Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-10
Tuesday, May J
SENATE.
THE roST OFFICE LETTERS,

MIR
he was otherwise engaged yesterday morhhg' a"u w
no, reach his seat i'm the Senate during the morning
hour within which he had been informed so''e ,e" 70 n
fell from the honorable Senator from Missouri WI De
toni in reference to Executive NOMINATION "h,In
- :, his rbarce "a chairman of the COMMITTEE on the
Post Office and Post Roads, and which remarks seem
ed 10 call for notice from hun lie wou'u ''e
fore ask to call the attention OF The Senate 10 ie sun
ject this morning, his first oeJec' IN oo'ae VIZ M;s
70 correct an error into which the Senator from Nus
souri, had fallen in snpposng that the nominee TOT .e
Office in question hat OF deputy postmaster LOT .'e .y
of St Lousl was relative OF the POSTMASTER a.,
mir BENTON inerposed and said "connexioh.
MIR MERRiCK proceeded WE'LL am authorized
bv the best authority state, and now do SO ior 'he
information of the Senator from Missouri mat Tue
Iominee in question, is neither u 'e'.''o" ~" ~.
nexion of the Postmaster Generat-ano ca'io' uouo
"a this presumption Of relationship was the srouho
anon which rs [ learn unworthy motives IN making
The nomination were Imputed to the Postmaster uehe
raj by the honorable Senator, t;at his REGARD - Tue
dues of justice will induce hum TO correct ea. nlus
tice believe it may be true that, III 'ne '""'.!
&c the social intercourse of Of the younger mem
hers Of the Postmaster Generals family WIN tue no
minee in question, they may sometimes Apply ~ n,'"
the appelalion of 'cousin as IS not uhusua' !" s1e
~ 10 of our country, although no relationship what
r., ers,s between them. All imputaons on that
score at least, must therefore cease
Nv next object Mr. President, is to call the attention
of the Senate seriously to the subject winch ioIeo Tue
Ground of the Senator'S remarks yesterday ln's was
Tho publication of sundry letters communicated 10 the
senate connected with the nomination nave men
toned and upon the call of the committee at Tue eau
of which have the honor to stand, and Tor the puoca
,;on of which il NAV have been supposed was there
fo,e IN some degree responsible These letters, and
many others bearing upon the case were furnished ny
the Department upon request TO that efect aoulesseu
bv another member OF Inc committee thie McaopeitsD
but by the authority of the committee, 10 the loS'as
tor Genera and they were by that gentleman as IS NOT
nr.,sI placed in the hands OF the Senators from MIS-
souri, or one Of Them and the honorable Senator Gar
Benton) has himself stated that he published OF cause'
20 be published those which have appeared III the pun
lie nts on his authority and upon MS own res
uonsbility: therefore am in no wayaccoun'a9e Tor ~
whether that publication be proper or Otherwise.
make this statement ard invite the serious attention
of the Senate to the subject Mr. President, WIN no
nuroose to censure the honorable Senator IRON MIS-
sonr lie is better able TO Judge than AN ct the cor
rectness of his own and It's compatibility WIN
the rules of the body, he being much older ana more
experienced member than myself; neither am aware
nor do believe that there is any Thing IN Inc pnol
cetons hich have been made OF SUFFICIENT Importance
:, Js,If 70 call for even this notice Of it. Bat wish
other members and the whole Senate 10 reflect upon
the subject and il we cannot devise some means
of defining more precisely the scope oil our rules on
the subject of Executive communications on tins SUP
Tor, and our RIGHTS and duties in reference to them
# seems 10 be very important that there should be
distinct understanding on tins SUBJECT amongst OUT
.elves aud between and the Executive. Ihey are
Frequently possessed OF important confidential 'niorma
ton for The guidance Of their Judgment IN making Sc
Lotions fo. Office, and in the performance OF other du-
ties in which the concurrence OF the Judgment OF he
Senate is also necessary under our Constitution ana
laws and it is therefore necessary that we should nave
The benefit Of the lights which may have guided
Them bnt is plain that there must arse dhcuy IN
our obtaining from them such confidential lniorma'ion'
ri is no, understood that such confidence is 10 oe
held sacred here. 49,,
Some gentlemen suppose that any paper which s or
NAV have been placed file in any of the public De-
ar,ments is public property and therefore subject to the
right of anv member Of Congress 10 inspect aud make
public at pleasure, and that the TRANSMISSION oil any
such papers here upon in connexon with Executive
business, cannot alter and abridge the right do
not know Sir, how this question OF right may be
properly solved but do know that formerly, and dur
ing the Administration of Mr. Van Buren,, have been
yself refused permission tn inspect even mnch Tess 10
publish copies of papers file in of the public De-
nar,ments This occurred upon application made
IN conjunction with another member OF Congress- TO
MIR PoiGseti, the Secretary OF War, IN the Summer
of $780, documents on HE IN ms oitee
My application vas refused, and was toia oy inc
Secretary that the Department did not t?el bound tc
show the papers unless upon call IRON Congress- Of
one branch at least thereof Whether the Secretary
was jusRable IN refusing 10 permit papers IN ms o.
flee TO be inspected by members OF Congress- the SENATE
ure better able to determine than ann but the case
seems TO show and for this purpose only that cite
H. that this supposed right has not always been recog
nised Again, Sir II rs proper 10 remark that, early II
the present session. question was made IN the Senate
ne IN the proprety of making public papers winch lnt
come into the possession OF the Senate affecting no
minaton made for Office by the Executive, aud TO TIN
committee 20 whom that subject was referred, OK I'M
head of which is the honorable Senator from Indiana
fNr Smi,h) made very able report strongly object
inp to the publication Of any such papers, aud recon-
mendng the refusal of the application for such publicn
ton, although made by an individual the senate De
leved to have been injured by statements contained
those papers | alude to the OF MIR. I. Reid
Again Sir find that, far back the year $50, az
honorable Senator from Massachusetts was censued BY
the Senate for having read merely IN open Senate Ger
lain papers which had been previously communicate
10 the Senate touching Executive business. If thu
Senate will allow me, Sir will read The resolution
offered and adopted on that occasion, and some lev
only Of the remarks made by Senators in that Discus
zion On The Cd of January, 1870 the following resolu
sion, offered BY Mr. Clay, was called up:
"Resolred, That Timothy Pickering, Senator from
The State Of Massachusetts, having on this day, WINS
the Senate was in session with open doors, read iron
his place certain documents cnnhdentay cominnnl
Gated by the President of the United States to The DC
nate, the injunction Of secrecy not having been re
moved has, IN so dong, committed alpabe violation
of the rules of that body.
This resolution debated at considerable length
and finally pass.d by vote Of 20 TO :, the word "Pn
pable" having been first stricken out. shall content
myself Sir by referring Senators 10 this debate, read
ing only shor, extract from the remarks made by my
honorable predecessor, the lamened General Samuel
Smith. The report says
eMr Smith, of Mary and resumed. There can be
no doubt whatever Sir that there are certain things OF
confidential nature which extremely advantageous
TO US in making up opinions; and that the Presi-
dent when he communicates such things, acts with
strong reliance the honor of those to whom he COM
municates, and with strong impression that no man
will feel at liberty dyalge any part Of it, live de-
part from our usual line of conduct in this respect, 1t
cannot be expected that the President WILL hereafter,
place so much reliance upon to give US contiden
tia communications on any sobject
In making these remarks, aud citing these cases. |
repeat Mr. President that it is part of my purpose
TO cast censure anywhere; but earnestly desire the
Senate 10 take the whole subject into their serious con-
alteration and take whatever step shall seem 10 them
to be necessary in order TO bring about dis'hc' and
explicit understanding among ourselves 10 our rela
tire rights on such SUBJECTS and between ourselves
and the Executive 10 the scope of touching