The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1841-02-20
MESSAGE

- OS'S'h"' oi'St 'Sto'5 tbO I'M giving 81
TO the Legislature the appointment OF Ca a
nal Commissioners. C
10 the Senate and House OF representa- O
hves Of the Commonwealth Of Pennsyl-
Uania: f,
GENTLEMEN The Bill entitled "An
Act relating to Canal Commissioners" has /
been presented TO me for the Executive ap- {
probation As cannot approve the Bill, I
| return it TO the Senate, which il originated,
with my objections thereto, in order 10 such
further action thereon as is provided by the
Constitution.
The Bill provides for the election and APP
pointment Of three Canal Commissioners,
to wit the election of one Commissioner
by the Senate and one by the House of Re-
preventative, aud the appointment Of
third by the Governor. This mode Of APP
pointment, as TO any officers Of government,
is novel and without precedent; and con-
fess | can see in the system here proposed,
nothing but discord and confusion. tits an
event to be reasonbly expected, that differ
ent parties, interests and combinations in
each House, and it may be with the Govern
or, will lead 10 frequent removals and chang
es of the incumbents, and thus our improve
ment system, instead of being conducted as
it should be, with consistent steadiness, will
he constantly undergoing the changes and
experiments incident to our daily political
mutations Collisions will take place in
the Board Of Commissioners, embarrass.
ment will be thrown in the way Of its ac-
tion by the minority Of its own members,
and the public interest will be sacrificed 10
promote the objects of private or local or
political designs. BY the appointment of
the Board by each House, and by the Gov
ernor, nearly the whole responsibility is
done wifi bs qas aRBpsS abRpS asS
all the delinquents at one. The adherence
Of the Governor or of either House to its
favorite, will place him beyond the reach
of popular opinion, although his associates,
who are responsible TO an appointing pow
er differently elected, may be promptly dis
missed. The Governor, the Senators and
the members of the House, are not all elect
ed at once, nor by the same constituencies
The members of each House are the imme
diate representatives of detached portions
of the people, with peculiar local interests
TO advance, all of which must more or less
conflict with those of the State large; and
although each House, in the aggregate, no
doubt, represents the people of the whole
State, it is through the medium of thirty
three members in one, and one hundred in
! the other. Responsibility thus divided
vanshes almost entirely, and ceases to af
ford an adequate guarantee to the public.
/, Should Commissioners thus appointed
: be guilty of official misconduct, how are
! they 10 be punished! The House impeach
es, and the Senate tries-but here ihe House
= is impeaching an officer whom ii has itsel
. just conGded in, and appointed; and the Sen
ate is to Try justly and imparIially, for mis-
demeanors in office, the man whom it hal
but few days before trusted and honored
} What spectacle of absurdity would thi
i exhibit Would not combinations anon!
, the friends of each in the respective Houses
J. defeat the ends of justice, and laugh II
l. scorn all efforts TO inHict punishment!
II The history of all representative govern
v mems shows, that although their legisla
.s lures, especially when numerous, are admin
d ably adapted to the enactment of genera
e laws, and the promotion of the rights an
:. liberties OF the people, they are, from tn
y very nature of divided responsibility, III
e most easily tampered with, by political in
IN triguers and demagogues, in their appoln
&c ment of officers of any other branch OF III
y - government; and in the selection of their o
ID ficers, have been often made the dupes {
le intrigue, Of venality and of corruption.
= beg you to understand me as speaking
10 the abstract, and not in regard 10 any past {
m future legislation ir Pennsylvania. cal
mot, however, consent TO forego, altogeth'