Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-16
of The UNITED STATES.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
SATURDAY, Jan. IL, IsII.
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| Inc following resolution, submitted by MIR.
Adams on the 23d Of December, was called up by
| the mover, viz: -
Resoirsd, That the Postmaster General he direct.
ed TO report 10 this House the names of all the
posimasters throughout the Union who have been
removed from Office since the Sd Jay of March, 1929
with the names OF the persons appointed in their
places; nnderseorfng the names of all those remoy
ed Tor oieia delinquency or misdemeanor, and speci-
Tying the nature thereof, the complaint upon which
the removal was made, the evidence in support of
such complaint, and whether the officer rem owed
was made acquainted with the complaint, confront
ed with his aecuser, or allowed TO be heard in his
defence.
Mr.. HOPKINS moved to amend the resolution
10y striking out all after the word Resolved and IN
sertIng follows:
!. That the power OF removing Executive officers
IS vested in the President of the U. States
=. Res0lrsd That this power was conferred 20
enable the Executive "to take care that the laws
are faithfully executed" and cannot be exercised
arbitrarily or capricously, without an abuse of
power, tyranncal in its operation corruptns IN its
tendency, and converting a remedy for UNIV orhness
and misconduct into a terrible engine OF Executive
power.
). Rssolrod, That the patronage of the Executive
department has increased TO alarming extent,
and ought TO be restricted and diminished so far rs
Is compatible with safe and faithful execution fthe
laws.
4. Rssolr,d That it is the right Of the Represen.
tatives ofthe People to examine into all abuses and
usurpations which may be apprehended to exist IN
any OF the Executive Departments, in order that
they may he corrected and prevented, if possible,
| by legislation, and, IN fragrant and wanton cases
exposed and punished.
;. Resided, That the power of appointment and
OF removal from 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 Exc
culve from being brought into conflict with the
, freedom and purity Of elections"
6. Resolrsd, That the Representatives of the
People have right to inquire into the causes Tor
which any Executive officer has been removed, or
| dismissed from office by the Executive.
| Z. RtSoived, That, in prosecuting such inquiry,
the House Of Representatives has right to call for
andhave furnished TO it all official documents papers
and letters relating the removal of such officer
which may be on file among the records Of any Of
the Executive Departments
:. Resolrsd, That Il select committee be n p
pointed whose duty il shall he TO report a bill i'm
posing such restrictions upon Executive patronage
as may be consistent with the foregoing resolutions
and compatible with the Constitution of the United
States, so as more eteciually TO guard against abuse
and corruption IN the exercise Of the power of re.
nova. from and appointment 10 office.
! Mr. CAVE JOHNSON said that from the mass
of business before the House. there could be no op.
portunty of discussing these resolutions at this ses-
SION; he would therefore move that they be laid on
| the table.
Mr. ADAMS raised question Of order, on the
tdb tue OF hopkins was
relevant 10 the subject matter OF his resolution.
! The SPEAKER decided iniavor of the reievan-
| cy OF the amendment
| Mr. ADAMS appealed.
After some remarks from MIR ADAMS and Mr.
! HOPKINS
Mr. BANKS moved to tay the appeal on the ia
And the question was put by yeas and nays and
decided in the affirmative: Yeas IS, nays so
! The appeal beng thus laid on the table, the
question n he nj NJ Inhp
son that the resolution and amendment be laid on
the table.
MIR ADAMS inquired Of the Chair what was the
state OF The subject under the decision Of the Speak
er! The appeal had been laid on the table conse-
| quenty the Speakers decision was not affirmed;
that the appeal was therefore still existing and the
amendment could not be considered as received.
The SEAKER stated that the appeal being an
independent question, and laid on the table, the
Speakers decision must stand in all further action
on the subject, until reversed.
Mr.. ADAMS said lie supposed he had no RENE
! dy.
The question was then taken, by yeas and nays,
on the motion to lay the resolution and amendment
onthe table, and decided IN the negative, as fol-
| lows:
YEAS-Messrs. Judson Allen, Anterior, Banks.
Beatty, Beirne, Blackwell, Boyd, Brewster, A V
Brown, G Brown, Burke, II Butler, WIN. o.
/ Butler, Carr, Carroll, Clifford, Coles Conner, VIM
| r Cooper Craig, Cary, Dam, J Davis, J w Da.
WIS., Dckerson, Doan, Doig, Earl Eastman, Ely
| Fine, Fletcher Floyd, Torrance. Galbraith. Hand.
| } Hastings, Hawkins, Hill, Of n. c., Hook, Hub
bard, jackson, Jameson, Johnson, C Johnston,
kile, Leadbelter, Leet, Lowell. Lucas, McC Ian
McCulloch, M'Kay, Marchand, Medill, Miller, Mon
! nnya, Montgomery, S w Morris, Newhard Par
Llsh, Parmenter Paris, Prentiss, Reynolds, REEVES,
Z Rogers, J Rogers, Ryal, Samuels, Shaw, a
! Smith, J. Smith, Starkweather Steenrod Strong
Swearingen, Swcsny, Turney. Vanderpoel, ID b
| Wagener, Watterson, Weller, Jared w Williams.
| II. Williams-sj.
! NAYS-Messrs. Adams, Afford, w Allen.
Andrews, Baker, Birnard, Bolrdman, Briggs,
Brockway, Calhoun, VIM Campbell, Casey,
Chapman, Chinn, Crans,on, Crockett, Curtis, Cush
| ing, Dawes, q Davis Dawson, Dcberry, Dellet,
Doe, Edwards, Evans, Everett, Fillmore, Fisher,
Garland, Gates lGentry, Giddngs Goggin, Graham,
Gringer' Gfaye'' GIeen, Grimm, " abersham, Hale,
Halves, Henry, HILL Of Va, Hoffman, Holmes,
Hopkins, James, 9 Johnston, Ksmpshsll. King,
Lane, Lincoln, + Mallory Marvin, Mason. Mon
roc, Morgan, G Morris, Morrow, Nsbet, Paen.
Peck, Picksns, Pope, Randall, Ruriden, Reed,
Rldgway, RUSSELL Sargent, Shepard, Truman
Smith, Stnnly, Stuart, Sumter, Taliaferro waddy
Thompson, Thompson, u Thompson Tilling.
hast, Toland, Trumoull, Underwood, Warren, J
White, Thos w Williams l. Williams, Joseph l.
Williams. G II Williams, Winthrop Wise-g2 y
So the House refused TO lay the resolutions on the
table.
MIR HOPKINS then asked Mr. Adams IN accent
his resolutions as n modification q his proposition.
n which event, Mr. II pledged himself to vote for
Mr. ADAMS would he willing, he said, 70 mod.
" his proposition # he could see how Il was posi-
BILE. His resolution asked for a set Of f,cts-tbe
, buttons Of the gentleman tom Virgnin (Mr
Hopkins contained set Of principles to be acted
on by the House.
. The question had not been disposed Of, when.
the hour having elapsed, the Speaker announced
the private orders Of the day. And the resolutions
N were ordered 10 be printed.
a nornber Of Private Bills were then presented
, and considered. After which, the House adjourn.
ed.