Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-06

CONGRESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS.
Mr.. Wise, of Virginia, having offered the following
resolution
"Resoired, That a committee to consist of mem.
hers be appointed to inquire into The e1pediency OF So
amending the Constitution Of the U. ;. as 70 Psonioa'
the amendment Of members of Congress 10 E1scuuse
offices during the time for which they are elected Seha'
tors or Representatives, and The lime OF two years 'eie
after ,,. ,he
Mr.. Wise said it was not his intention TO discuss :s
resolution at this time, and he hoped us ihuouue.""
would lead 10 no debate. He had paid some attention
to the abuses of this Government-abuses which, II mol
corrected, would, at some time, subvert the public lioef'
". And his solemn conviction was, that the tue root Oh
all the corruption which existed in The administrator" OF
our Government was to be found in the power possessed
by the President OF the u. States 10 make the Legislative
branch his subservisnt slave, by an adrolt exercise OF Inc
gift of Office.
Mr.. w. said he had offered the present amendment al
it had been the business, the great effort OF his public
life 10 get this amendment Of the Constitution carried
into effect. He had not yet succeeded; but he should
still continue al least TO try.
Mr.. Haynes, of Georgia, said he was sorry that The
gentleman from Virginia had not submitted his resolu.
lion in silence; because Mr.. ii. was unable 10 support II
on The grounds and for the reasons stuled by that gen.
tleman, and yet it was his determination 10 vnte lo' IT,
because he had always been in favor oil such an allrra-
ton of The Constitution. lie should support it, not be-
cause he believed corruption did actually exist, but be.
cause the purify of that House ought always to be Kept
free from all impu,ation or suspicion Of that kind.
Mr.. Williams, of North Carolina, suid he was much
obliged 10 the honorable gentleman from virginia Ior
having introduced q resolution Of this kind. he consi'
dered it one of very great importance. A similar pro-
position had been introduced by The same gentleman
once before. MIR. w. had given it his hearty supper.
then, and he should still do the same. But he thousnt
the resolution had better he extended as 10 embrace u
Their point, viz: a limitation of the Presidential term Of
service to four years, and make the same individual me
lipible thereafter. He hoped the gentleman would con-
sent 10 modify his resolution 10 this effect.
Mr.. Wise said he must apologize 10 the gehtlen'an
from North Carolina for not accepting the proposed ino,
difcation. He was unable 10 do SO; because he desired
that this one measure should be kept entirely separate
and distinct from all others. It was, in his view, OF pa
ramounl importance to all other amendments OF lhe ION
s,itulion. AS TO The proposal Of the honorable genlie.
man, fiji was possible to make Congress indepenaento OF
the Executive, he doubted whether a period OF eieht
years was too long for the term OF the President ser
vice. Mr.. w. would tempt the incumbent TO use MS
gteut power for the good Of his country. by setting oelofe
him the hope Of q second term Of office. lhat, al al!
events, was debateable ground; there was room ior a Oil
ference Of opinion in regard to it; but that the fresioehi
ought not to have il in his power 10 influence Tue Voles
of members of Congress by The power of appointing them
10 Office, was n matter in which no rejecting man could
honestly entertain a doubt. MIR. w. regretted tlat lie
honorable gentleman from Georgia, (now generally un'
derslood 10 be The Premier Of this House) could nolagree
with him in the grounds on which the resolution should
be adopted.
Mr.. Haynes here briefly explained, and stated again
the grounds on which no should yole for the resolution.
Mr.. Wise resumed. In offering this resolution he was
merely '~,reuding in The footsteps of his illustrious pre-.
decessor," to vii, General Jackson; for the doctrine OF
this amendment was the very doctrine held and avowed
by that great Mooch of modern democracy.
Mr.. Haynes said he only objected 10 the application
which Mr.. w. seemed disposed 10 make Of The doctrine.
M Wise said he had nude none. But OF thus he was
fully persuaded, that without such an amendment 10 our
Constitution, an elective monarchy was fast growing up
in the midst OF us. He saw, indeed, a day of reforma-
ton dawning-lhe good work had commenced. But lie
was for beginning al once with II retorm OF that House.
Whoever might he his favorite candidate for the PfesI.
dency, his first or his second lavorite, never should he
wish 10 see him enter upon office possessed OF The tre'
mendous power of appointing TO Offices of honor and pro.
fit the members Of the Legislative branches OF the Go.
vernment. As long as tile power remained, II always
would be exercised: in the language of General Jackson,
so long Us The Executive held this dangerous power,
would be the order of the duy." And no
man could more fully have demonstrated the truth OF The
proposition than the man himself who had advanced 1t.
MI. Underwood was glad 10 hear gentlemen express
in such decided language but the honorable
gentleman from Virginia was certainly mistaken when
he said that in the ~propriely of the principle OF the re-
solution he had offered all men concurred. All men did
not assent to it's %propr.eiy, The last Congress- on the
contrary, had expressly denied and rejected il.
MIR. Wise explained. He meant that all men must and
did, in their conscience, assent 10 il, although many, he
knew, rejected it in their practice.
Mr.. U. said that two yenrs ago he had had the honor
of introducing the same proposition the resolution was
referred 10 a committee, aud that committee bad reported
against it. MIR. U. had never been able TO geta he1rlng
in support of it, though he had been struggling for it for
two wears. He would inform the honorable gentleman
from N. Carolina, (Mr. WilIiams) that, in a resolution
offered by MIR. U. this morning, he would hnd his idea
about restricting the term of Executive service embodied,
and he trusted the proposition would receive That gentle.
mans able support. Mr.. u. said he had risen to express
his qualification that The honorable gentleman from Geor-
gia (Mr. Premier Haynes) agreed so far with him as to
hold that the proposition introduced by the gentleman
from Virginia ought to pass. He was delighted 10 wit.
ness the manifestation of feeling in its favor which had
been elected Ivy this discussion. He hoped that the re-
solution would be sent 10 a select committee. he was
willing, if the mover preferred it, that the proposition
should be kept separate from the other: introduced BY
himself, though he did not perceive any strong reason
why they should not be taken together.
MIR. Jenifer, of Maryland, though very imperfec'ly
heard, was understood to say, that he hoped no obstacle
would be thrown in the way Of the passage Of this
resolution. The proposition it contained was a very i'm
portanl one, and ought 10 stand on IFS own merits lie
hoped, therefore, the gentleman from North Carolina
would not insist on his amendment, (f lie had moved It
distinct; this plan of prohibiting the appointment Of
members Of Congress-, had been before the nation now
for eight years. Although The celebrated letter Of Gen.
Jackson charged corruption as being the natural and ne
cessary result of such a power, MIR. J. had not then be.
lieved it; but experience had taught him the truth Of
that opinion. He hoped the question would be put upon
this proposition separately from all others.
Mr.. Yell, of Arkansas, said he was truly glad to see
the gentleman from Virginia following again in the foot
steps in which lie had formerly trodden. He was happy
The gentleman was getting buck to his old ground; that
he wus taking up the doctrine of the greatest man The U.
States had e1er produced: he meant General Andrew
Jackson. This was the doctrine which that great man
had been holding up before this nation for eight years,
md in which the Republican party had always support
ed him. II was the correct doctrine. He was glad the
gentleman had embodied it in a resolution, and brought
it before this House. He hoped the gentleman's friends
would be found supporting it, As to The letter which had
been alluded to, MIR. Y. here pledged himself to show thut
bargain and corruption had been the order of the day pre-
viously 10 General Juckson's coming into office: let the
gentleman show, if he could, that such had been The case
since that day. Let the Administration which preceded
the last show who was then prime minister, and who was
Secretary of the Navy, for example. If so much corrup.
ton could be shown under the last Administration, Mr..
Y. pledged himself 10 show more under that which bad
nnne heEare Il lie would inir ihe nenIlenaan with