Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-23

80, The House utterly dsregarded this resolution,
and instead OF putting the appointment OF the PRINT
er at the end OF the session. they had thrown the APP
pontment 10 the other end, and made it at The
mencement. So the House had done for the last four
or five sessions; and was without Printer, hay
ing put off the appointment TO the next session But
that all. The House had not only n OF cons.
dered itself bound by the resolution, which gentlemen
told them the law OF the case, but the House had
gone on, and, by resolution OF the last session, had
/ varied the terms, and considerably reduced them.
Now ifthe House not bound by this resolution,
what principle could it be said that the Senate
bound: fit a compact between the two Houses,
It reciprocal obligation: but If the other House
was not bound, neither was the Senate bound and
they neither bound, because the Constitution,
which was paramount to all law gave them the power
10 elect their officers. But gentleman from
Pennsylvania said this was contract-a binding, oh
9atory contract TO the execution OF which their honor
their good faith, their fair dealing, all pledged
And how did he make II out contrucl;
Mr.. BUCHANAN. Twill answer the Senator, if he
will permit me.
Mr.. CLAY. Al the proper time
Mr.. BUCHANAN. l thought you desired an
swer.
Mr.. CLAY. / do at the proper time at my ,me
not at your time.
Sir. BUCHANAN await your time
MIR. CLAY. The argument Of his irlend (AIr Bay
ardl must nave a,,lsied every one that heard it, that
was an Office Whdt the fact Why this Ed
tor-this senior Editor u s,aked about this hall
day after day, having got tls entrcc on the ex-
press ground that he was an officer of The Se
nate; for he could have 90. II OF ~ other ground
But being regarded officer or the Senate
by the Vice President who had lately ,acated hls
seat he walked about with I'll the freedom Of INV other
person vino had the entrce Of the Senate. 1ien as
10 this contract under this resolution con.ract
because it specified the terms the fees, and the con
pensa,ion Why not that the case with dsl,ic at
torncys and marshals Were not they compensated by
/ fees which specified?
| Mr. BUCHANAN. The time not mentioned
Mr.. CLAY. Time! let put it 10 that gentle
man. Suppose the party, when II had the power, had
chosen 10 appoint Printer for ten years, running
through General Harrison term and INTO that OF his
successor so as disable from separating ourselves
and Remembering ourselves from the purid mass,
SO 10 dashed to bodies and borne By US the whole
| time-would the contract have been binding Or,
supDose the contract instead of for term OF years,
had been for lIfe' Now in all the cases lie had men
tloned-those Of an attorney, marshall clerk, or any
other olicer-tlere duties specified BY law and
as clearly enumerated as by the resolution OF lsl9-
But all these held Office, subject 10 the will Of the
appointing power. Now III all these cases, what
does the contract amount to To fulfil the duties
while they remained IN the employment. Wen,
that is part and parcel Of tins contract, assuming that
they are officers and he thought It had been proven by
the express terms of the resolution OF - and OF ~.
What did they do: There an election Who
succeeds. The having majority. How voted
for: By ballot. How declared? In the usual mode.
The whole ceremony like that this morning, when
they proceeded to the election OF Sergeant-at-Arms
There was an election by balot-an election by ma
iory: there was the giving Of bond the taking Of
oath and the performance of official duties and, If all
these did not create office and make man an Off
Ger, he should like the gentleman from Pennsylvania
TO favor him with definition OF an officer. IL was the
common case, then, ofan officer. But they had been
reminded Of passage OF that Inaugural speech deliver
cd the other day, and which he trusted the gentlemen
would study and profit by III all its parts
They were reproached with violating some OF tho
| tb. f,,unI m We
proesscd when out OF power. How: Why, did gentle
men on the other side imagine that the party in power
were poing to consummate the triumph oil prescription
BY retaining this man, because they had protested
against prescription when was carried on IN inns nation
without regard TO services character, and when per-
sons were introduced Of an opposite description and oin-
f,rior merits: Could gentlemen "ay that iatering unc-
tion 10 their souls Why, fthcy were TO let this
main i would be the triumph OF prescription: abso
lutte triumph lie knew not what the rules might be
which would adopted by the Executive department OF
the Government; but ne trusted they would see none
turned out but those who were incapable, dishonest,
fahes to the Constitution, who had improperly m
ternedded with the elections That was his principe;
and on former occasion he understood the gentleman
from Pa as irving in his adhesion to IT, But gentlemen
seemed disposed TO put themselves IN opposition
and on The first day OF this session. they rose az m"Se
But r the gentlemen thought they could excite the sym
thies of the country with such beng francis T.
Blair let them 70 with hun to the people, and pro.
claim the injustice, which had been done 10 HIM All
no MIR Claw would wish that they (Nlr Clay and
ms ,otcal lrends) might not be associated WIN him
~ os no other ground for his dismissal, he (Mr.
foyl wou,d no on the ground Of lnlamy OF character
Of the print and the printer They might be indicted
on that around And let him tell Senators That, the
ohor day when the late and he present President, in
manner 80 honorable to themselves, were exchanging
courtesics with each othcr-a spectacle with which
every manly man must be gratiiedthat day was Fixed
upon By this Globe as foreign MINISTER tod hun
for he MIR Claw scarcely saw the dirty sheet
that day this man Who against iner pro'es', ana
all proprety was to be forced upon hem selected 10 IS
s,c trade of abuse and scurry against he frcsGent
IN power. If they regarded tnr character oil me
country at home abroad, he ought 10 be dismissed;
and he would tell them there was scarcely one crcnm
stance that had done their party more mischief than
,a re,coon Of such and such paper as the OH
caI oruan Now. he said on the ground vi Tile carac
ter and reputation Of the man and OF the paper they
ogcd Il to Chrstcndom-they owed 1t TO Themselves
tbcv owed 1t to the purity Of the national character, TO
dsconuect themselves at once and forever from these
mon On tie ground of the VIGOROUSLY bad character
Of the print and the Printer he should invoke the Senate
to displace hem and give them no longer the sanction
of an official character And what injury would y"
done thcm3 They the Printers to Tie Senate 20
the Sd Of March, and they executed all the duties 70
that time Their new office, from who II was pro
poscd to dismiss hem they dad not enter unt'l the IN
ana they knew tina, the attempt would be maze 10 as
miss them. They were notified OF ~ ana "h't injury
tho, cou,d hay3cn, is To their bond, lie hoped aitcr
a. ...,r, al tins resolution order would Oe made
.
n return their bond 10 them. They had been pnt 70
no csprnsc-they had incurred no outlay It Was but
an attempt to prolcng their power after tie termination
OF lis legitimate exercise, ana TO force on e,e" ,'"'
present majority unacceptable, unwelcome Printers,
whom they had gwen notice they should attempt T. re, re-
move as soon they possessed he power to DO T. "
time had come, and he trusted they snou'" a.
themselves of H. and by majority adopt the feso'u-
1 ton.
Mr.. WALKER said they had been accused p. o. beng
~ a
,, crrr.ss Bn, if this an abuse OF power
II. was one which arose OCT Of joint resolution Of both
Houses Of Congress which was passed more than
twenty and when MAD nege ss'fo
ms o3y 1t was strange abuse Of terms to call that
m an abn.s They wee ac.rg precisely IN conformity
.,.h ,h law Of The land; and they were doing what
w., Noon uniformly done BY all their predecessors
fran, he period at which this Joint resolution was
passed to tie present period tie repeated, ,"n, !;
was an abuse, gross abuse OF language and 'rG'h,
10 say tins was an abuse Of power. But II was asked
70 be considered an abuse of power, because, Z, tha