Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-04-20


Love for the huRbest of the human race
Love for that tranquil joy that virtue brings
Love for the Giver Of all goody things;
True followers of that soul exal'ng plan,
Which Christ laid down 10 bless and govern man,
They who calmly linger at the last,
Survey the future, and recall the past;
And with that hope which trlumphs over PAIN,
Feel well assured they have not lived in vain;
Then wait in peace their hour of final rest
These the only Blest!
TWENTY-SIXTH CONGRESS---2d SESSION.
SPEECH OF MIR. BENTON,
In the Senate Of the United States, the dismissal Of
the Printers to the Senate.
MIR. BENTON said six years ago the Senate hap
pened to be engaged in the same business which now
occupied its attention. He happened to be in connec
ton with the Senate in 1885, when the actual majority
ofthat day, being just about to go into minority, pro-
posed to bring on the election OF Printer for their sue
cessors; which was resisted by the minority, who
were then soon to be the majority, the grounds
which had been adopted by the gentlemen opposite,
who had argued the question during tins debate he
(M Benton on that occasion, as IN 1883, submitted
resolution to repeal the joint resolution of 1872 which
was now treated by gentlemen on the other side as
nullity He had done so, because standing as 1t did
on the statute book it was clothed with all the forms
of law. His resolution of 1888, for repeating the law
of 1870 and renting to each House of Congress the
election of its own Printer referred by the then
existing majority in the Senate (Which was the same
politically as now existed here) TO committee COM
posed wholly of that political party, consisting of
Messrs. Robbins, Pondexter, and Blbb. That CON-
sion; they then reported against it, and they were
supported by the majority in the Senate. That was
in 1888. In 1885, the same course was taken by him
pretty early, and again by the same political party in
the Senate, his resolution REFEREED 1t was
then referred to the Judiciary Committee consisting OF
five members, four Of whom were of the same Polti-
cal party this day i'll majority. That resolu-
ton was referred, opposition to his earnest re-
monstrance, to committee, with whom II might lie
long. 1t was afterwards brought back with the de.
cison of the committee against the repeal of the reso
luton of 1919, and again the Senate sustained the de-
cison 1t in the latter part Of the session of 1885,
that that resolution back when it was re-
ported TO the Senate BY the Senator from South Caro-
lima GMr. Preston and thus, by two committees of
that body belonging to the political party predo
minant in this body, the proprey of repeating the re-
solution Of 1919 reported against and those reports
were acquesced in by the majority Of the Senate. The
Joint resolution, then, which for week past had been
treated by the other side nulity, adhered to by
them in 1893 and 1885, and adhered 10 proposition
being made, and coming regularly before the Sc
nate to decide the propriety of taking it off the
statute book On the 2Sth Of February, 1885, po-
ca power being about to shift itself on others, the
election of Printer was brought He, (sir Ben
TONI and others, made all the resistance to it that they
could; and he believed they stated their objections, if
not strongly, at least broadly, the gentlemen OPP
posite do. They urged the improperly of the
bringing election by gentlemen who were leaving
their Seats and imposing on their successors an officer
Of another political party, who might be unacceptable
QtSdpreeaOe
should look upon as the exercise Of mere power which
would not be obligatory those successors, and which
they might disregard if they would; and therefore, for
one he undertook then that he should disregard
it, and that he should not submit TO the imposition Of
Printer fthe adverse political party upon Them but that
he should move in his place. at the next session. to set
the Printer aside and take another up. OF all this he
gave notice in his place; and when gentlemen made
their objections TO this election, fortnight ago, and
said they not bound by it, but would move to set it
aside when they were competent to do it, it seemed to
him they were reading out of his book Indeed, he
had the book brought and the language was found exact
ly to correspond Nothing could be more explicit than
the statements be made that occasion. Standing IN
his place, be promised he would make motion to set
the election aside, and go into election for them
selves: it was oil in the book which lay before him.
but he would not tronble the Senate with reading it,
He made the pledge, but on the ensuing session COM
ing round, that pledge redeemed: Did he to
set the election aside Did he move to supersede
Gales and Seaton, and 60 into the election Of another
person. No, he did not. He gave the notice. but
when the time came round, he never made the move
ment. Why? For want of will within himself?
He presumed not. Why then Because the gentle
men elected were perfectly agreeable to him. By
no means. They were gentlemen of adverse politics,
and they were far he assured the Senate from sPrink
ling him and his party with lavender. The gentlemen
were adverse to him in politics, their paper dsa
greeable to him. and yet did he to set their cleo
lion asides Did he take step to redeem the pledge he
had given' No, not one step; and why' Because the
gotten it transient thing-utterly refused to go
into it, He did not know that he found hacker
among them but far he could speak, that his polt
cal friends refused 20 60 into the election of Printer
and for the reasons here given: Messrs. Gales and
Seston had entered into contract, they the
Printers to the Senate for years. and the Democra-
tic party permitted them to out their two years
the Democrats being the majority Twice, then, under
such circumstances, were adverse printers permitted
to hold their contract-wce and for two years each
time were they permitted to hold to the end OF the
term He mentioned this, for the purpose of showing
how his political friends had acted heretofore He
did quote it TO show his consistency, or of do
ing honor to himself; at all 1t TO remind them
of what his friends had done, and thereby to do justice
both 10 those present and those ABSENT for the purpose
OF showing how the Democracy had used its power,
when, two former occasions, they utterly refused
to touch the contract of the Printer 1t to bring
that fact TO the minds of Senator'S and not to 60 into
any argument, that he had risen; and every word
he had spoken was confirmed by the book before him.
He did this to bring it TO the knowledge Of the Senate
and of the conntry-he did it for the purpose OF con-
fronting professions with practice. The Democratic
carty had been described the spos party the sn-
toisrant party" the "proscriptve party" and the
party which swept every thing away that differed from
them. Another party had come in which to "pro-
scribe prescription" That was the profession on
which the gentlemen had come in but, without going
into generaliGea take the case now before them and
how stood it The last gentleman who had addressed
them, GMr. Berrien] had summed up their whole doc
trne when he said they could not tolerate for an In
stant-whch was the smallest subdivision of time
Printers of adverse politics, to do their business
Then, while the tolerant the mercifu the element,
the anti.prosc rpve Federasts refuse to tolerate for
one Instant the nolerant, prescribing yrannical De-