The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-16

the Injunction OF secrecy from niofma'ion, 9'ee'
verbal or written, given to that body by other per-
sons than its own members, concerning the character
or qualifications Of nominees to oice 1t has escaped
a careful and scrutinizing examination
The serious nature of this application may be I'M
derstood when il is considered that compliance on
the part of tn. Senate would involve the violation
of rule of long standing adopted under deep sense
Of obligation to the public interest and regard ior e
character and feelings of individuals proprlet ana
necessity of whose rigid observance mas peeh
more manifest by the lapse OF time IL seeks 70 NJ
wade necessary prerogative, ana 10 isuuoe s =,
lat on of solemn confidential trust VI u'o ee"'o =
the United States. ,.,
Apart from these considerations, aud independently
of rule, solemn obligations OF confidence may hecee-
sarily be contracted in the discharge OF inns uehce
duty by the Senate with the fresioen', WIN w. Nv"
members. as well as with other citizens, 10 violate
which might be viewed equally unjust and dishonora-
HE "a The violation of confidence between individuals
and indeed in cases where such papers nave ueeh
communicated confdentially to the President ana py
the President to the Senate on a call made II Is
man;rest Thai double violation of confidence would
no the result as the Senate, by removing the nJunc-
ton of secrecy would not only violate It's own oDil-
cation but that contracted between coordinate
branch of the Government and individuals, ana IL
may well he questioned whether any individuai, so
circ,lmstanced us to have been rejected by the Be-
nate would upon mature reflection on the nature oil
this delicate and confidential trust, ask tins body de-
liberatey to violate such trust.
Whether an application by a nominee, perdlng ms
nomination before the Senate, for specifications OF
the objections or charges affecting his nomination, TO
enable him TO answer them, should be sustained, is a
very different question from that referred To the COM
mtlee as the specification in such case, II furnished
would be given TO the party under the oruer OF the
Senate for the purpose of enabling the BODY 10 ascer
tain the true state of the case before IT, without ex-
posing the names Of individuals, involving matters
of character calculated TO bring those individuals
into personal conflicts, well MS to embarrass Sena
tors ho may have received from uthers and conlmu;
nicaed such objections charges TO the Senate put
the committee do not mean TO deciue even 'ha' CUES
ton.
AS Tree and full examination into the character
and qualifications Of persons nominated for offce Is
essential to due discharge OF the constitutional du'
lies OF the Senate, It must be obvious that such ex-
animation cannot take place without the Statements
eli her verbal or written, OF persons volunteering TO
make them it is therefore submitted whether one
among ohcrs OF the rule throwing around these
proceedings the veil of secrecy may not be- that the
ehec of throwing open 10 the Inspection OF all per-
sons nominated Tor Office for The advice and Consent
OF the Senate, the papers containing statements against
them, would not be to exclude from the Senate all
communications whatever on the subject except those
from the friends of the nominee and thereby entirely
defeat the object of the inquiry, and render the
Senate the mere pro lorna register of the nomina-
lions of the Pres dent 1t may be said that it due
to The nominee that he should have opportunity
afforded him, after a decision on his nomination, to
know all the grounds and specifications which operat-
ed against him. to enable him TO meet and rcute them
before he country. This argument however piausi-
bic, proves too much It would with much force
apply to all informal, of like charac verbally com
nunicated TO committees and Senators, and to the de-
bates on the nomination. us 10 the papers on bile; the
fleet Of which would be 10 entirely defeat the object
of the rule established by our predecessors and con-
secrated by years; it would entirely throw open the
doors of the Senate, and abrogate all its confidential
relations.
From all which it appears that compliance with
that part of the prayer of the memorlaist would
be contrary to practice and propriety, and in d.
rect violation of standing rule of the Senate; and
the committee therefore submit the following reso
luton:
Resolved, That Silas Reed have leave to withdraw
his memorial and those from Missouri Illinois, and
Iowa, communicated to the Senate herewith.
To meet the other part of the prayer of memori-
alsts, the following resolution is also submitted;
Resolved, That the injunction of secresy be remov
ed from the proceedings Of the Senate the nomi-
nation of Silas Reed.
The foregoing report and resolu tons consid-
cred and agreed to in secret session, February Sh
Is42.
On examining the proceedings of the Senate, both
upon the rejection and the adoption of the report of
the select committee it is found that the ayes and
noes not taken, which is regretted, it would
have refued the SANDER of Western press on this
point.
The committee, as an act Of justice, then address,
ed the following letter to Doctor Reed:
Committee on Public Lands 10 Dr. Reed
WASHINGTON Cry,
February 9th, 1912.
DEAR Sin: As 1t became my duty as chairman of
The Committee on Public Lands at the last sessi ion of
Congress, to report to the Senate against your nomi-
ration to the office of Surveyor General of Illinois
md Missouri, upon which report you were rejected
~ that body feel it to be due to you well my
elf, voluntarily to say, that Notwithstanding the
desire to arrive at correct conclusion, with which
he committee acted upon the papers and nforma-
ion before them at that time, am satisfied from an
OF the papers and documents since pro-
luced by you to me, and which were not before the
that in Justice done you in the rejec-
ion; and, desire further to say, that should have
,oted for and not against your nomination, under the
tate of the facts of your they now appear to
me- after REORGANIZATION of the information that
vas before the committee at the time, with the addi-
iona matter to which have alluded had the CASE
rs now presented, been before me at that time.
| may add, that sincerely hope that the action of
he Senate on your nomination, may not pre- ,judce
you with your fellow-citizcns.
Respectfully, your obt % svt.
OH. SMITH.
DR.. SILAs REED.
The undersigned, members Of the Committee on
Public Lands, fully concur in the views and senti-
nents expressed by the Chairman of the Committee
IN the foregoing letter-and join with him in the
nope that the action on the nomination referred to
may not be prejudical to Mr.. Reed
s. PRENTISS,
1 .