Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-06-04

diac an,eeedent was "the said Office !" and il was
as he had said, n sound rule Of grammatical
strucion, as well as plain dictate OF common sense
that tho immediate an,eeedent was be connected
with the adjective which followed. II was then
the Office itself Of President that devoived on the
Vice President He was not the Vice President
acting a. President, but he ceased TO bs Vice Pres
dent, the Office Of President having devolved JUROR
him. Was MIR. Tyler still the Vice President q
the United States, dscharging additional duties in
consequence OF the death OF the President7 II So
why was he not in the Senate, dischargng the du.
ties OF its presiding officer Could he come to thi,
! Hall, and here act for President OF
. the Senate7 Surely not he the Prcsiden,
! under the Constitution, and would so remain during
the residue OF the entire term for which the Prcs-
! den, had been chosen. This was the language and
the true intent and meaning of the Constitution. As
to the case OF Colonel acting rs General in case
OF the death OF the General in battle, the Colonel
acted as General only during the temporary emer-
gency; another person might lie appointed General,
and then the Colonel would return to his former
station, the emergency having ceased.
MIR Allen replied. lis friend from Mississippi
had asked, II Mr. Tyler was still Vice President,
. why was he not here presiding in the Senate1 He
would answer the question. Mr. Tyler was not
here because the Constitution had sned to him
duties which required his presence elsewhere, viz.
the duties OF the Presidential office. Hc was now
an Executive, not a Legislative officer. Mr. A.
would put to his friend this question, and he pat it
with view 10 illustrate the fearful conscq uences
winch might be apprehcnded as likely 10 ensuc
Senator Suppose President of the United States
should be Of one political party, and at the same
time Vice President of another political party:
suppose the country TO be about equally divided
between the two, ard both parties mutually and
highly nconsed against each other and under these
circumstances the President should be seized with
temporary illness producing for n time such on
alienation OF mind as unified him for the discharge
OF his official duties, IA consequence of which those
duties were discharged by the Vice President. Az.
ter time the President completely recovered. The
question would then arise, which OF the two officers
should continue IN tie chart And might we not
Justly fear under such a state OF things a renewal
of those fearful struggles 'or supreme power which
had 50 often CONFUSED the Old World with civil
| war and de used it in Elood2 The question Of sue.
cession had o!tcner Than any o her DESTROYED the
peace of nations Here was a Vice President arm
ed with the purse aud the sword, IN actual posses
| son, standing against the Gains of tho Presitcu,
now restored TO heaIih and reason; and rot only So
but with halt the cit zonS Of tie Republic al lis
| back. What would btcomc OF the office Was Il
| 10 ribrais between the two clanauts7 In what
| manner could P.esiden; of the United States
unlmpeached, sane, and ave-cease To he Pres. dcn,1
| There was none known To the Constitution None
| II John Tyler was now President of the u States
| nothing bu impeL chmeni, removal mental nlcna.
lion or death would cxpel him from the Office Ac.
cordns 20 the Senator's doctrine, tkoucha President
should be restored, a Vice President once discharr
| lng his duties might hold out and the President
chosen by the people must take his place as prl-
|
was fixed until one of the contingencies occurred
which designated IN the Constitution. And
If Vice President became President, nore could
| remove him.
IL was easy 10 conceive that temporary disability
| OF a President was likely moro frequently
IL occur Than his death. During a period of over
fifty years hut death had occurred ID Stability
might often happen, and 1.-THE Senator's doctrine
should be established, the fearful commissions
| might follow. For this reason Mr.. a. wished the
question settled lie repeated his assurance that il
VAS no p ltry desire 10 withhold from the officer
now at The head of the Government III. dignity of
| particular tile, which induced him 10 move the |
| proposed amendment; all he conlended for was |
thai, IN performing solemn official act, the Sen.
ate should employ strictly consul utonal language
The Constitution declared that the powers and du- |
Ties oithe Presidential office should in case Of the
Presidents death, pass to-whom} To The Vie |
President But how could they il there was no |
Wee PresdenR And how could the same man be |
bo;h Vice President ami not Vice President atthe
same timer He asked his friend from Missssipi 10 |
answer thar question. lflhere was no Vice Pres |
ident then the constitution could confer nothing nm.
on him.
Mr.. Calhoun would prefer that little more time |
should be allowed for the consideration of so mo-
mentous Suhleci but as the question involsed
the language of the Constitution, 90 far rs the case
OF a Presidents death was concerned was SO very |
plain that, but for the OF Presidential disability
there could occur no possible difficulty. Ia thai |
case, there would serious question arise viz: who
could only be done by Congress; and it was easv
TO see that II tie President and Vice Presdsn nj |
should lie Of opposite politics, and very serious |
consequences might ensue. At present, he hoped |
the amendment would be Withdrawn by common !
consent Let wait TILL the case of inability sboulI
occur before attempted TO decide any thing in |
the mater. In the OF DEATH II was TOO main
for doubt that the Office Of President devolved upon
the Vice President. lie hoped the Senator from |
Ohio would consent to withdraw the amendment.
Mr. Allen declined to 10 so
The question was put, and decided be- yeas and
rays as follows:
| YEAS-Messrs. Allen, Benton, Henderson.
Linn, MeRoberts, Tnppan, Williams, Wrisht-s.
NAYS-Messrs. Archer, Birro~, Bates BiyaFd. |
Berren, Buchanan, Calhoun, Choate CLAW of keo.
Clayton, Dixon, Evans, Fulton, Graham, Hunting
ton, kerr King, Mdngum, Miller, Merrick, More |
head, Nicholson, Pierce, Porter Preatiss Pfeslon. |
KWes' SEWER, simmons Smith. OF Indiana South. |
ard, Sturgeon, TaiImadge, Walker, White, Wood |
bridge, Woodbury., Goung-3s.
30 the ameutEent WAS rejected.
! The resolution was then agreed to-
| MIR Huntington moved that committee Of two !
pe appointed on The pat of the Senate 10 ioip thu,
OF the House, and that the Chair select thu SANE
This notion having been adopted, MIR Hunting. |
ton and MIR A:cher appointed on the part of |
the Senate.
At half past IL O'Clock. Mr. Illumination from, the
committee on thc pat q The Senate appointed TO |
wait on the President, reported "Thai Inc commit
tee had discharged its du.y, and was Informed by
the President dat he would Immediately send a |
message IN wiring"
The Message soon after received throusb
MIR Tyler, Private Secretary Of the President. md
was read by the Secretary OF the ScEate When
MIR Mangnm moved that 10000 additional comics
OF the Message be printed, together with 500 CO.
| pes accompanied by tie documents
Mr. Clay suggested to Mr. Mnnsum 10 modify
his motion 50 Us TO reduce the number OF COMES to
printed from 10000 10 5000.
Alter some conversation, MIR NJ. consented N
make the rnodihc ttiOn piopos d. 20 that his mo-
ton should be 70 print 5000 copies of the Mcss,,c
| OF which number 1900 should be accompanieJ ,gitI
| all the documents sen; with the Messigs.
MrClay expressed his satisfaction that this mod
hra'Ion had been mlde as he was s,t.6 .,I ,l,, ,I
! ih'ger number would have been usoes,. II. ,,iJ
however that lie had not risen simply COR the tur
pose Of returning his thanks to his friend sror,
| Norh Carolina, but also to ayow ms e,rre,t bonc
ihat Ihe senate would early commence the wo,k or
CIIlh l- Us contingent exp nd tuTe. lie had heard
| Win inhni'o surprise that those expenses had m
creased ln tic session Of 535 10 50 faar an cv,r,
a. TO equ'l IN that single year the whole amount ~
'he expenditure Tor the same purpose for the four
years Of Mr. Adanss administrator. Tbev ouch,
70 Degn TO act Tie example, IN their wn habits Of
fSld economy: aud this never could he oerom1I,,b
Cd without some attention 20 matters Of de,oI Al
most the whole OF the alarming incfcasc If he ,;gL,
so denOminlte Il, certainly the very reprebens,iic
increase Of the Scuate's expenses lad orr,,,,c, i
lhis one grea' item Of the public printing. lie ,ge,,
iof bringing down % what had bcco Inc stan, ,,J
eight or ten years ago.
Mf Calhoun vas most happy 10 benr sprb mi,
, "'O"'s' rom ihc senoior iGOm Kentucky. He con.