Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-12

and especially safe guard 10 The smaller against the
larger States TO effect which and to give greater perma
neucy TO the government long of service (6 years)
from It's members called for; with such plan of
ganzation as would retain 23ds of the Senate in Office
at all times; majority only being necessary form
quorum Tor business thus continuing the power OF the
Senate in perpc,uo. The elections were made by the
Legislatures OF the respective States the Snat
well The large having Senators; aud each Sena-
tor endowed with equal power The power OF this Se-
nate trparue IN its character exercising time
judicial iuuctions when il part OF the judiciary;
another Executive authority, when it became part of
tie Execuuveand again legislative possessing plenay
powers IN all matters oI legislation except originating
money bills.
VIII it not be perceived from this short recapitula;on
that the Senate the powerful bronc of the Federal
governments and that branch IN which usurpaIon should
DC most sedulnusy guarded against? IL never dies In
uiVdua members do 20 OUT bet two-thirds OF the
DER remain he usurpatiou OF yesterday becomes pre-
cedent for to-day The Senate of this year will follow
the pecedens OF the last In that OF the next wear the
surpatons of this will be cited preccdents OF powers
conceded TO and acted by their predecessors and
thus onward until the whole authority of the Cavern
ment may become vested in this arstocralic branch
TACT Just occurs 10 which places this part OF sub
Jet IN clearer point of view In the Senate Rhode
island, Delaware and Illinois, with population
ceeding quarter OF million, have many Senators
Virginia, Pennsy lvunia aud New York. with a popula-
uon OF perhaps 1--WE millions He did not aim at accu.
racy IN these statistics lie enough for his
purpose; which was, To show, by the principle upon
which the Senate constituted that were safe so
long as the Senate confined within its pioper limits
but that there was constant tendency in il usurpa
uon and by consequence, the cesson it of more power
inan II consttutonaly possessed, would be unsafe TO
inc PeoPfe OF the larger States particularly and
udlly to all.
Their resolution declaring that the President had yo
Ia'ed the CONSTITUTION and Laws, was evidently
patton set because the Senate therein nded its
prescribed sphere of action assuming TO dictate 10 an
independent and coordinate branch of the Governments
Ga power created by the people for special purpose that
OF executing the laws commanding our armies and per
forming such other they specifically committed
10 us charged proceeding calculated it doubt
less intended, 10 lessen the constitutional authority of
the President This officer is elected differently from
any other power in the Federal Government that he
may proceed directly from the people, and be
upon them for his support which makes him empbac,l
~ The peoples officer, and constitutes check upon the
other department of the Government
The right of the President 10 remove the Secre,,r M
The treasury was conceded by ALL he was bound 10
collect and disburse the money of the Nation according
70 aw-Congress passed laws, saying when, where and
now the taxes were TO he collected and how and for what
purpose this money was to be paid The President
was bound to execute these laws was responsible for
The manner IN which he executed them or had then,
ecuted by his agents This plain and wel-defned power
had been attacked by the Senate in the resolution now
proposed to be expunged in such as to degrade
the authority OF the present incumbent his meritoous
conflict with the Bank of the United States and 10 no
In the hands OF this Senate that dies an auor
" not conferred upon 1T by the Constitution; and
thereby, making a precedent which would confer n
censorship upon this aristocratc department of tho
Government, well calculated when il had been
confirmed by time and usage TO destroy tho nj
pendence oil an oihcer who cautiously placed
above such corruptng influence as the Senate Of The
United States claims in its unconstitutional resolution
q Suc1
influence upon the mind of tmid man. when beset b,
the ambitious and astute asprants for office usnnIly
onha ia tha Dody-h@y, SIR, he would ask, could any
mind less heroic than that of our present Chief Mags
trate have bayed he did this first attempt NJ snr
paiion' What would have resulted to the nation IT,,
time when TO the whole constitutional authortv ~ tl
fresdent At was necessary 10 superadd the personal mo-
pulaIity Of Andrew Jackson enable that officer 10
curb the audacous attempts Of monied power meyer
eiualied IN this Countrywide Senate of the u s. had
no Authority to pass such resolution The Constitution
has defined the powers of the Senate and laroe a, IL
made them no authority was given under rhine the pow
or OF TIE President The the Senate were either
legislative, Judicial executive; and aho had this
partte power yet in each instance when brought TO the
exercise of the power possessed il wa in comm nil,
some other legislative itsa be conion with the
House of Representatives. if judicial and having anv
relation TO the President its acts should be conioin with
The Chief Justice OF the u States who then presdes in
this Court OF impeachment; and if executive its acts
must be conjoint with the President confirming or,a
Jeeung his nominations Now the resolution was in.
dependent oil all these adjunct powers, and vet cal
cuated 70 exert prodigious influence in SUSTAINING HE
Bank by humb"gging the people through the mpuiation
cast upon the President, that he guilty of cxeno an
thority not eonfded to him by the Consultations In ,hs
consisted the Ingenuity well the niquty of the act
but we had by tiis time learned more OF the nj
oil these disappointed aspirants for Office for by this
luton they intended TO usurp authority and screen them
selves from the odium, by charge OF usurpaiion made
against The President But it said by gentlemen
VINO nad taken time to prepare To eagiea the paJic
mind that the Constitution required the Senate to keen
journal OF lis acts. and that the expurgaon now con
tempated would he nnconstituonal-Bu sir let us see
what this argument is worth for, he had great reyer.
ence Tor the Constitution and would neither increase il
powers by usurPstton the hand, nor annhiIate
them by Nullhcailon on the other. strict and lite
raj Interpretation OF the Constitution had been his cree
always, and no interpretations deductions could b..
tolerated.; 1t secured the ''unon of States and the
rights of the States and doing this effecually he was
bound to regard it the basis upon which rested The
glory and prosperity of country and The liberty and
happiness of all and eaeh of cLizens but sir is the
conjecture OF these gentlemen who so anxious TO en-
hghtoh tie Pd0tc 1iSG true? We believe not; for the
journal would not be oberaed by The mark Of reproba
uon we proposed 10 aE this senatorial usurnaton
Other Legislatures had expanged what was REGARDED
ny them as improper to appear upon disgraceul 10
ter records, VIZ: parent country gland and our
sister states, massachusetts, and in Georga was deem
ca JustIhabe IN similar PROCEEDING i'm
aiialr-}ut there was still different ground which
had much weight with hio IL was that a majority of
the Senators who directed this derogatory resolution 10
be enrolled upon their Journal had acted cally
Inasnuch as they had assumed tarnish that journal
by the record of matters which they had no CSnsttu
Onal right to NEEDLE with; mud which should in fact
not be deemed part Of the journal The Constitution
had o'sthcty dehned the of the Senate and re-
CURED them 10 record their journal their aenos
and doings ia accordance with, and obedience To- tie
Constitution, AID only such could be constiiuonallv
there recorded lie knew IL regarded as q part
OF he journal and hence tlIe proprety Of the language
In the resolution IN your hand, ~ heh affixed upon the
face OF the act of usuTpaon its own disgrace lis own
condemnation and destroyed its force as PRECEDENT
bat 1t was obliged TO be conceded that the same Coust-
tpuon which had given the Senate power had required
that Senate TO keep journal of the acts which IL nor
oSnied IN consequences of the authority thus eonred
and OF those acts Onytha all other matter would he IT,
relevant, and although recorded upon the same sheet
could not De here considered cODstitutiOnay part of
the lourDul lie could furnish example OF am act or
resolutions which might be passed by majority of ~,
Onited States Senators, which he thought no
would properly deem part Of the Journal and it, then
De senate ought Indignantly TO order it be erased
from the journal, the sheet upon which the ionrn,I
was kept example here cifed cvbicI, DO.