and that the doing so could oniv
be regarded as continuance of that r. rac.