The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-12

4 MIR. DoTY asked that the bill to provide for the
construction Of roads through the public lands IN Wis
konsan, and the bill to provide for the Improvement Of
the navigation Of certain rivers in Wiskonsan, be
printed with the reports which accompany them.--
| The printing was ordered.
| From NE Committee on hs Expenditure on me
| Public Buildings; Mr.. STANLY offered the fol.
| lowing resolutions
Resoiped, That the Committee on the Expenditures
on the Public Buildings have authority to send Tor
4 persons and papers which was carried.
Mr. 8. also reported the following resolution
Resolved That neither the President Of the United
States, any other officer Of the goy rnment shall
issue certificates due bills other evidences Of debt
contract without authority Of law which was car
| red
The SPEAKER then announced the resolutions
Of Mr.. BARNARD in order.
| Mr. b. said that he had asked leave Of the House
TO postpone their consideration till Tuesday and sup
| posed leave was granted.
Mr.. ADAMS called up the resolution offered by
him ON Dec 23d which IL as follows:
Resoircd, That the Postmaster General be directed
report to this House the Of all the posimaserA
1 throughout the Union who have been rom0red from
office since the Sd day OF March 1929 with The
OF the persons appointed IN their places undrscoring
the names Of all those removed for official dcinquen
cy miadcmeanor and specifying the nature thereof
the complaint upon which the removal was made, the
evidence Ia support of such complaint and whether
| tho officer removed made acquainted with the
complaint, confronted with his accuser allowed TO
| be heard in his defence.
To which MIR HOPKINS offered the following
amendment
!. Resotred, That the power Of removing Executive
officers vested in the President Of the United States
| =. Resoired, That this power was conferred To
enable the Executive ito take that the laws
faithfully executed and cannot be exercised arbitra-
ry or caprlcously, without abuse Of power, tyran.
meal IN lis operation, conupting IN its tendency and
/ A
duct into terrible engine Of Executive power.
3, Resoired, That the patronage OF the Executive
department has increased to an alarming extent and
GU hit be restricted and diminished so far az is com
pable with safe and faithful execution Of the laws.
A. Pesoired That il is the right Of the Representa-
vcs of the people to examinointo all abuses and
patons which may be apprehendcd 10 exist in any of
the Executive Departments in order that they may be
corrected and prevented # possible, by legislation
and in fragrant and wanton cases, exposed and pu-
nishcd
| g. Resolred That the power of appointment and
of removal fiom Office vested in the Executive may be
greatly abused and its exercise ought therefore To be
watched and strictly guarded, as If possible, " to
prevent the power and patronage Of the Executive
from being brought into conflict with the freedom and
purity of elections"
| 6. Resored, That the Representatives Of the peo-
Pile have right to inquire into the causes for which
any Executive officer has been removed or dismissed
| from office by the Executive.
| Z. Resored, That in prosecuting such inquiry, the
House of Representatives has right to call for and
have furnished to il all official documents papers and
letters relating to the removal of such officer which
may be on file among the records of any OF the Exccu
tive Departments.
! 8. Resored, That select committee be appointed
whose duty il shall be to repor: bill imposing such
restrictions upon Executive patronage may be
sstent with the foregoing resolution and compatible
with the Constitution u the United States
effectually to guard against abuse and corruption in
the exercise of the power of removal from and appoint
ment to office
| Mr.. CAVE JOHNSON said that there would be
no opportunity to consider them at this session He
moved TO lay the resolution on the table.
j Mr.. ADAMS raised question of order, on the
ground that the amendment of Mr. Hopkins was ire
/ levant 10 the subject matter of his resolution.
The SPEAKER decided in favor of the relevancy
of the amendment
| Mr.. ADAMS appealed
| After some remarks from Mr.. ADAMS and Mr.
HOPKINS
Mr.. BANKS moved to lay the appeal upon the
table.
And the question put, by yeas and nays and
decided in the affirmative Yeas %, nays 50.
/ The appeal being thus laid the table the ques
ton REQUIRED on the motion Of Mr. Cave Johnson that
the resolution and amendment be laid on the table.
| Mr.. ADAMS inquired OF the Chair what the
state of the subject under the decision of the Speaker
The appeal had been laid on the table, consequently
the Speakers decision not affirmed that the appeal
was therefore still existing, and the amendment could
not be considered as received
/ The SPEAKER stated that the appeal being an
independent question: and laid the table the Speak
ers decision must stand in all further action on the
subject, until reversed
| Mr.. ADAMS said he supposed he had no remedy
Tie question was then taken, by yeas and nays, on
the motion to lay the resolution and amendment the
table, and decided in the negative, follows:
4 -
tho table
| Mr.. HOPKINS made some few remarks He was
willing the House should act on the subject at once
He had no desire to embarrass the proposition of the
gentleman from Massachusetts, in the slightest degree
4 II their propositions could be incorporated together
he would consent readily and vote for Mr.. As as
well as his own. This proposition had not been in
PRODUCED for the first Time by him-had before been in
troduccd by his predccessor-and he then considered
! it important He waited some expression
| of the sense the House
| Mr.. ADAMS would, with great pleasure, modify
his, and incorporate the resolutions but he considered
them as differing substantially,
/ The morning hour having elapsed the House pro-
cceded to other business
| Mr.. G. DAVIS, in behalf of his colleague, (Sher-
rod Williams,) offered the following resolution:
/ Resoired That the Secretary of the Treasury of
the United States inform this House what six land
districts have been discontinued under the Of June
II 1910, and when they We're respectively discontinue
cd Also, what salaries other emoluments were
paid the officers of such districts between the 10Th Of
June aforesaid, and the dscontinuance of such dis
i-cts, specifying the sums paid TO each individual
And that the Secretary also report the of
that paid to each receiver Of such district be-
tween the time of their discontinuancc and the said
| 10Th Of June 1910.
Mr.. TURNEY presented the petition Of William
Smith-presented hcretoiore--Apn %, lSi0-which
was referred To the Committee fthe Judiciary.
/ PRIVATE BILLS.
The bill for the relief of Mary Tucker received lis
third rcadng-was passed and to the Senate for
concurrence.