Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-02-28
ALEXANDRIA.
FRIDAY MORNING, FEB. %, 1881
SEVERE REBUKE.

from the judiciary committee OF the Senafa nv
the subject of the refusal of the Bank Of tbo
United States to deliver up the Pension Fprd
We have given the Presidents message to Con
gress communicating the fact Of the refusal ana
containing his denunciation of the Bank for tb.,
courses and it is but fair therefore, thai ;ba
opinion of the Committee, as regards this mo.
ter, should have a place in our columns ~.
subion it. 1t will be found, as we have aIra.d.
stated, that the rebuke it contains is mos ..
we're, yet dignifed
at appears that in the matter which has beo,
referred to the committee, the bank has acIo5
only on the defensive, and has done no M
than is required of every trustee. 1t has Assem-,
ed no attitude which ought to be considered g.
offensive to any department of the Governmon$
but it has been faithful to its trust In this CONN.,
try every man must exercise his own iudqmo..
in matters touching his rights and duties NH,
is incident to his right Of selfdefence. Had H.
President demanded of the bank their bankin,
house in Washington as suitable place for tS
Treasury Department. after the late conHaora
ton of the Treasury buildings, might nor tbo
bank have decided against the application with
out being censured for sitting in Judgment m
on the legality of the acts Of the constituted ar
thorities?" May not the opinion of the coyno
ration upon the construction Of any law diffe
from that OF the executive officers of the I'M,
ed States? The citizens who subscribed for
stock in this bank have not thereby lost tho
right to sit in judgment, in this sense. on the acts
and conduct of any man or set of men in this
nation, who in their honest judgment. may in.
wade their privileges, or seek to deprive them Of
an opportunity Of discharging their duties
"The case Of corporation is like that OF eve.
ry individual in this respect The Piesdeptbas
no right to take private property for public use
from any man without his consent or the con
sent of his representatives, and compensation 10
him. Now, if the President demands the land
Of a citizen for liz clubhouse, or any public work
may not the owner consider and decide fOrhim.
self the question of title, without being reproach-
ed for "usurpatiOn of the judicial power?"-
Must he who says to an executive officer
contend for my property, and have decided thai.
before | surrender to you what believe to be
mine will defend myself in the courts oflaw."
be denounced as usurping judicial power? The
bank has done no more to occasion such de-
nunciation. 1t has respectfully considered and
fully replied to the executive mandate. It's an.
swer is, that it considers itself bound by the laws
of Congress not to surrender the pension agen.
cy without the consent of Congress. Ii profess.
es its perfect willingness to yield the trust i
it must, in set-defence, abide suit in the courts
if the Executive chooses to 90 to law.
cit has not relied alone on its own judgmen.
In doubt ofits own opinion, it has left the queS
ton to eminent counsel and, in perfect frank
ness it has communicated to the executive off.
Ger their views and arguments. This is Whathe
President terms "uSurpation of judicial power"
and prescribing to the Executive Department
the manner in which it shall execute the trust
confided to it by law. This is called checking
and controlling the acts of the public servants
by an irresponsible money corporations" and
we are gravely told that, if this be tolerated
the whole frame of our government is chang.
ed, and we have established power in thebank
above what we derive from the people" ltap
pears to the committee that the Executive
in this case assumes to itself the judicial power
for the very reason that it denies to the bank te
right to inquire into its duties. 1t sets up claim
which it will not suffer the bank to deny or douo!
1t demands an immediate surrender of It's OWL
judgment and necessarily refuses to the ageN
of theGovernmentth the right to invoke the deClso.
of the courts for its protection. Such prefer
sions are new in the history of executive pow
er in this nation. They are unsued for the se
MUS of the Government under which we I've
and whenever they shall! so prevail, that al
American citizen shall not dare to dispute |ID
his right to either property character or IIoeIE
then indeed, in the language Of the PreS!G'E.
" the whole frame of our Government VIII v
changed" and no matter what may be It's name
it will be hateful despotsm.
"The President complains that the penSlon,',
will suffer by the conduct ofthe Bank: fIo"
part of the correspondence submitted 10 - UT,
would appear that the new pension d. 49,
have, in some instances at least, been Pa!.'
their claims. But if they are indeed sufferer i,,r
If delays and embarrassments have beeh n.g
red by the gallant defenders Of their coulll!
the receipt of the debt which the gralituI%, n
the nation has awarded to them, ana "Hs n5,i;
many instances is necessary for then suG.' i
tence and comfort in their declining ye"s"n
plain that all those delays and embaifasIIi nric
have been occasioned solely by an lIIegaI"
from the Executive, and CONNIE"
ing the bank "to cease paying the pension o'ooa
The best mode Of exhibiting Executive ?"t
thy for the soldiers Of the revolution Is \ iJ tbsJ
publicly deploring their unhappy tate al. aaO oria
condition, but resembling 'ne bel
which prohibits bank from paying thea n"omnel
dues. Until this be done, committee Is lad he
ed to acquit the bank when thus afLal"S 2oTor
fore them on charge Of cruelty 10 TIC
onary soldiers"
"THE GOVERNMENT"