Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-01-18

! have already advanced on the constitutional caaac-
ter Of this board il does seem 10 ne taat presents
medley III lis composition and Organization, '"co"'i
viii, the plain intent and meaning Of certain expires
Sims IN ,e Constitution The Presider; may require
Inc opinion in wiring n Mc Prnp"t ocef, IN eac
of the Executive Departments, &c. Congress may
hy law yesl The appointment ct such hie!ios olce''
a. ;,ey tnin, proper, the President GioHe IN the
c,nr,s If law. scr in HE heads II Departments y
No,v II NAV he marked, III The first place. that
from lie passages quoted, IL the evident purpose
Of the trainers III The instrument containing then''
IN provGc Tor the institution and organization o. Sc
j, yerai Excculire Departments. Ia the second place.
j. is 10 be remarked, that it is quite clear that 1t
w,s intended that these departments should be SIN
ye headfd and not hydra-hcaded; Tor, the direct aud
npeouiyocal phrase is used, site principal oticer
in taeh." Next we have 10 recoiect That 'he "a
binet bill provides, that the i've members shall Of
nauizc BY the election Of ono OF themselves as PFeS-
deot and also expressly establishes THIS Excheguer
, Board "in the Treasury Department." Now desire
very respectfully inquire OF Mr. Webster, who doubt
less drew the bill and accompanying argument IN VIM
dicalion Of il, and who is exoled by his political adm
rers as great constitutional expounder, say desire
very respectfully know OF him. who, under the pre-
scriLed organization OF this Exchequer Board occupy
ing the Treasury Department is e prlctPdL cgtcer,
o,e President or se Secretary Of the Treasury, or
whether all five coordinate and coeqna rendering
the Exchequer Board truly many headed monster IN
utter subvcrsion of the purport OF the Constitution
calling for principal officer, and IN another sentence
: rrc n
And should like To know Of the amabe Secretary o
the Treasury himself where would be his feeling, has
proper feeling Of pride, and his just sense OF shame aud
degradation, IL the Exchequer Board shond elect the
Treasurer of the L. S President, thereby virtually ele
waiting an sinfrior officer the Department the
..prine;Ddi oticer" and "GcaG." much mistaken
If this would not pretty essentially turn things upside
down "inpsy.lurrY Yes, il would not only ovcruIn
the Secrrlary but would oyeriurn his Department,
and overture The Constitution .. his country. And,
- f, .lit,t. II "a,
be feared, has been completely bamboozled, and, with
him, the President and ether members Of the Cabinet,
I by the mas;er-spirIl among them
But nv dear Sir, if you mol already tired md
disguised viii! the ''contempa.ions Of this great plan Of
Finance, let 70 "a step further into lis INDUSTRIOUS
absurGit.cs its constitutional incompatibtes. beg
10 call your attention 10 tic clause the Constitution
On appointments 10 Office and particularly to The ioi-
lowing 'Bu, the Congress may by law vest The ap-
pointnent OF such inferior officers they think pro-
per, in the President alone, i'll the courts Of law,
or in the heads OF departments. The bill contem
plates many agencies 10 be established BY this board
in the States and Territories. They viii require
a new and additional horde Of Federal officers
In the outset hinted at the vast influences 10
be exefled through these affiliated agencies, either
IN the political monetary concerns Of lie coun-
try. What | wish nov, is to ask whether the mode
Of their appointment, admitting them 70 be ME
ror officers strictly and in good faith, in conformity
with the plain letter Of The Constitution II is true,
that the bill would cheat into the belief that the
provision of the Constitution had been complied WITH
by directing the Secretary Of the Treasury to appoint
them but he is 10 do by direction of the Exche
quer Board Dad net The tTainers OF the Constl.
tuition suppose, and did they not intend that some
appointments Of inferior officers might he safely
LETT to the President alone, that is, without the
sent and advice Of the Senate, as prescribed IN other
cases. that might be properly left 10 the Courts OF
Law, and that Others night with equal prcprlety be LEFT
to the Heads of Departments: Did they not mean 10 in
part Congress simply the power Of designating such
inferior officers b. law-but did :hcy mean 10 give to
Congress the power Of llamperng and controlling the
discretion Of those empowered 10 make the appoint.
mens IT viii be an act Of gross constitutional super
rerogaton for Congress, after vestlnE these appoint
mens by law, 10 further and prescribe TO the Execu
tive TO The Courts, 10 tic Departments the manner
in which the duty shall be performed, or to undertake
to subject them, any either Vi them 10 board OF
control, Exchequer Board. But this bill seeks
to subject the Secretary to the direction OF board OF
control, only in the instance OF appointments, but
generally in the discharge o!al his duties ,r, the get
ers-up of this scheme have felt constrained TO keep up
the appearance of observing the nlnnctions of the
II Constitution some things. but tais Pretence oil
vesting these appointments III the Secretary whilst, III
fact they ARE gwen 10 the Beard is only Of the
many proufs Of deceuness which. aboand IN the hiI
still abound in the report and caracier;zes the
whole affair. The whole bill n utterly repugnant TO
the principles Of the Constitution and The purposes Of
the Confcderacy There is constitutional warrant
for single section the BILL because they all seek the
establishment q! the same unhoy purpose IL pretcndS
10 take an intermediate ground between the lndepend
ent Treasury, rashly and gn@ijcy repealed, and It's
great and only antagonist mcasure-a United States
Bank, with the vain hope Of deluLinr and decevIng
both parties, and forming strength and support Tor this
administration out Of their folly and shortslGhedness
It will receive the support, III my humble judg
ment, Of any considerable class Of politicians in tins
country 1t will be secuted and rGIculed hy all, and
tie inevitable destiny of tins monsrons conception OF
an Exchcduer Board is to sink dIsregarded INTO lis
grave or to be recoeced only the greatest political
az n m
the Constitution, only 10 violate and disgrace tit
speaks respectfully 10 the SiaeS only 10 tctray and
) subjugate them.
generally condemned ! firmly believe that the ex-
changes will upon the whole, be better regulated with
out The interference Of Government in attempting 10
supply bills Of exchange at very cheap rate to mcr-
chants and others And We, of the school Of strict con-
strucon, total deny the power 10 the Federal Govern
ment to deal i'll exchanges for purposes Of commerce and
trade, and moreover, believe it would be attended with
all the abuse and ruin OF discountng accommodation
paper in fact, it would be perverted 10 the same pur
pose and all the restrictions OF time, geographical dis
ances and every other restriction could not prevent It,
beg leave to substitute, III lieu Of further remarks
4 of my own quotation from the proceedings OF one OF
the primary meetings Of tie people during the last sum
mer:
'ACan corenlcd that Congress la power, and
bound the exchanges 4" AZ county aud that from
tins follows that hank my BE- created wf"+- business u ,ha
he THIS cranilon assumption"
II denied iha, Tie duty Of Congress T. regulate exchanges
ftir, implied in Of the granted powers, and
tit were we deny that bank i te necessary OF proper oue "'
reputation .,,..,...o
and the rate OF ~ ~ tc regular course o. nn.ln o " u
little more than ne proper expense, 81 Transporting ,s irn
ntcrrup;ed and ycanecs drrangri interruption AMI dcra.e
inrnt III generally proceed from ars ".r wn' nr. lh
the hc and rrcs remedy j. tie natural tendency u connerci
I laws Of commerce such naturally belong il, indie
pendent II Government ac,on.r balances "i ae-,e eN
cn>c facility transporting lecewi determine The rate
Government, interference and hank interference