Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-03
CoNGREss--ad Session
Monday, Fec. Is, lo42.
IN SENATE.

Moaday Fec. IS l042.
-'-'@A-' IN SENATE
The PRESIDENT pro TEN. announced the following
Senators to constitute the Standing Committee on re
trenchment VIZ MessrS' NhoieHs3o' >'
Fulton and Spragne. - ,., ~ n,r,cp
The PRESIDENT pro tenn laid before the senate
.ommpn;ca,ion from Franklin Pierce resgnlng ms seat
os Senator of the IT, S. from the State OF New fiamp
shire; which was read , ;.,; os
ordered to be entered on the journal; anu,
On motion of Mr.. TAPPAN,
The PRESIDENT pro ten. was directed TO INFORM
the Governor of New Hampshire of the resignation
After the presentation of petitions and reports IRON
committees, ..o,,,;o, az.
tboriznr and requiring the Postmaster General to aud
and settle the accounts Of George Whitman, a con
tractor for carrying the mail between New orleans ai.u
Mobile; which read twice, and aiiera Few eSP'ana
tory remarks by Mr.. n was, oy oleef' eng ~
the third time, and passed.
Mr.. MANGUM said he felt himself under some o.
LEGATION to call up the resolution which was a'u "r ~.
table al his instance touching III" nVsstgao" " WV
Affairs of the New York Custom House On nus hlonoh
the following resolution submitted Ny WI 'e'Ss ~
taken up and read, VIZ: - !, !;
rected 10 communicate TO the Senate u copy vi "'y
commission or other authority issued lot the purpose "
nves,iranp the affairs CT the New York custom mousse
md The law under which the same issued Also, CO.
MES of oil letters other documents accompany
The said commissions; that lie iurnish 'he h'''.9 -
The commissioners, the times when ihey lespeetNeiy
entered upon their dues and where saio ou'es "eie
farmed and hog long they continued, or are cx-
neced To continues and also state the TACT wheler Tue
commissioners first appointed maze report e'1e
bav or in writing, and if so, why has not oSeh aue'
and the reasons set forth by said COMMISSIONERS or any
and which ofthen for the appointment OF new coIns-
.,on that he also report detail the expenses wh CO.
pies of the vouchers that have, directly or hc'ec'y'
arisen in the execution Of SAID COMMISSION Inc names
of all parties employed and how employed anu te ~
low,ncc made 10 each including all items OF incidental
ex,anses and from what fund such expenses were
maid Also, the number and names oil witnesses e9a-
mined by the commissioners, whether the cou"'ss'o"
S,iIl continues and which OF The commissioners are
a,ll ac,pr thereunder and who are now employed ny
60, And also to repor copies Of all letters or com
,punications made from the Treasury Department.
or on file there, regard to, orr any manner anec's
the course of proceeding by said commissioners OF .e
acts alleged to have been gone " 'ie' - "''5 y -
persons in their employ.
AIR MANGUM submitted an amendment 10 come
in at the end, which was read as follows;
uAnd particularly any order, letter, or other comu
n;cation indicating what period in the custom mouse
,a nos IN he investigated, Whether including
bo,, the late and present Administrations OF that oranch
of the public service, and all the orders upon Tue sup
,ec, Whether any order, communication or other IN
iimation conntermanding thorough investigation OF
sep, administration of that branch OF the SER
;ce mr. in any way giving indicating direction 10
tho investigation proposed, has been gwen TO saia com
missioners or any Of thea; and So 70 iu!hsh Inc Se
na,e with such orders correspondence, ana Tue report
letters or communications, from said commissioners OF
- ono mr. more of them the President or Secretary
of the Treasury and the replies or orders
thereon TO the said commissioners or e'ner OF 'net
touching or in regard TO sad investigation or Tue
Mr.. WOODBURY. stated he had conversed with the
r nc The resolution before lie left the city, and ne
had eynressed himself i'll favor OF the amendment OF
The Senator from North Carolina
The amendment and the resolution as AMENDED were
agreed 10. A. C,, .oso,r
lions 10 amend the Constitution .
Mr. CALHOUN, being entitled TO the floor, address
81 rho Senate for nearly hour and halt, IN strair
IF eroument so close and logical that every sentence
was in itself an aphorism not susceptible OF iu'lne
condensation, and yet So dependent on thai "h'ch pre-
coded and that which followed, that no succeSS'n at
tempt at a synopsis can be maoe' we are "''s'o's
obliged in Justice 10 MIR C., to refrain from even any
+h,ng ike an extended sketch Ut his arguments In
dav or two we shall lay before our readers re
mort Of the whole speech. The grounds taken oy h'
G were entirely new; and the manner III which ~
preseuted his views at once striking powerful am
onc,ns;ve He first analysed the assumption on whici
tho mover Of the resolutions MIR. ClayJ manly re
lied that the numerical majority oil the people Of Inv
Confederacy had a right to rule and demonstrated
from the very elements OF the Union tsei INA. y wa
n,ent that the Constitution framed with so man,
checks and balances. He next demonstrated, from I'm
component principles of the Constitution, and from I'M
known aims and objects OF those VINO constructed II
that the design was to form Republican Democracy
IN the management of which the whole popular will
and f the whole could not be concentrated, as nearly
as practicable the whole-should govern Tue peopi
themselves He proved that the convention was
Convention of States; that the Constitution was con
,.ad Cor all md not for a numerical majority OF III
neope of the States collectively and that 1t consiste
Of the best contrivances which human WISDOM ana ~
oenuity could invent to obtain IN government tne e@
I'm IL md
!, I'D be obtained And in proof of this, assumin
TINT the House of Representatives. was the PoPuia
branch of Congress- the majority OF winch representa-
, numerical majority of the whole people, ne ASKED
was not the representation IN the senate o' coa'
nature fourteen small States VIGOROUSLY representing
y numerical majority, and yet controlling that Dooy
and possessing much power III ieg'sa'on as I'M
House of Representatives, and more IN Executive ons'
ness as its assent was requisite 10 SANCTION soe o III
most important functions of the Executive; mus pro
dn,;,r by The union of the numerical majority, throus
the natives Of House, and The hume F'ca
minority through the State representatives IN 'he ohef
The nearest possible approx 10 an expression
tho ,,bola nopular will But the trainers oi The Con
s,;tntion as If afraid that this contvance woui'
not insure as completely they wishes and designed
The Government of the whole people by themselves
and not by numerical majority, The veto power wa
nloced in the hands Of the Executive who IS nccesSa
r;l OBLIGED 10 act under circumstances ana influences
.,nos, omountng 10 Il control, preventing the posi-
Ltv of his using in any other way than as chccl
to ares, any departure in legislation from The spiri,
The Constitution From all this he deduced that those
who urged the abridgement Of the veto power, an'
,,ncd in favor of the right Of numerical majority o
,h cone of n confederation of separate soveregn,ies
were deluded by false theories, and were acting unde
AN entire misconceptions of the nature OF our Govern
,nenr, and the intentions, objects, and aims Of those
erea, and wise patriots whose study and sole NSae t'
Obtain the selfgovernment of the people, we'@ ev
dcnced in every step they took to reach the goal
Mr.. CALHoUN'S speech on this occasion is jus'i,
esteemed one of the abes,, mos, luminous and "nan
swerable ever delivered the nature OF Tins Govern
ment we noticed, ut its conclusion, that he was
warmly CONGRATULATED by both friends aud opponents
indscrmina,ely; all concurring in eulogy on The pro
found, sta,esman-like and comprehensive knowledge
displayed in his remarks, not only of the origin OF the
Constitution, but the genius and true theory OF our IN
situations.