Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-04-02
CONGRESSIONAL.

DISMISSAL. OF THE PRINTERS TO THE SENATE.
Wednesday, .Narch ~, ISL CONTINUED.
The resolution dismiss Blair and Rives as Print
ers to the Senate, being taken up
Mr. WRIGHT said it was his intention to occupy
the time of the Senate but for a very few minutes
They mech more frequently than they were aware oil
he apprehended, made their conclusions govern thei
reasons rather than considered we'll their reasons, ant
let them dictate their conclusions. 1t seemed TO hin
that their respected opponents, this occasion,
governing themselves b. THIS perverted rule; md i
should be the object of his few remarks TO show
wherefore he pronounced this conclusion. Let then
look at the history of the acton Of this body for the few
days of this session On the day before yestc
day vacancy in the Office Of Sergeant OF The
Senate was filled: ma lory Of the body decded-and
it not then his purpose 10 complain oftat decision
that their public duty required that 1t should he filled
Ii was not exactly conended that any thing in antic
patton during this short session required the filing O.
that Office but that in prospect an extra session might
be held, aud Sergeant Arms might be required
and the proper performance of the duty OF the body
TO fill the office then, and il was filled. Now they had
Printer to the Senate and he expected the judgment
of the body was about TO be pronounced that they
should have none, for the form of the proceeding be
fore them did not look to filling vacancy What
was the argument in reference to the Sergeant al
Arms. That he should have time to prepare himself
for the discharge Of his duties, in the OF an early
call of Congress. If that good argument Tor the
appointment OF Sergeant-at-Arms, could they say
to-day that they should dismiss their Printer and have
none, because the Sergean-at-Arms was an Office re-
curing preparation, and that OF Printer 10 the BODY
was place whether Office not, requiring none: IL
seemed to him they should not; and he did not Tor
amoment suppose such tram OF reasoning would De
INDUCED and yet was his desire to present 70 ne
BODY the action OF the body as had been, and the ac
ton as it was proposed to be. Why was the law
of 1919, in the shape of JOINT resolution, passed !:
Because as he had always been informed and believed,
was supposed that this business OF printing required
time-tha types and presses, and hands, and paper,
h, nj, ID To-
business Of Congress and hence II was that the eS-
pirinp Congress named the Printer for the succeeding
Congress. Now-and they were sitting, IN his Judg-
mept in very questionable form, to perform any OF
these acts but he had further argument TO make on
that point for had been decided by the Sena'e-sl,
ting them epeaed, under circumstances which rem
dred the hoe very questionable they called upon
to dismiss-call it officer, il they pleased or con.
tractor If they pleased-hat agent OF the body that
was connected with the public business, relation TO
whom in all time past, Congress had supposed time
was required and they had decided, in relation to an
officer about whose duties Congress had never before
formed any such Judgment in either branch, that he
should be appointed in advance, and have time TO pre-
pare for the discharge Of his duties This seemed to
him to be the position IN which they were placing
themselves and lie desired 10 couple this consideration
with the fact, as he believed ii, that they were then,
for the first time, within the history OF this Govern
ment sitting as Senate alone, no Congress beng IN
session-sitting under extraordinary call to aid an
Executive in forming his Admnistraton-they were
sitting with open doors, keeping their journal IN the
form of legislation, and transacting this business,
which Senate before had ever been called upon 10
transact And what had been the justification That
the last session of the Senate which expired the Sd
of March, had been guilty Of usnrpa,ion and abuse
of power in appointing this Printer And was that 50:
And was it TO be so said in that chamber and to that
body Why, how long had that usurpatlon continued
Certainly since the passage OF the resolution OF
lSl9-twenty years he believed few days ago was
the eleventh occasion which the Senate had thus
appointed Printer, and it discovered, Tor the
first time and by his respected opponents on that side
of the House, that this was usurpatlon: lie remem'
bered very WE'LL few years ago. to have seen the same
thing done by them; and if 1t not 4 usurpation
then, it not a usurpation now. lie did not design
to discuss the question of power-t had been better
discussed than he able 10 discuss II he merely de-
sired present TO gentlemen the practical effects and
what would seem 10 him to he the practical deduc
tons Well, then, much for the manner in which
dismissal of officers OF the Senate, gentlemen nov
choose 10 claim them to be- was proposed to be made
ths extraordinary session, and this cxtraordnar,
manner And now for the time and particularly as
was applicable the resolution on the table lie be
lieved it found its way there on the ith OF March
The President had completed his Inaugural Address
and had taken the oath OF office, but, he believed III
fact to be- that he had had time 10 clear the wall
of the Capitol on his way 10 the Presidents House
when that resolution laid on the table oil the oe
nate. There was then most certainly nothing lost u
point of time. And the resolution was-what u
Sena,e-and he desired II to be understood that he d
not ne nd discuss the question whether the Prnte
was an officer not for that too in the course OF thu
debate, had been fully and clearly discussed by HI
friends much more ably than he could discuss 1t him
self lie cared not whether the Printer be an officer
contractor or what they pleased-t was he supposed
assumed TO be resolution 10 dismiss person III tn
employment of the Government by a competent AL
tbor,ty in the form of law Well, III that lnaugurs
Address, aud coming from one VII" ought to DC the OF
r-,,tf u,. mari
placed him that high elevation, what did he te
them?
Il, was the remark of Roman Consul, in an earl
period Of that celebrated Republic, that most stkn
contrast was observable IN the conduct OF candidate
r Offices of power and trust before and after obtain
iur thcn-they seldom carrying out IN the latte
case the pledges and promises made IN The former
However much the world may have improved,
many respects in the lapse OF upwards ct Two thousa
ypars s,nce the remark made ny the rrtuous an
INDIGNANT Roman | fear that d sr,c, examination
the annals of some of the modern elective Cover
ments would develope similar instances OF violated COZ
fidence.'
Itwoud be his duty, by and BY, TO refer very bre
" to what were the pledges, before the election,
tina, distinguished man, on this particular point, o'
he did not propose to do it now. He merely desire
the Senate to remember that that speech was delivered
and that this resolution followed instantly upon
And now, for the reasons for that removai- oecaus
they had seen the manner of the action, and the time
the action-and he gathered those reasons as he ha
heard them given there Was il that those contractor
had failed-lor the same individuals who are now III
Printers the Senate have been for several years
had there been suggestion of any failure in the pc
Torrance of their duties as Prntcrs' He had hear
of none, neither TO the time Of accomplishing the
labor nor of the manner of lis accomplishments
Then. as to the performance of the trust which the
had undertaken to perform for the United States au
was not found Well, as individuals, as private c
items perfectly separate, in every sense, from the
connection with political partisan newspaper, ha
fault been faund' He had not heard H. lie mad e.
loved considerable acquaintance with those two il
diyiduals for some years, and he owed it to them
saw, and he said it checrfuy, that in private life
1ound them amiable and estmabe men, correct IN the
moral department, far as he had ever seen
heard and esteemed by the society IN which they i've
Az connected with their newspaper he had heard fac
.nopub. he had heard none in any other connection
he assumed that none had been found. Them no
.ls Ihex the conductors OF po!lt