The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-13

81, Ton Moorcs Jackdaw cried out, damn H. how he
nae IA them"
The farmer al last noticed him, and says, pray
sf. how came you here1" bad company brought
me Acre"
Nov, 90 with poor Mr.. Rves. Il was bad company
that would occasion him TO be dismissed along with
Mf. Blaif.
little Of the circumstances Of this case. A reso-
luton passed ia 1919 by which the two Houses
aereed each 10 appoint lis own printer-to do what
ths Constitution authorized them 10 do. This con-
unoed la full force tl 1929. A majority was then
required toconsummaie the election. This continued
in loror Al least continued 10 be respecled-unne
crsHay Ia is origin perhaps unconstitutional for the
act ~ eireting printer was not act of the two
tiooses, bot OF each House. As far back 1884 or
% thr House had dsregarded this resolution. They
have hfowa the election Of printer at the opposite
end u The session, AZ the commencement and the
House bad adjourned now without electng printer
This not The whole. The House had not only
MOI considered itself bound by The resolution, which
ihey toll the law Of the -asc but the House
had gone 70 vary the terms OF the printing. And,
~ resolution adopted al last session. the terms of the
an ~ 1873 we're entirely vari,d and considerably
doced The House, therefore, was not bound by the
rcsoluinn eithsr 70 the time the terms; and if
they not bound, on what principle could it be
said that The Senate was 10 be bound TO contract
between be.h-a reciprocal obgationl And il either
parly-if the House " not bound, neither was the
senate bound Neither were bound, because the
Constitution gave 10 the Senate, irrespective Of the
49, "t~iN VI Ne''sNs'f'" o P'"St W Cnvoso i'S O"h
oibcrrs.
The Hon senator from Pennsylvania had regarded
this A. q contrAeia binding obligatory contract to
the enecuion o. which your honor, good faith, fair
dealing 81 pledged. How did be make il out
The nrgumens o. The Senator from Delaware, be
lMr c. thoaghi, must conclusyey satisfy every one
that there no contract Ia the case. What was
tho fact This Editor had stalked about this Hall
taking the liberty Of tins Hail. ON the express ground
that he q6fesr, for he could MT have got
admission any other groundi but, being regarded
a. an officer BY the Vice President who hadtccentIy
vacated bis seat, he had walked about with all the
freedom and consequence Of any other person entitled
20 the ho0I
Asto calling this a contract, the Senators on the
other SIDE had said that the resolution expressed the
trims the fees and the compensation, &c TO be re-
eciyed BY the public printer. Was not this the case
Mr BUCHANAN said the lime was not ex-
Mr. CLAY continued. Let me put question to
the Hon. Senator. suppose the party, when they
had the power had chosen 10 elect printer FIR ten
years: They had the power 10 do y, 50 as to
disable the Senate afterwards from disconnecng IL
self from purified mass, which should be attempted
20 be dashed 10 their bodies and borne by them the
whole time Or, suppose instead Of this, they had
made contract for life. In all the cases he had cited,
OF an Attorney, Marshal or any other officer, the
duaics were stated particularly in the resolution Of
iSl9--the fees were provided, sc. &C. But all these
officers held their office subject TO the will of the APP
pointing power. What does this contract amount
TO- A contract TO fulfil the duties while they remain
in the employment ofthe Senate.
That they were officers he thought had been prov
eel by the resolution Of 1919. There election.
Who succeeds The one having majoriiy-yoied
by ballot. How declared In the usual mode The
whole ceremony was precisely like that when they
proceeded this morning 10 the election of Sergeant
Arms. Ii the election by ballot Of person for the
performance of high official duty, did not create
Office, and IL the person dischargng these duties was
officer, he should like 10 have the Senator from
Pennsylyania any of his friends favor them with
the definition Of an officer The the common
case of any officer
They had been reminded Of a passage from the
Inaugural Speech delivered the other day. and whie
he desired the gentleman would study and profit by in
all its parts.
They were reproached with violating ofthe prin-
cipes of the party coming into power which they
professed when out OF power. How Che asked.) Did
gentlemen the other side imagine that they were
going to consummate the triumph of prescription
They protested against prescription when the late Ad-
ministration carrying IL on with such high
hand through this nation; when they We're sweeping
out every body without regard to merit, services
capabiy, and introducing persons often of inferior
merit Was possible that persons the other side
could lay the haering uncon TO their souls, that all
these persons to be continued in office, because
when the process of prescription was going ON, they
protested against il Why sir, continued Mr.. c., il
they were to be continued in Office it would be the
triumph Of prescription He knew not the rules that
would be adopted in Harrisons administration, but
trusted that but those who were incapable dis
honest athless to the Constitution had improper
ly intermeddled with the elections of the country
would be removed from office.
That was his principle. But from the symptoms
manifested at this day. honorable gentlemen seemed
disposed to put themselves in opposition TO this act Of
the Senate. Did gentlemen think that they could by
this course, interest the sympathies Of this country
with such being as Francis p. Blair2 Let them at
ach themselves TO him and go uttering their argu
ments with -procaiming the injustice which had
been done this poor person-but all he pressed was
not 10 attach the Harrison party TO him. If there
was other ground of prescription, he would pro-
| coed the lnfamy of character of the print and
printer That was the ground he would 90 Ii,
wished to be allowed to say that the other day when
the late President Of the United States and the pre-
| sent, exchanging official courteses with cacl
| other--a spectacle with which every manly man mus
have been'highy grntifed-ihat very day selecte,
| by this Globe Gas foreign minister remarked to him
for he scarcely the dirty sheet)-that yerl
day was selected by this man, whom the gentenIe'
would force them against their will, for TRADE o
abuse and scuIriy against the actual President il
power. II they regarded the character Of the ooun
Try at home abroad they ought TO be dismissed
And there was scarcely any circumstances al home q
abroad that had done their party injury than th
services OF such press as the official organ. On th
ground Of the character Of tho man and his paper
they ought TO the purity Of their natona
character by Kidding themselves Of him. The noto
riously bad character, both Of the paper and printer
would justify the action Of the Senate In dsmissin
them and longer 10 give them the execution OF th
official work, either Of the Senate Government
/ the whole Government any part Of IL. What in
jury had been done TO theml They were printers
The Senate TO the Sd March-they executed all III
duties up to that time. They notified that the
would be dismissed if thus elected. What injur
could be done TO theml Az To their bond, he hope,
If necessary, order would be made 10 return thc
bond TO them.
II was nothing but naked trial 10 prolong the
power after the expiration Of their power, and fore
Il on the present Administration unwecone printer
which, they were notified at the time. they should Al
tempt TO dismiss at the very first moment, when the
possessed force enough TO dismiss them. The tim
had come, and he hoped that they would avail then
i selves of it and get rid Of these men.
MIR. WALKER briefly opposed the resolution.
i Mr.. HUNTINGTON next took the hoor and O
motion by that gentleman the Senate adjourned.