Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-08

allow HIM to enter into colloqny with the gentleman,
which he should otherwise be glad to do and ne should
like also, PROFOUND few heterogeneous 10 Inc e3
Postmaster General Mr. S. then went on to reply TO
the remarks of his colleague, (Ar. Stuart) who took
the extraordinary ground that the principle OF disrlou
ton was contained in the Compromise act. This pc.
ston OF his colleague Mr.. s. entered into ieiuta
ton Of
He then alluded the fact, that, at the time the Com
promise act was passed the Treasury was oyerflowing
and possessed more money than il was known what TO
do with and the distribution of the proceeds OF the
public lands was known 10 be but temporary mea-
sure.
He next alluded 10 the vetoes OF General ashngton
who, from his position capable OF Judging OF the
intent with which the veto power was conferred and
asserted that of his vetoes was simply on The ground
of cxpedency and not on the ground OF consttutona
". The veto of Washington was on February, lI?f-
not in case any way assmildied 10 bond OF agree
ment like that OF the Compromise, but on simple ques
ton of the expedency of reducing the army. But the
wisdom of Gen. Washington was here rebuked by the
lights which had sprung up TO dazzle and aslonsh
them.
GIe mir. S) regarded the veto power as one of the
most important powers conferred by the fecerai Con
stitution and il remarkable fact, that 1t had ne
yer been exercised without meeting the approval of the
people. Ii was power calculated TO preserve public
liberty; and the yituperation with which II was mere
assaed, it was worthy of observation, came from the
disappointed faction which had been foiled in all their
Was it legislative, executive, or judicial power, If
it was not legislative power he knew not what il was
1t was certainly not executive, it judicial; and
per sc it must be legislative
He prayed the House to bear with him while he took
occasion to state the atoms which he bore TO the Pre-
s!dent of the U. s.; and, after few observations on
this subject he was short by the expiration Of lis
allotted hour.
Mr. PAINE OF Alabama, was astonished at the de-
nunciations against the President on account of the
veto To person unacquaned with the cause ofthe
,itupera,on, it might be supposed that he had been
guilty of some atrocious crime All he had done, was
the exercise Of constitutional power. The Constitu-
ton gave the President not only the power to veto, but
imposed upon him the duty to veto bill, which ne DID
not approve He maintained the Veto power to be truly
Republican and Conservative principle; and he illus
raed from historical facts the danger OF vestlng power
in Legislature without Interior control. But now
because the President has exercised his power OF Veto
on bill passed by Wing Congress, not only was the
special exercise Of the power assaied-but the Constr,
tuition itself was attacked, and determination mani
tested to eliminate from it an important feature The
hostility TO the President and to the veto power was
professedy based the pretence that the President
had proved faithless to Wing principles What these
principles are, he never was able TO dlscover-and he